We arose in the morning and headed to the Murano Glass Factory. I mentioned in the diary that we had a guide so I guess we went on a tour. At the factory I ordered my hand-blown glasses, engraved and with 18K gold banding. I ordered 12 champagne flutes and 12 wine glasses and had them shipped home. I still have all of them.
From the glass factory we went to St. Mark's Square. I still remember all the tourists feeding the pigeons. I remember touring the church.
There was a store selling Murano glass and Shar bought some more items to ship home. I remember a couple from New York who were standing outside the store and looking at the hand-blown glass. The husband told the wife that he wasn't paying those ridiculous prices for glass when he could buy the same stuff much cheaper at K-Mart. Americans!
I made mention that we met some sailors who invited us aboard their ship the Nave Umberto Grosso, but I have no memory of that at all. We did ride in a vaporetto and went back to the hotel. We then spent the rest of the afternoon walking all over the city.
The total spent today was $89.51. I still remember that the glasses were $3 each for a total of $72. That left $17.51 to cover the tour, the shipping costs, the vaporetto and food.
Shar and I are both starting to feel ill. Exhaustion, allergies, cold? I forgot to mention that when we were in Barcelona, it was the first time I had ever been able to 'see' the air. The pollution was terrible. Now, four days later, we are both reeling from something.
Nice glassware! Many of my friends went to Murano, too. I never got there, but I do remember the pigeons at St. Mark’s!
ReplyDeleteIncredible that you still have all that glass. Don't you use it? It really is beautiful. Never made it to Venice, not sure I want to from things I hear these days.
ReplyDeleteI do use the glassware. When I want to break something, accidentally of course, it is my expensive Depression glass. Once I dropped four glasses on the floor at the same time. Ooops.
DeleteI hear that pickpockets are bad in Venice, but from some of my travels in Europe that seems to be a problem in lots of cities with tourists.
Those glasses are so pretty!
ReplyDeletebetty
Beautiful glassware! ♥ It's too bad the weather was not cooperating for you. That's always a big fear when travelling. Hope you and your friend didn't get too sick. Another travelling fear, for sure. That K-mart crack is hilarious. Since when do they sell fine crystal? LOL
ReplyDeleteThey sell glasses and glassware, right? Folks like those people are the reason I sometimes say I am from Windsor.
DeleteThose glasses are so beautiful. I have a weakness for nice stemware. We watched some folks blow glass the last time we were n Quebec City. I wanted an blown apple glass in the worst way but they were closed. A few weeks after we got home I got a package in the mail from my friend Serge who was with us. He does woodworking and had hand-carved me a beautiful wooden apple. It's so cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for blown glass and carved wood.
Delete