Colourful Island of Burano

Hope you enjoyed reading my previous post on Venice! 

Besides visiting the very famous city of Venice, we also didn't missed out Burano - one of the many islands located in the Venetian Lagoon. 

You might have heard of Murano and thought (maybe) you were confused with the initials, but surprise! Both Murano and Burano exist and are just a few miles away from each other! Although their name looks and sounds almost identical, both are well-known for totally different thing. Murano is widely known as "the glass island" while Burano on the other hand, is famous for the art of lace making and bright multicoloured houses.

Burano is an old fishing village, and the fishing traditions of Burano date back to Roman time. It was founded by the Romans who fled the city of Altino during the Barbarian invasions, and named it after one of the gates of the former city.

-Amusing Planet 

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Being able to see all these colourful and vibrant houses definitely make our trip here worthwhile. It was a cloudy day but we were thankful the weather was great with no sign of fog.  Can you imagine everything you see is as if covered by the "fade" filter? No thanks, I can edit them into the photo myself afterwards. 

In order to get ourselves to Burano from Venice, we took the vaporetto from the Fondamenta Nuove quay behind the main hospital which was featured in my last blog post. The journey took around 45 minutes and 6.50€ for one way ride. 

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Just like Venice, Burano is also an island with no car and I don't remember seeing any bicycle either. Are you curious with why this island is painted in such colourful way? From what I heard, there are two sayings on this origin but it's up to you which one to believe. 

Myth number 1 :  Fishermen from the island paint their houses in vibrant hues to see them in fog or from a long distance when they return from sea.

Myth number 2 : Houses were painted colourfully so that drunk sailors will recognise their houses as they came home after a long night of drinking.

So, which one sounds more legit to you? I think the first one sounds pretty convincing to me. 

Also, the brightly coloured houses is believed to be following a special colour pattern, dating to the island's "golden age" when it was first becoming developed. These days, if property owners wish to paint their buildings or even to change the current colour, they must request permission from the government! How unbelievable is that?

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Also being famous for the art of lace making, we saw a lot of shops selling traditional and delicate handmade lace. As much as I would like to purchase one as a souvenir for myself, I find it rather expensive and thus giving up purchasing any. I think my mum would definitely love a handmade lace tablecloth, but... sorry mum! haha.  

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An old granny is seen knitting lace inside the shop

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For lunch, we went to the very famous local restaurant Al Gatto Nero but was being turned down immediately because the restaurant was fully booked! According to a lot of online reviews, this place has good reputation for its fabulous seafood. Filled with disappointment, a local who was on his way out from the restaurant recommended us to another seafood restaurant across the street canal. 

We didn't know exactly the restaurant he was telling us because he was mumbling in Italian. We shook our heads implying that we don't know what he was saying but he carried on regardless. Obviously we couldn't understand a word he said but went towards the direction he pointed us anyway. The area he pointed us turned out to have 5 or 6 restaurants running nearby each other and both of us were so speechless but ended up entering Restaurant Galuppi because the waiter was so "friendly" and "unrefusable". 

Do you know that Burano is very famous for its fish dishes? The most famous of which is the "risotto de gò" which literally translated as "Goby fish risotto". Unfortunately the restaurant we went do not serve it so we ordered a seafood risotto and clam pasta instead. 

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seafood risotto with shrimps, clams and mussels

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The food here is nothing but mediocre. It is really hard for us to accept that these two dishes and a bottle of mineral water cost us 43€ with cover charge included. Next time if you are visiting Burano, do not try any other restaurant besides Al Gatto Nero! Also, don't forget to book for a table in advance!

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I think that Burano is the happiest place in Italy. I believe the colourful and vibrant houses will brighten up anyone's mood instantly, turning frowns to smiles in no time. It's like Disneyland without the brand name, entrance fee or crazy rides and I think adults would love to escape to this serene place, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

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Baldassare Galuppi, an Italian composer from Burano

I hope you enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed exploring this island!

Ciao!

x