Sept.6, 2013
Venice

Woke up rather groggy and stuffy today but took medicine Sally Gable helped me get yesterday and it cleared up pretty well.  Pill packaging isn't as hard to get into here -- that you very much.  After breakfast we followed the directions given by the man at the desk (the same one who didn't understand the 2 glasses of wine the other night) to catch the vaporetto to Murano.  Well, we went in the wrong direction for a couple of stops until we realized what happened and got off.  Back on the right track, we docked in Murano (know for its glass) about 1/2 hour later.  Our first stop was the museum.  How any kind of glass can be preserved from the 14th century is beyond me, but there it was!  We noticed there was glass from the 1920's and 30's and the 50's and 60's, but not from the 40's.  The glassblowers were long ago banished to an island with their fires so Venice wouldn't burn down.  What a quaint place.  We strolled along the canal, looking in the shops and quickly learning the difference between the studio shops and the chotskys (how do you spell that??).  We had long conversations about America with a couple of shopkeepers.  One had visited America to see the gleaming white beaches and all the wonderful things you see in the movies, but went to Miami beach and found nothing pleasant there.  People didn't try to understand him (they can't understand Americans down there sometimes! -- there are so many Cubans) and he got kicked out of a bar because he didn't have a license (no passport?).  It was dirty and ugly and nothing like the movies.  We had a long discussion!  Another fellow had been several times to Charleston.  He was friendlier.  One woman designed some really lovely lamps.  I wanted to bring one home, but decided against it.  She made jewelry as a hobby and was happy to help us and talk.

We got back about 6:00, had our prosecco (cheers Russell and Shawn), talked to Linda and Larry, our new friends here, and went back to last nights' restaurant for spaghetti in clam sauce and a salad.  Back early tonight to shower and pack for an early morning.  We checked out with Phillipe, one of the proprietor's 4 sons who just finished his Masters degree in engineering and is home helping and trying to find a job.  296 euros for 5 nights, including breakfast and evening wine!  This place is a bargain and I will recommend it happily to anyone traveling to Venice.