On day two of our adventure the time change had us awake early. That combined with the prior evenings wine pairings left us a bit sluggish. After a nice breakfast at the hotel we discussed our next days transfer to the cruise pier with the excellent concierge and then hopped a water taxi to Murano.

This wasn’t our first trip to Murano but we wanted a quiet start to our day before challenging the throngs if tourists in Saint Marks Square. It is always enjoyable watching these masters at work. The gentleman we got to see is one of only 30 certified masters of their craft on the island.

After our visit to Murano we took a quick trip back to the hotel to regroup before tackling Saint Marks Square. There has been a lot of publicity in recent years about the overcrowding and strain of tourism on Venice and it is was obvious to us most of that is true. We have made multiple trips to Venice over the past decade and at times it’s unrecognizable. You can still wander the back alleys and find quiet areas to enjoy but we suggest sticking to the surrounding islands for the majority of your stay in the area.

With a chance of showers during the evening we chose to return to our island reprieve and enjoy a dinner of light snacks in the lounge and prepare for the next day. Embarkation Day!