The big excursion of the day was the optional trip to Burano, a nearby island noted for its colorful houses and its Venetian lace.  This time Sid and Margia had no interest in the tour, so Claudia and I went.  This is the route we walked to the boat, along the Venetian waterfront.  Have I mentioned there are a lot of tourists in Venice?

Here we are, on the excursion boat, headed for Burano.  We shared the boat with another tour group, also with Globus.

Claudia and a rather large fellow who was a member of the other Globus tour.  Daniele cautioned us very seriously, "They're a different group; don't mingle."  Daniele had a great sense of humor.

View from the window.  It was a hot day, so the cool breeze was nice.

The lady on the right is Eileen,  the oldest member of our tour group (I think).  She didn't miss out on anything. 

Venice in the distance.

The cedar trees in the distance identify this as a graveyard island.

A lighthouse.

Oh look!  A tower!

Pisa doesn't have the only leaning tower in Italy.  In fact, lots of towers lean, just as you would if you were as old as they are. 

It's against the law in Burano for adjacent houses to be painted the same color.  Seems the postal workers need color coding to help them deliver the mail.  Or something like that.

It really is leaning.

I think I'm gonna like this place.

A sports car passes us.

Still leaning

OK, that's enough of the Leaning Tower of Burano.

Quaint, huh?

When there's not enough dock space, the boats tie up to each other and the tourists cross from one boat to another before reaching shore.

Unusual, but it works.

Strolling the streets of Burano.

This is NOT the Paint Rock River.

There's Claudia, ready to go shopping for some lace.

But first, our excursion included lunch.  And this turned out to be one of the most memorable, most delicious meals of the trip.

The seafood risotto was so good I had to take a picture.

Which Claudia thought was funny.

A very pleasant lunch indeed.

Claudia said, "Calamari?  What's that?"

Ben Cola.  Bibita Analcolica Gassata.  Sounds yummy.

Yep, I like this place.

It's like nothing I would ever have imagined.

Just look.

It's pretty, but I wonder what they do after all the tourists go home?  Watch TV, obviously -- see the antennae?  And sew lace, I suppose.

A reminder of where we are.

Some of these pictures actually look pretty good.

La Perla sold very nice lace.  Maybe I should have bought some as a Christmas present.

La Perla

One of the more colorful shops on the avenue.

I thought this would make an artsy shot.

We're leaving now.

So long, Burano.

So long, ladies sewing lace by the water in Burano.

This was where I created a little stir on our trip back to Venice.  I was only trying to help.  See, I was still wondering how Daniele could have turned "Bits and Pieces" into "Tits and Bits."  So I just casually suggested he might want to say "Odds and Ends" next time.

Big mistake.  See that lady on the far right with the grin on her face?  She's the British tour guide who suggested he use the phrase "Bits and Pieces."  And she overheard me talking to Daniele.  And then she grabbed Daniele's microphone out of his hand and proceeded to tell the entire boat about his embarrassing faux pas.  She had everybody in stitches.  It was very funny, I think even for Daniele.

Here I am, back in Venice, by the excursion boat.  And I don't want anybody who may happen to see this to get any ideas about Christmas presents just because I'm holding a La Perla bag.