It was with sincere regret that we said goodbye to Paolo and his family’s lovely traditional Venetian house. It is filled with interesting antiques and gives visitors the flavor of earlier times because it doesn’t have a TV, microwave, or dishwasher. While washing dishes, I was reminded of my own youth on a Canadian farm where doing dishes was an opportunity to interact with a family member who helped to wash and dry them. Consequently, Paolo’s place satisfied our desire to experience Italian village life, from shopping at the local green grocer and coop, to cooking pasta and hanging out our clothes on the line. Murano itself is such a relief after Venice, though we also enjoyed visiting that major city. But it was so relaxing to return after a visit there to our Murano digs and the absolute peacefulness.
I also want to commend Paolo, a lovely man, for his attentiveness. He was totally available whenever something came up that I had a question about. He also met us at the vaporetto stop after we flew in from New York and helped us cart our luggage over two bridges to his house. He did the same thing when we left, recognizing, I think, that at 78 & 81, my husband and I weren’t as physically able as younger people might be to carry their own bags.
My only reservation about the house is for older people like us. The bannister doesn’t go all the way up to the second level, so we were extra careful with each step we took up and down the marble steps, again, something that younger people wouldn’t worry about.
But Murano and Paolo’s house have many treasures for visitors to enjoy.