marks and spencer – Explore Mens Fashion. Fast.

“I am on annual leave”. This is the message you will get if you try to email me this week.

An Italian escape had been in the pipe for some months now. Among several Italian places, it was decided that the ‘cities’ of Murano, Venice & Burano were to be the main destinations.

35 degrees Celsius is the average temperature you get there. This meant that shorts, sunglasses, short sleeves & light shirts are to become my best friends. Not to forget the large quantities of water needed in order to ‘survive’ the days!

My first destination was Murano. To go to there from Venice one has to take a boat (less than 20mn).

Murano, famous for its glass.

Murano, island, northeastern Italy in the Venice Lagoon (Laguna Veneta), is renowned for its long tradition of glass-making. I was told that the island experienced its major development after 1291, when glass furnaces were moved there from Venice.

It was just a delight to spend hours walking around the canals and get a glimpse at the glass shops. A fascinating place!

*Like Venice, Murano is formed of seven islands in turn connected by bridges and its Grand Canal that runs through them.*

*One of Murano’s, and many, glass shops*!

*The famous Barovier & Toso brand: Luxury Lighting (Murano Glass Since 1295*).

Another must see is the the Museum of Glass which was founded by Antonio Colleoni and Vincenzo Zanetti in 1861. Inside you can admire vases, bowls, sculptures and especially the majestic chandeliers.

Venice

Venice is located in the northeast coast of Italy. It is protected from the Adriatic Sea by a long strip of land composed by the Venice Lido, the Cavallino-Treporti Lido and the Jesolo Lido.

*The Canal Grande, the main water way of the city to which 150 smaller canals (called “rii”) are connected to*.

*Linen shirt by M&S. Sunglasses by Asos. Sling bag by Tumi.*

*This Tumi sling bag quickly became my best ally: wallet, water bottle, camera and bits and bobs did all fit in it.*

View from Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

It is estimated that there are around 400 gondolas in Venice. They are made of 280 hand-made pieces using eight types of wood (lime, oak, mahogany, walnut, cherry, fir, larch and elm). The process takes about two months; in 2013, the cost of a gondola was about £35K.

*Light brown Sid skinny stretch utility shorts by* *River Island*.

The “Piazza San Marco” is the unique square in Venice. Considered by many as the most beautiful square of the world because of its many decorations in the Renaissance arcades and in the buildings surrounding it.

*St Mark’s Campanile, Colonne di San Marco e San teodoro, lPalazzo Ducale.*

Burano, known for its lace its unique and colorful houses.

Less than 20 minutes away from Murano (by boat), the picturesque Burano is known for its brightly colored fishermen’s houses and its casual eateries serving seafood from the lagoon.

It just seems to be the paradise here. One can really appreciates the tranquility and the calmness of this island.

Pursuing the shores you will arrive to center of the Island: Galuppi Square; here neighbourly ladies invite the most curious visitors to come into their shops to admire the lace working.

Many international magazines include Burano among the top 10 most colorful cities in the world.

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A Stylish Italian Escape