Four Murano glass Carnival figurines on a showroom shelf — Harlequin in black and amber, a dancer in deep red, a jester in millefiori, a fourth in swirling multicolor. The craft in each piece is genuine. The price tag on the rightmost reads €188.30. On November 8, 1291, the Venetian Great Council issued a decree ordering every glassmaker in the city to relocate to the island of Murano. The stated reason was fire risk — Venice was largely built of wood and furnaces burned at over 1,500°C.

Some scenes linger long after you’ve walked away, and this one feels like that sort of memory — warm, smoky, and slightly chaotic in the best possible way. The air looks thick with the smell of grilling bratwurst, the kind that makes you suddenly hungrier than you intended to be, even if you already had dinner. The giant circular grill hangs like a medieval fire pit, chains pulling it upward while rows of sausages sizzle and blister.