Italy - Venice - Evening Boat Tour~

By the time Courtney was done explaining my special needs to Giulia of Venice Boat Rent, I'm sure she & Alessandro had no idea what to expect :-)  We crossed the last bridge to our planned meeting place & watched as a smaller water taxi pulled away.  I was just starting to think that I'd made a bad decision, when we were approached by a tall, friendly looking Italian man, who greeted us by saying;  "You must be looking for me, I'm Alessandro!"

Alessandro~

After introductions, we walked along a nearby canal & to his craft, tied to a pier. The photo above, from the web site, is a few years old.  The wind screen is now gone, making it easier for Alessandro to talk to whoever is in the front of the boat.  A smaller boat than I'd expected, Courtney took the seat in the rear & I sat up front.  Alessandro started the outboard & we were on our way down the waterway.

Under the bridge!

Courtney had been absolutely right - the perspective from the water was so totally different & so in keeping with the feel of a city built on water.  Motoring along the canal was really fun!

Łaguna de Venesia

It wasn't long, until we'd left the smooth water of the city & were heading NE on the Laguna.  Our first pass-by, was of a small square island - a Greek Orthodox cemetery.

San Michele in Isola

 Once home of a monastery, Napoleon turned the island into a cemetery.  The monastery was demolished, but the church remains.

Large trees on the island~

We continued along the shore a way - before making the turn west toward the canal that acts as a central passage way through the Laguna.  Murano is a collection of seven islands linked together by bridges, where the world famous Venetian glass is made.  With a population of about 5,000 - it seemed to have a timeless quality.

Murano main canal~

Murano's buildings were smaller in stature, but the shades of various colors were as warm & wonderful as any we'd seen.

Chiesa di San Pietro Martire

Above is one of the two main churches on Murano.  The glass sculpture below, was stunning!  In 1921 the Doge of Venice asked the glass makers to move their factories to Murano, as a precaution against possible fires that could be caused by the hot furnaces.

Artist - Simone Cenedese

It was obvious that even with the move, the industry has thrived & the island dedicated to it's main source of employment & income.  Two of the bridges here were so low, we had to duck!

Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato

 Behind the alter of the above church is said to be the large bones of a dragon slain by Saint Donatus of Arezzo.  Churches & their towers dominated the skyline.  Each stunning & distinctive in it's own unique way.

Exiting the north end of Murano's main canal, we picked up speed through the central waterway to the northern islands.  Many boats were coming our direction!  It was like driving on a one-way street, at rush hour, in the wrong direction!  Sitting up front & watching all this traffic coming at us - fast - was certainly a rush for me!  Alessandro just laughed & said that they were returning home from the boat races that had been held earlier in the day.  Soon we passed the eastern shore of Mazzorbo on our way to Burano.

Racing Gondola~

The craft above was a beauty, sleek & smooth.  It also looked to be much more streamlined than the tourist gondola's that we'd observed in Venice.  Had we known, it would have been fun to have come out to watch.  I think that would have involved bobbing up & down though!

Burano

Soon, we were entering the canals of Burano, where the brightly colored homes vied with each other for attention.  All were a striking contrast against the blue of the sky & water.  Very quiet, hardly anyone around.  Alessandro described Burano's history as a fishing village.  The women used to hand knot the fishing nets, but now the younger generations are no longer interested.  Famous for lace making - it seems that too will soon be a lost art.

Torcello Cathedral

Far off to the north - as we circled out to the eastern shore of Burano, I could see the square tower of yet another church on the skyline.  Alessandro asked if we'd like to go see it & of course we said yes!

Original entry~

On the way, we went along a marshland. I asked if we could go near enough to see the soils & plants. Alessandro explained that what I was seeing, was exactly what the entire city had been built on! It looked like a sandy, gray loam, similar to the loam of the Loess Hills of Iowa.
Well north of Burano, we circled Torcello to dock at the edge of a walkway, leading to the Cathedral courtyard.  Very little of the original structure remains, but it's age was apparent.

Originally built in 639 it is the oldest in Veneto.  We could see parts of an archeological dig off to one side.  So quiet - as we stood admiring the age of the structure & the history it represented.  The late evening light was perfect, turning the color of the brick to burnished copper.  I was taking the above video  - when the bells started ringing!  Obviously, someone was on the island besides us.

Church of Santa Maria Assunta~

It was an amazing experience to stand in a place so rich in history. There was a stone water fountain where a trickle of water was flowing.  Alessandro said the water was good & I tried a handful.  It has a slightly mineral taste.  We returned to the boat & headed SW on a small canal through the heart of Torcello.  

Under a bridge on the Torcello canal~

 Past Torcello, we entered another mid-sized canal that went through the center of Mazzorbo.  The water was totally still, mirroring the colors of the homes. We left just the slight wake from our boat flowing behind us.

The church below is the only one - of ten churches that were originally on the island.

Santa Caterina di Mazzorbo

Heading back, the cloud cover had obscured the sun, but sunset was strikingly beautiful.  Afternoon had turned to dusk & we were still a way from the city.  Once we left Torcello, Alessandro picked up speed - my Garmin was recording about 18-mph or close to 16 knots.  Take the time to view the video's below & you'll be adding Venice to your travel list.

On the way out, I'd spotted another tower that looked like a lighthouse, on the NE corner of Murano.  As we came back by - the light was on!

Murano Lighthouse

 As we passed Murano, it seemed that we were racing darkness, as were a few other boats returning from the various islands.  The lights were coming on in Venice & the moon was near full.  The temperature had dropped a few degrees & I was wishing I'd thought to bring a jacket.

Alessandro brought us back in from a slightly different direction & it was stunningly beautiful.  One of those experiences in life - that you never want to end.  We thanked Alessandro for such an incredible tour.  It was just 8 p.m. & we were in time for our dinner reservation.

Dinner was outstanding.  We both ordered Eggplant & it was by far the most amazing dish either of us had tasted.  Of course we'd been told that there is no bad food in Italy & we found that to be 100% true!

Our Boat Tour Route~

As we walked back to our hotel, there were a few groups of people sitting at tables near the canal.  The evening ambiance was palpable.   We both wished that we'd had more time to enjoy this city & it's people.