what do you mean finished?!

Today was my adventure to the glass making island of Murano.

I have to start this post with a little disclaimer for Elizabeth. Yesterday I stated that, since I'm Parisienne, I don't use maps. Parisians actually do use maps. They sell special maps in Paris that looks like a small booklet. It has all of the arrondissments on separate pages with all of the streets visible. You simply find the page with the quartier you're in, find the street you're on, and then figure it out from there. Even Parisians get lost in Paris, and I've definitely seen people using their maps before. I don't own one because I always write out directions before I leave the house so I don't need a map. Okay, on with today's adventure.

I was startled awake this morning after realizing that I'd slept until 7:37. Gasp! Such a late riser. I got dressed, wrote out the instructions for how to get to Murano, and went downstairs for breakfast. I smothered a croissant in two single serving packets of nutella, had a strong cup of coffee with milk and sugar, a bit of orange juice, two thin slices of cake, and a roll. I was sad that the rolls weren't warm this morning, but I ate my breakfast anyway and got on the road. I came back to the hotel to ask the owner what time check out is tomorrow and if San Marco was flooded. The answers were 11 and no. I wanted to take the boat from San Marco instead of Piazza Roma so that I could see all of the islands during my boat ride.

There was poggia today, but I put up my umbrella and started walking to the square. You know that someone is Venetian when they tip their umbrella to the side when two umbrella users meet in an alleyway. For some reason all of the shops were closed even though it's Saturday. I just figured that I was out a little too early for shops to be open yet; some of them would never open. I kept trudging along in the rain until I got to the area near the Rialto bridge. I started to get worried when I saw water coming up into the plaza. I knew this wasn't going to be good but I had already walked all the way over there. I might as well keep going.

I panicked a bit when I saw scaffolding up in San Marco Square, but it was mostly dry. There were some areas with deep water but others were dry enough not to soak my boots. By the end of the day my feet would be damp but not as wet as when I left Rome. I got onto the scaffolding and walked to San Zaccaria boat dock. I asked the woman at the first ticket booth if I could buy a ticket to Murano from there. She told me to go to the next dock. I went over and bought my roundtrip ticket; 14 euro. I got onto the floating dock and waited for the boat to come. It was still raining and the water looked choppy. Terrified people were going past on their gondola tours who were nearly soaking wet. I feel no need to be tortured in such a manner.

The boat came and we all got loaded on. I got a seat beneath deck and waited for the boat to leave. The boat make the worst sound I've ever heard in my life. While we were treading water there was the sound of metal griding on metal, and I thought the boat would sink. We started off anyway and everything seemed fine. We went passed all of the small islands on the way to Murano including the famous cemetery island San Michele. The windows of the boat were foggy, and there were people standing in the aisle so I couldn't really see well. I finally looked through the crowd to see that we had arrived at my stop; Colonna.

I followed my instructions to find the one glass blowing shop that does free demonstrations. I waited in line and was let in with the rest of the crowd. There was an adorable Italian man who narrated the demonstration in Italian, French, and English. I've found that Italian men are quite adorable, bad noses, but adorable. The glassblower first made a vase, and then he made a horse. The horse was made so quickly that I missed half of it while watching the adorable man speak in French. No wonder horses sell for 3 euros. After the demonstration we went into the showroom to look at glass. While I was in Murano I wanted to pick up Jimmy's present. He requested a wine glass. Glasses are fairly easy to find, but they come in all sorts of rainbow colors. It just didn't seem right. I wanted to find something a little less circus and a little more normal man's wine glass. You'd be surprised how hard that mission would be to accomplish.

I looked in some stores and glass galleries to no avail. A woman even took me into a special shop to help me find a glass. One glasses were pretty, but at 60 euros I just couldn't do it. Most of the glasses that were sold as separate pieces were colorful and were not actually wine glasses. Some of them were just way too gawdy. I finally found my way into a gallery that sold really nice items. There were figurines for 60 euros and sets of plain, clear glassware for 200 euros for a set of six. I didn't think that I'd find anything. While I was looking, I was approached my a very adorable salesman in a suit. He helped me pick out just the right glass. I needed a man's opinion to pick out a gift for a very special man. I found the glass and went on my way.

I read that there were two churches and a glass museum on Murano, but it didn't seem like there was much to do. I had already paid my 14 euro so I figured that I should walk around. I walked along the waterfront trying to find an alley into the center of the island. I finally found one and started walking. I came across a courtyard that led to a bridge filled with people. I went over and then crossed the bridge to a small island. It was the creepiest island I've ever seen. It was completely abandoned and decaying. I felt like I shouldn't be there so I turned back. I tried to find the church, but the one pathway that led there was flooded. I turned back.

I came across a sign that said "grocery store/snack bar/gelato" so I figured that I'd follow it. It led to a three story shopping center that contained a small grocery store, a snack bar, and some souvenir shops. I found my way to the exit without finding gelato. The exit led directly to the banks of the canal near the waterbus. The banks were entirely flooded, and lined with fancy glass galleries and restaurants. I just wanted some gelato. I wandered around for a bit and then went back into the shopping center. I looked around the souvenir shops and the grocery store and then went back to the dock. I got my gelato, vanilla with shards of chocolate, and then waited for the boat.

The dock was filled with a group of American girls about my age who were a school group. They were so annoying with their English speaking and liking each other. I calmly sat and ate my ice cream while I waited. The boat came after what seemed like forever and I got on. Everything seemed fine for awhile. We went back to San Michele and some other islands that we hadn't been to before.

We came to a really cute little island and I thought that it would be nice to get off there and explore; too bad I was on my way back to San Marco. All of a sudden I heard a woman yell "fini/finished/ the end". We were herded off the boat and left at this random boat stop! I went to look at the map figuring that I'd just catch another boat. I then started talking to an older man and woman who were from Asia but spoke English. We were both looking at the map and figured that we'd just wait until another boat came. I went back inside the stop to wait for the next boat. I had stood there for all of one second when I heard the woman say "suspended?!".

I went back out, and saw here pointing at an electronic sign near the map. The line that I wanted to take had been suspended due to high tide. I asked what they were going to do, and they said that they were going to walk around. We didn't know how long we'd be stranded there so we might as well make the best of it. I figured that I'd grab some lunch and hangout. At least we were somewhere pretty.

I then saw a bridge with lots of people crossing it. The island looked like it was abandoned so it seemed weird to me that there would be so many people in one spot. I went to take a picture from the bridge and just happened to see a yellow directional sign stating that Piazza Roma was in that direction. That was the way to home!

The boat map gave me the impression that I was a long way from San Marco so I thought that it'd be at least an two hour walk to Piazza Roma. To my surprise I stumbled upon the train station in a matter of minutes. I was still bent on getting lunch so I stopped at a shop that had pizzas in the window for 1,50. It turns out that 1,50 is the price per a certain weight. My pizza was three euros. The man heated it up, wrapped it into a cone, and I was out the door. The bread was so fluffy and delicious. The worst food in Italy is still better than the food in the states. I shoved my treat into my mouth as I walked to my hotel.

I got back and sat down for a minute. It was only two so I decided to go to the tabacchi to get stamps and post cards. The tabacchi near me was closed so I went in search of stamps in another location. On my stamp hunt I stopped into one of the glass stores from yesterday and picked up some more gifts. I also stopped at a tabacchi for stamps, and a street cart for watercolor postcards for mommy and me. I kept wandering to San Marco because I wanted to see the famous Harry's bar. In the corner of the square, where the museums are, was a huge throng of people and I could hear a man's voice over a speaker. I wasn't going that direction so I kept walking.

I didn't find Harry's, but I did find the high end shopping district. I kept wandering until I came to All Academia. I wandered through that and entered into the music museum. I wandered some more and found my way to a pretty bridge to a different island. I thought that I shouldn't leave the island where my hotel is so I went back.

On my journey I kept seeing fancy gondola tours. The rowers were dressed in the stripped shirts with the iconic gondola hats. Super cheesy. One gondola had a singer, an accordian player, and a guitarist all performing for a boat full of people. It was so touristy that I couldn't help but laugh.

By this time it was about 3:30, and I decided to head back to the hotel. I followed the signs back to Academia but kept getting lost. It was growing darker by the second and I started to freak out a bit. I didn't know what I was going to do so I kept wandering around trying to follow a sign for San Marco. I finally found my way to the waterfront and into San Marco square. I saw a woman wearing a graduation cap, and there were tons of people around. It turns out that the throng I saw earlier was a graduation ceremony. I was stuck in the midst of tons of pushing people and graduation guests. I started to have a panic attack; I couldn't handle being pushed in the crowd. I got myself out of the square, but my escape was blocked by tons of graduation groups parading down the tiny alleys of Venice.

I was getting dark, and I was getting upset. I managed to get myself to the COOP in the square (yes, there's an Italian COOP!!) that I've kept passing over the past day (wow, I've only been exploring for two days. It feels like forever) to buy myself some snacks for the train ride tomorrow. I got cookies filled with apricot jam for the train ride. I was on my way to the checkout when I spotted the beer section. I got a huge bottle of COOP beer because it was only 90 cents. I also grabbed two Kinder items with my upcoming reunion feast with Elizabeth. I checked out and was on my way home.

It was dark, and of course, looked like it was going to rain. I hurried passed the train station and made my way back to my hotel. My feet are so sore that I'm actually limping. I was going to drink my beer, but I couldn't open it because I don't have a bottle opener. I took it as a sign from the universe that I shouldn't be drinking it now. I wrote my postcards and have been in bed ever since. Why is vacation so exhausting?