Museo del Merletto

It's Saturday and there are lots of tourists in Venice, although not as packed as I thought it would be - same as Salamanca on a Saturday - people everywhere but you can still get served in shops.

We decided that today we would go to Burano, a small island about 1 hour 20 minutes by boat. First we had to get tickets for the ferry - the public transport service. I must say that the level of English language support is low, so it can be a test of your perseverance. We bought a 24 hour unlimited travel voucher for €20 each - a good deal. Couldn't find the ferry terminal but a tourist guide for Murano Island helped us get to the right spot.

The ferry ride alone was worth it, although thunder storms were forecast, we had clear blue skies and plenty of activity to see on the water. As soon as we arrived we knew this place would be special. Mary was aware that Burano was famous for its lace, but we didn't know how attractive the painted houses would be.

Everywhere you look on the small island there are houses painted in striking colours, reds, greens, blue anything you could imagine - an all in brilliant contrast. The houses are so close to the paths that they but "shower curtains" across the front door so they can leave the doors open for the breeze but not have tourists looking in - nice idea.

There are plenty of lace shops, cafes and gift shops. Mary has a head cold, but that didn't stop her from shopping - she's a champion. We had lunch - the pasta was great, I had spaghetti Bolognese and Mary had Lasagne - both brilliant. The ferry ride home was crowded - perhaps because the storm was coming - I had to stand all the way home.

It had been a great day and we checked our photos - too many to decide which six I could use on my blog - meanwhile the storm was brewing outside - we decided to go for dinner at 7pm before the rain starts. The hotel suggested a pizza place down a back alley - it turned out to be a good choice. Great service, healthy food and lots of it. I couldn't believe how many people they served so quickly without fuss.

It was a high tide and so water was coming up through the drains in St Marks Square. I asked a shop assistant if her shop would flood, she said yes - always with the high tide. The lightning started and we filled our camera's and phones with movies of the show - it was very dramatic, almost mesmerising so you couldn't stop watching it. Mary's Fitbit was on 9km so we did a couple of laps of the square - jumping puddles to get up to 10km.

Expect it will rain over night - tomorrow is the regatta in the Grand Canal - that should be fun.

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