40th Annniversary Trip Day 13

40^th Anniversary Trip Day 13 – Saturday in Venice – A Hidden Gem

After a lie-in and another breakfast highlighted by pannacotta we head over to the lagoon for the trip to Burano and beyond.  Burano was famous for its lace making, and although the skill almost died out, it’s being revived.  But the island’s other claim to fame is alive and well – brightly painted houses.

Ivan gave us contacts for 2 restaurants where he knows the owners, but having just had breakfast we’re not hungry.   Instead of following the crowds down the main street from the ferry we veer one street to our left and saunter alongside a canal taking in the architecture, the boats and the bright colors.  The island isn’t large so we’re soon on the main street – a pedestrian area with lots of cafes (including the recommended one) and little shops with their wares displayed outside and in.

Vicky finds a “poncho” made of cashmere and after thinking briefly, adds it to her wardrobe.  It’s beautiful and looks good on her.  We explore the island for a while, stop for gelato and then return to the vaporetto for the short trip to Torcello.

A small island, almost devoid of permanent residents these days, Torcello was the first place settled in the Venetian lagoon.  It’s tranquil and not overflowing with tourists, and as we walk along the (inevitable) canal we feel a sense of peace.  The weather is pleasant – finally warm enough to enjoy the outdoors without being bundled up. We come upon a little restaurant in a garden that could be in a small English village, and stop for cappuccino and a very creamy cheesecake, and taking in the joys of the garden, the birds, and the views of the water.

Torcello’s main claim to fame is its two churches.  One is used for weddings and as we visit, women are decorating the pews with flowers for one later today.  The older church, which boasts a multilingual self guided tour, dates back to 639AD, making it one of the oldest Christian churches still standing anywhere. Its claim to fame is its highly detailed mosaic frescoes, particularly on its rear wall.  This is an 11^th Century mosaic of the Virgin Mary with many saints above her.  It takes our breath away. There’s a lot of renovation work going on inside but that doesn’t stop us marveling at the art work, and the labor that must have gone into making these detailed paintings high on the wall.

We wander around the grounds enjoying the peace, before visiting the small museum.  This features archeological discoveries from the mainland, dating back to Roman times– coins, jewelry and more, including details of where the artifacts were found.  The people originally moved here due to persecution by invaders during late Roman times. We have the place to ourselves and spend an hour or so immersing ourselves in this ancient culture.

As we’re waiting for the vaporetto back to Venice, a boat pulls in and spills out elegantly dressed men and women – the bride, groom and guests for the wedding we saw being prepared for.  A nice touch to end our visit to this delightfully peaceful island.

Dinner tonight is at Osteria al Cantinon, recommended and booked for us by Ivan.  It’s a rambling old building with many small rooms, and a table is reserved for us.  As usual, we’re the first diners.  I enjoy spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, chili and prawns.  I love these tender Venetian prawns.   

Vicky savors duck tagliatelle - home made pasta and the duck meat is not at all greasy.   We'll miss real Italian food when we get home!

As we’re still in Cannaregio, it’s an easy walk to and from the hotel.  Time for an early night since we have a busy day planned for tomorrow.