Venice is a city in a lagoon of the Adriatic Sea. Venice existed as an independent republic for much of its history. Trade between the east and the west made the city wealthy. Presently it is a tourist city and looks pretty rough. Many buildings are in need of at least a coat of paint. The land had been subsiding much faster than naturally due to pulling from artesian wells. Once these wells were stopped in the 1960s, the land has stopped dropping as fast. However, there still are buildings that regularly flood. It is a beautiful city and the density of beautiful churches is striking. However, it feels like much of it is falling apart. It is also crazy expensive.
Murano is a small island about 20 minutes from Venice via boat. It is most known for it being the location for glass making. Those techniques are only taught through apprenticeship down family lines. An industry of nepotism. We were able to watch the guys working in one of the shops. I loved watching them work. After walking through many glass showrooms and stores we had a lovely lunch. The pigeons are incredibly aggressive and we had to push one off our table many times.
Burano is another island outside Venice. Its claim to fame is hand-made lace. Luck was against us as the restaurant we selected for dinner was owned by a Chinese guy. We couldn't figure out why we heard the Italian waiters speaking Chinese. Chinese with an Italian accent is very interesting to hear. Venice was never conquered by the Turks. It wasn't destroyed by Napoleon or WWII. As such, it has a very unique feel. Between 2 million tourists per year, land subsidence, sea rise, and passing time; the city is showing its age.
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