UPDATE on the problem with Gypsies!This summer has seen more “gypsies” in Venice than normal and they have gotten progressively more aggressive. Their newest business ventures are selling vaporetto tickets, baggage handling and tourist information.But there’s a bit of a hitch in these new ventures.(1) They are selling used vaporetto (imob) tickets they have recovered from the…
Author: VenetianBeadShop
Cruise Ships in Venice
Update: Cruise Ship Comes Dangerously Near Venice Read about the fight to ban these “Mega” Cruise Ships from Venice and the “No Grande Navi” Protests.
Murano Glass Factory
The glass factories of Murano have long been a tourist favorite to visit and watch a small horse being made. The maestro (though usually not a maestro, rather a production glass blower who has been hired to demonstrate to the tourist). The major work goes on in the furnaces off the main streets in Murano.…
Redentore Celebration
It all started in 1576 when the senate voted to build a church dedicated to the Redeemer if Venice was freed from the plague. By that time the plague had killed a quarter of the city’s population and by the end of the winter the death toll stood around 50,000 people. The Doge, head…
Vaporetto Rebellion
Every summer in Venice, the vaporetti become over-crowded with tourist, the boat stops jammed with people from every country, all speaking different languages and very few who know where they want to go or how to get there. Mix this with the locals who absolutely know where they want to go and unlike anywhere else…
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Visiting Venice Update 2013
Update on Venice 2013: Visiting Venice is easier than ever, though more expensive than ever as the hotels have increased their room rates for the summer for the tourist season by as much as 36% according to a local source. To save some money, you can buy some tickets on line in advance. In addition to…
Bye Bye Love Locks
Ok, so if you declared your love in Venice by attaching a small padlock to any bridge, be prepared for the removal of your lucchetti dell’amore. They have removed some 600 last week and are prepared to remove the more than 2,500 on the Accademia bridge alone. But, it seems they reappear almost as fast…
Costume Jewelry in the US
A couple of years ago when we did a bead show in Providence, Rhode Island, we became fascinated with the rich history of the area. If you make jewelry, you are all too familiar with the term “findings. Well you need look no further than Providence and nearby Attleboro to see where many of the small…
Murano Glass Dichroic Beads
We took dichroic glass back to Venice after we discovered American bead makers using it and saw the beauty in this new decoration. Fortunately, Jerry Sandberg had begun working on dichroic for artist since the 1970s. He was working at a vacuum-coating laboratory in southern California when he saw an artist digging through the trash for…