A cultural day of island hopping awaited the Travel & Tourism students on the final full day of their trip to Venice.
A gloomy and drizzly start to the day wasn’t going to stop the students who broke out their colourful ponchos to save themselves from the elements.
The destinations were two of the lesser known islands of Venice, Burano and Murano, which are just as spectacular in their own right.
First stop was Burano, where, at a first glimpse, it appeared the boat had taken a wrong turn and detoured to Scotland before docking in Balamory.
The colourful buildings resembled those featured in the children’s TV show, so much so, some of the students were humming and singing the Balamory theme tune, seemingly reminding them of their childhood.
There was no PC plum in sight, but instead there was street after street of bright and colourful buildings making it a truly delightful sight. It is this unusual characteristic which draws the tourists to the island and makes it so unique.
Once almost every colour on a comprehensive DIY paint chart had been spotted, it was time to hop back on the taxi boat and head to the island of Murano for a more traditional experience.
Murano is world famous for glass production and even though it was just a short distance from Burano, it was a completely different experience for the students.
First stop on the island was to a glass blowing workshop where the students enjoyed a demonstration of glass modelling. They watched in amazement as one of the talented sculptors effortlessly turned a block of molten glass into a magnificent prancing horse in less than a minute. It certainly was fascinating to watch.
The demonstration was followed by a visit to a showroom where almost everything imaginable had been created out of glass. In fact the vast majority of shops on the island were dedicated to glasswork from tiny animals and jewellery to gigantic sculptures and household items such as bowls and cups.
It was these bespoke features of the two smaller islands which made them perfect for the students’ studies. They were able to see and understand how areas become famous through the things they produce, especially in the case of Murano. Glass making here has been a tradition since 1291 and generations upon generations have visited to get their hands on these bespoke items.
Tomorrow the students will prepare for their return to the UK after a fabulous time in Venice and will surely take the time to soak up the last of the sun which is forecast to return and to do some last minute souvenir shopping.