Monday was our first full day in Venice and we intended to make the most out of it. We got up at a decent time and headed to the island of Murano. We decided to take the Hilton's complimentary tour, which was essentially them contracting with a private water taxi and working with a specific glassmaker on the island.
Venice has a couple of islands that are close and known for specific things. Murano is the home of glassmaking. You may have heard of Murano glass- this is where it comes from. Burano is famous for lacemaking and Torcello is an "island full of legends and mysteries." We only hit Murano.
Ultimately I'm glad we went, but I wish the experience would have been better. Like I mentioned, we took the Hilton tour, and they work with a specific glassmaking factory. The shuttle dropped us off at the factory, we saw a 10 minute demonstration (along with other tours), then were guided around their massive showroom. They definitely have their sales pitch down.
The specific glassmaker's prices we went to were astronomical! Having already explored in Venice, we had run across some small shops that also had Murano glass for much cheaper. I realize we didn't buy it ON the island, but the things we got were still very pretty and high quality. Not to mention that the shop owners were much nicer and more appreciative to have us in their stores. Despite not having the best experience, I think this is something you have to do. It's interesting to see this craftsmanship and to experience the smaller islands.
The rest of our day was again spent exploring Venice. We walked around Old Town, which is a little removed from the touristy areas, then took a gondola ride around the canals. I think we must have picked the oldest gondolier and gondola in the city, but it was still a fun experience.
Lastly, we ate at a great restaurant on Monday night called Fiaschetteria Toscana. This restaurant is part of a group of restaurants that have tried to return to traditional Venetian cuisine. The meal and service were excellent, and I would highly recommend if you visit Venice.
Tuesday was a sleep late day and then our journey to Vienna, which sort of brings me to now. I'll update on Vienna and post some pics as soon as possible. It's been a great trip so far, and we still have quite a bit to go!
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