Although there is a church on virtually every corner of Venice (for instance, there are at least four within 100 feet of our campiello, one of them quite famous), we saw no one with ashes on their heads for Ash Wednesday. The churches were as deserted as they usually are.
And so was Piazza San Marco.
But first, we were on a quest for Murano to view the glass stores. We found a new vaporetto stop, Fondamenta Nova, very close to our apartment, that has a direct water bus to the islands of Cimiterie St. Michelle, Murano and Burano. The islands are just minutes away from the Fondamenta Nova stop, so we purchased a two-day vaporetto pass for 30 euros each, knowing that we can use that much in fares in just one day.
The canal from the major Murano vaporetto stop is lined–literally–with glass factories and showrooms on both sides, ranging from small one-room shops to major showrooms and ateliers. We walked pretty much the entire length of the canal, all the way down to the huge glass sculpture honoring Murano’s glassmaking heritage. And, of course, we stopped and looked in many of the stores, seeking the pendant lamp shades we have looked for since our first visit to Venice a few years ago.
We actually found two sets of shades at two different shops. Of course, we purchased the more expensive of the two. I had to admit that the pair we bought displays more artistry and is generally more substantial than any of the others we considered. The owners of Franco Schiavon Gallery also invited us to tour the rest of their extensive establishment, where we saw some of the most spectacular glass sculptures and chandeliers ever. Many of the chandeliers would rival Chihuly. Of course, we could not photograph them for proprietary reasons, which I can well understand.
After a quick pizza lunch in the Murano mini-mall next door to the Schiavon Gallery, we boarded the vaporetto for a trip back to San Marco, curious to see the post-Carnival crowds.
They were smaller–much, much smaller. The stages and booths were being disassembled, the holiday was over. No one wore masks or costumes anymore. People in San Marco barely outnumbered birds.
For the first time, there was no line at the Campanile, so we took the elevator ride up to view Venice from high above.
Historically, this is the bell tower where Galileo conducted his experiments that eventually rewarded him with condemnation from the Catholic Church. Let us all remember that Galileo’s major–and nearly capital–offense was challenging science that was settled. Heed that, climate change deniers.