I don't think you can really appreciate what creative craftsmen can do until 
you watch them work. It's one thing to admire a piece of beautifully blown 
glass in a shop window or the delicate workmanship of lovely lace, but to be 
there when the artist's vision begins to take shape is a special treat.

Our recent journey through northern Italy brought us to Venice, where two of 
the many islands that make up the Venetian Lagoon provided an opportunity to 
watch artists at work.

We stopped at the Café Quadri in St. Mark's Square for a gelato on a warm 
July day. It was only a short walk to the water taxi that took us to the 
islands of Murano and Burano.

Burano lies about six miles from Venice, and unlike other islands in the 
lagoon, it has no imposing palaces. Instead, the distinctive homes, all about 
the same height, offer a palette of color from deep reds to vivid yellows and 
intense blues. Legend has it that the houses were painted so a tired 
fisherman, who spent a little too much time at the local pub, could find his 
house by its color.

Burano always has attracted artists and painters. In the 16th century, with 
the invention of the 'punto in aria,' the art of lacemaking with a needle was 
born and it immediately became the specialty of Burano. The elegance of the 
Burano work became so popular with the nobility of Europe that a school for 
the art opened here.

Although the industry has had its ups and downs, real Burano lace is very 
expensive today because it takes three years for 10 women to make a single 
tablecloth. Wander through some lovely shops to find what you're looking for 
and pause to watch one of the elders practice her art.

Murano, the largest of the islands that make up the lagoon, became a center 
for glassmaking in 1291 when all the glassmakers of Venice were asked to move 
to the island as a security precaution. All of the city was constructed 
mainly of wood and people lived in constant fear of fire - and you need a lot 
of fire to make glass. Soon Murano became Europe's principal supplier of 
glass.

However, the best was yet to come. In the 1850s, a new type of glass furnace 
was developed. Modern-day marketing came into play when some outstanding new 
works that had intricate curlicue fantasies etched in glass were shown at a 
London exhibit. The artistic designs and artisan skills of the traditional 
Murano glassmakers now had worldwide attention.

You can watch these men perform their craft in demonstrations. It is amazing 
what they can do. We looked on as one artist took a blob of red-hot molten 
glass and, by twisting and turning and then trimming with iron tools, 
fashioned a horse standing on his hind legs in a matter of two or three 
minutes. Of course, the Murano glassmakers also invite you to their elaborate 
showrooms where everything from cocktail glasses to chandeliers are on 
display and for sale, with insured shipping guaranteed.

Numerous sightseeing excursions, as well as the regular vaporetti (the 
typical Venetian public boats), take you to the islands. Line 12 leaves every 
30 minutes from Fondamente Nuove and stops at both Murano and Burano; Line 14 
departs every 50 minutes from St. Mark's Square and stops at the Lido and 
Burano.

Remember, the city of Venice is built on 117 small islands that were formed 
about 6,000 years ago after the last Ice Age formed what is now the Venetian 
Lagoon. It has taken about five centuries for humans to try to balance the 
needs of nature and mankind in this unique environment. At the moment, nature 
is winning as the city slowly sinks into the sea. Don't wait too long to make 
that visit.

• Write to Roy Leonard in care of Going Places, Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, 
Arlington Heights, IL 60006.