Always stunning to see- our first time to see it from a ship. Wow- what a birds eye view.
Wonder who owns the Be4?
St. Marks...before the day gets started.
Lots of red roofs.
Churches, Churches- lots of Churches
Picturesque
So The Collins take off for Murano and Burano for the day...
MURANO- THE GLASS ISLAND
Much like Venice, Murano comprises a cluster of small islands, connected by bridges- it has been the center of the glass making industry since 1291, when the furnaces were moved here from the city because of the risk of fire and the effects of the smoke.
Murano lies about 0.9 miles north of Venice and measures about 0.9 mi across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures, I guess they don't count that often). It is famous for its glass making. It was once an independent comune, but is now a frazione of the comune of Venice. We watch the glass blower in this very hot room, sitting on stadium metal- could they make it any hotter?
Murano’s reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and the destruction of the city’s mostly wooden buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still associated with Venetian glass.
Murano's glassmakers were soon numbered among the island’s most prominent citizens. By the fourteenth century, glassmakers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state and found their daughters married into Venice’s most affluent families. While benefiting from certain statutory privileges, glassmakers were forbidden to leave the Republic. However, many of them took the risks associated with migration and established glass furnaces in surrounding cities and farther afield — sometimes in England and the Netherlands.
Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on high-quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including optically clear glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano still employ these centuries-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to Murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
Venice kept protecting the secret of the production of glass and of crystal but, notwithstanding it, the Republic partially lost its monopoly at the end of the sixteenth century, because of some glass makers who let the secret be known in many European countries.
Some of the companies that own historical glass factories in Murano are among the most important brands of glass in the world. These companies include Venini, Alessandro Mandruzzato Ferro Murano, Barovier & Toso, Simone Cenedese and Seguso. In order to protect the original Murano Glass art from foreign markets, the most famous Glass Factories of this island have a trademark that certifies glass made products on the island of Murano.
The oldest Murano glass factory that is still active today is that of Pauly & C. – Compagnia Venezia Murano, founded in 1866. And just by luck, the glassblowers shop led us straight to the bosses store. No Boca did not want to pay E13,000 euros for a glass turtle. Did not like the high pressure sell in the shop and in fact shared the experience with our destiaton services director- oh and by the way, make sure there is water on all of our tour buses or boats. 
And per the Collins Art Critic, Bubs-" it doesn't get any uglier than this s#%t".
Everybody loves a clown so why can't you?
Even the chandeliers are infected!
Back on the boat to head over to Burano- hey what's going on Pleep? A gondola race!
Lots of kid excitement on the Venetian waters today. Bonjorno Pleep!
Arivaderci!
Burano-the cheeriest little island, is the most colorful of the lagoon islands and can be distinguished from a distance by the tilting tower of it's church. And oh so many brightly painted houses.The wee island is located in the same lagoon as Venice, but its colors pop and fizzle in a way that makes it feel almost tropical.
The houses on Burano obviously follow a special color pattern, dating to the island’s “golden age” when it was first becoming developed. Pleep thinks this is a real cool place-in spite of the sweltering heat.
If you live on Burano and wish to paint your house, you must send a letter to the government, and they’ll reply telling you which colors you’re allowed to paint your lot.
making sure the wife was faithful and not having one of the gondola drivers stop by? 
Nowadays, lace stores and ice cream shops and artisan kiosks clutter Burano’s narrow streets
Pleep and Bubs are all about a slice. Holy Moly- what kind of pooch is that???
Are the selfies improving?
Purple Haze?
Pleep liked that everyone in the town hung their underwear out to flap in the breeze.
Talk about a bad hair day.
Lacemaking is another one of little Burano’s big highlights. The women of the island have been experts at lace since the 1400s, when Leonardo da Vinci himself visited to shop for cloth that he used on the altar at the Duomo di Milano. After spending 2 hours contemplating which table cloth to buy- they really were all so gorgeous, Boca settled on this one- 150 inches long and 10 napkins. No bargain, but so beautifully made. Bubs the chow better be table linen worthy for our next dinner get party. 
Met a couple of lively Brits up top for the cocktail sail away as we compared notes on Silversea, Regent and Seabourn.
One of them shared that the people of Venice recently signed a petition to NOT ALLOW the cruise ships to come into their port. Huh? There were 9 cruise ships in Venice today. We had to wait an extra our in line to depart- like the airport! Is that why it's soooo hazy? Grey ooze. A petition?
Boca is not buying it...in a country that is in an economic down- slightly an iota better than Greece, they are willing to turn millions of Euro's in business away?
Remember the photo of St. Mark's square on the sail in this morning, check this one on the sail out....hope they leave by the time we get back here. Yikes! 
Back to happy hour...one of Pleeps favorite mixologists at the Keller Bar.
Boca envisions some delicious appetizers for dinner in the Keller Grille....pinot noir, steak tartare and prawns.
But Bubs highly recommended (admonished? shamed? guilted?) the healthier version for Boca as she then reminded him of his no desert commitment he made....for the day anyway. Tit for Tat Bubs.
Boca attended the lecture on Montenegro...
a colorful history indeed.
On oh so many levels. Boca vividly remembers the reign of Tito- a very different former Yugoslavia today indeed.
