Lazy morning in Venice. I was up before everyone else, so I grabbed my book and a glass of water and headed out to our balcony to relax. It’s so interesting watching a city of canals with no cars. The barges and boats that move through Venice do so with so much precision. And there are so many types—some with cranes, others with deep wells to collect rubbish or deliver supplies. From our vantage point, we saw linen pick-up and delivery for the nearby hotel, plus a surprising amount of food delivery traffic.
As the kids and Mark started to rouse, we formed a plan. After a quick breakfast in (the apartment had a full kitchen), we decided to buy a vaporetto day pass and use it as our personal water tour bus.
First stop: getting lost (on purpose)
We grabbed cappuccinos on the way to the Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stop and hopped on the first boat that showed up—no destination in mind. To be honest, you can’t get too lost in Venice it’s a pretty contained island. The ride gave us a chance to get our bearings and see much of the Grand Canal from the water.
We ended up at the bus station (end of the line) so we hopped off and found a little park. We took a break to plan the rest of the day.
By then it was nearing lunch, so we vapped back to our home stop, ran to the apartment for a quick meal (thanks to yesterday’s CoOp run), and headed back out to find Fondamente Nove on the north side of the island. From there, we caught the 45-minute vaporetto ride to Burano.
The plan was Burano, Torcello, Murano, and back home. But sometimes… plans change.
Burano: color, lace, and an unexpected highlight
First stop: Burano, a charming island known for its brightly painted houses and traditional lace-making. I honestly didn’t think we’d spend as much time there as we did—but we were all drawn in. The colors were so fun and picturesque, and the shops were interesting to explore.
Yes, we found gelato, and yes, we stopped for cicchetti (and water). But the highlight of the visit was a small glass shop where the owners—also the makers—were on-site. What was going to be a quick browse turned into nearly an hour of conversation. They showed us videos and photos of their glass jewelry-making process, using glass rods from Murano to craft everything by hand right there in Burano.
We walked out with some beautiful new Venetian glass jewelry and a great story to tell.
We also passed a few nasone (public water fountains)—a welcome sight to refill bottles and splash down. Just a handful of water down your arms and neck goes a long way in the summer heat. We spent alot of time just wandering through the small allies taking photos of the brilliantly colored houses (who had curtains for doors)
After soaking in all that Burano had to offer, we headed back to the vap station to catch the boat over to Torcello and Murano. But when we asked to head “back to Venice,” we weren’t specific—and ended up on a vaporetto going the wrong direction.
By the time we realized, we were 20 minutes in with another 10 to go before the next change point. The kids were over it. We decided to skip Murano—we already had our glass and most tours would’ve been closed by the time we arrived. Honestly, no one was sad about it. We got to see Venice from an entirely different direction.
The hot, packed boat eventually got us back to Ca’ d’Oro, with a quick CoOp stop for snacks. Showers and relaxing ensued while we planned dinner. (Having AC in the apartment was such a blessing—these mid-day breaks were essential.)
Dinner was an adventure. Noah had seen a restaurant during our wanderings that makes pasta in a giant parmesan wheel. While we tried to steer clear of restaurants with printed menus in multiple languages, but he was determined. He could only vaguely remember where it was, so we set off hunting. Luckily, it didn’t take long to find.
We were probably the least-dressed group in the room, but they seated us anyway—in the back, naturally. And yes, the cheesy pasta was everything Noah hoped it would be. The rest of the meal? Forgettable. But the parmesan wheel made the night.
After dinner, we wandered back to St. Mark’s Square to enjoy the evening serenades—each restaurant had a small band playing music for diners. We were late enough that it was drinks and dessert only, which was perfect for us.
The evening was lovely but the breeze was picking up. After dessert, a serenade, and a Bezos protest, we decided to high tail it back, the weather was shifting. We made it to the vap stop just as rain began to pour. The next boat arrived, and we squeezed under cover as best we could. It was wild—lightning in the sky, waves in the canal, wind howling through the buildings. The Grand Canal turned dramatic and beautiful in a completely different way.
We made it back to our apartment safely, if a little waterlogged.
Day 6 Takeaways:
- The vaporetto pass is a great way to explore at your own pace.
- Burano is more than a quick stop—worth the time for colors, shopping, and conversation.
- Be specific when asking about vaporetto routes—a wrong turn can cost an hour.
- Local glass shops are often more meaningful (and less touristy) than factory tours.
- Cheesewheel pasta is never a bad decision.
- Storms on the canal? Unforgettable.
From lazy balcony mornings to colorful canals and dramatic lightning shows, Venice keeps surprising us. One more day to soak it all in.
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