Thursday, October 16, 2014

Wild Color and Good Eats on Burano

If Venice is like a masquerade ball, mysterious and opulent, then Burano is like a backyard picnic, festive and full of simple pleasures. 



We spent one of our days in Venice exploring the outlying lagoon islands. After a long morning looking at hand blown glass in Murano, we again board the vaporetto water bus for the 30 minute journey to Burano, an island known for its lace making and fishing. Even from far away, I couldn't help noticing the wildly vivid colors of the houses standing out against a brilliant blue sky. Fishermen's wives supposedly painted their homes like this so their husbands could see them while out at sea. I certainly could. What comfort these bright buildings must have provided on a foggy day, acting as a visual tether for the fishermen as they went out on their boats for their daily catch. The leaning tower of San Martino Church rises up above the rooftops and acts as a landmark you can see from all around the village.


A bicycle waits for its owner near the vaporetto dock.

As soon as we stepped off the boat, I immediately noticed how different Burano is than Venice. While extraordinarily lovely, Venice seems like a city meant to be displayed, not used. It's like the fine wedding china plates and cut crystal goblets I only get out for special occasions. I never felt that any regular people lived in Venice, at least not in the areas near St. Mark's Square and Rialto Bridge. It was almost like Disneyland, existing for the pleasure of visitors. Burano, on the other hand, was alive with everyday life. It's more like colorful, glazed earthenware plates and cups that you use for your daily meals. It's down-to-earth and real.


Burano
A woman hang out her wash. Laundry lines were everywhere in Burano.

Walking down the street, we passed houses painted emerald green, sunny yellow, violet-pink magenta, lapis lazuli blue, and geranium red. Even the bright white and pastel houses stand out amongst the rainbow of color. Drapes covering doorways billowed out with the breeze. Women hung out their wash to dry, men strolled home with groceries, and children played basketball in the church courtyard.


Burano
Painted plaque by a doorway

We were admittedly quite hungry for lunch when we left Murano, so the kids were eager to sit down at the first restaurant we saw by the dock. Instead, hubby insisted we push on until we reached the restaurant recommended by our Family Guide: Italy guidebook. With a rumbling stomach, even I was beginning to feel like perhaps it wasn't worth the few minutes walk. How much better could it be? At least we had this to look at while making our way there.


Beautiful, colorful Burano

It turns out that our meal at the century-old Trattoria Da Romano was worth every bit of not only the walk there but also the 40 minute boat ride from Venice and Murano. The walls are covered with paintings by artists who have visited the island and photographs of the illustrious people who have dined there — Charlie Chaplin, Keith Richards, and Robert De Niro to name a few. Just last night as I was researching this post, I discovered that Anthony Bourdain praised Da Romano, too. There's a certain elegance to the place with its nice tablecloths and impeccably trained waitstaff wearing crisp, white jackets, but they still made the kids feel welcome.


Burano
Enjoying the Fritto Misto dish of fried seafood

With fishing as one of the main industries on the island, it was no surprise that seafood features heavily on the menu. According to Bourdain, the Goh Fish Risotto is the thing to order here. Not knowing that, I went for Sole Meunière. The waiter set down this dish of fish with a browned butter and lemon sauce before me, then offered to remove the bones. A few flicks of his wrist and I'm ready to tuck into a meal which delights despite its simple preparation. The fish was fresh, and the sauce enhanced its flavor without overpowering it. My son, ever the fan of seafood and anything fried, orders the Fritto Misto, an assorment of fried calamari, shrimp and fish with julienned vegetables. This was another winner — not greasy and with just the right amount of batter on each piece.

We ended our meal with a dessert plate of traditional cookies. Bussolà Buranello are the signature O- and S-shaped cookies of the island. They're crunchy and rich with butter and egg yolks, mildly sweet with a touch of lemon. The candied almond bars were quite a treat, too.

Burano, cookies
Traditional cookies including bussolà buranello

With our hunger sated, everyone was less grumpy and in a much better mood. We walked around a bit more, stopping in at La Paticceria Carmelina Palmisano after being lured in by all the packages of cookies prominently displayed in the window. Okay, well I was lured in, and then the rest of the family came back to find me after realizing I was no longer with them. Having just enjoyed a plateful of these cookies, I ended up buying what turned out to be a most excellent wedge of Torta di Torrone, soft vanilla nougat with sliced almonds throughout and chunks of chewy toffee on top.

Borano, Italian sweets
Torta di Torrone

After taking time to use an iPhone app to measure the slant of Burano's not-so-famous Leaning Tower (5 degrees off plumb according to my engineer hubby), everyone was finally ready to head back to Venice. As we walked down the narrow lane leading to the vaporetto stop, my girl and I quickly ducked into a lace shop to inspect its wares. After all, Burano is famous for its intricate, hand made lace. A woman in the back sat making her delicate creation out of white thread but seemed to prefer if no one paid any attention to her. I asked if I could take a photo, and she replied grudgingly, "Just one." I purchased a lacy bookmark for myself and a small lace umbrella perfect for my daughter's American Girl doll, and with that, our time on Burano was done.

Burano
Woman making lace.
I really wanted a close up of her work but didn't want to intrude.

Can you wait for a good meal or is food just fuel for the body?


Related Posts:
Explore Venice by Boat
Dreams Come True in Venice


This post is part of the following link-ups. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

22 comments:

  1. Michele I love good food but am not good at waiting when I am hungry. I smiled when I read that everyone was in a better frame of mind after lunch - I so empathise with that. I had the dish your son had when we were in Venice 35 years ago. It was called fritto misto and we found it when hopelessly lost trying to follow directions to a restaurant. We found a tiny place which may or may not have been the correct one and the beautiful meal has lived on in my memory. It was the same dish but looked darker with more tentacles and actual tiny fish, same, same but different. I loved your post. Your introduction is gorgeous as is the rest of your writing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Michele. Your Italy posts make me so want to go back. I love those bright colors. Your meal sounds to "die for". What a bonus that the waiter removed the bones for you! I love fish, but sometimes don't order it for that very reason. Too many bones...ugh! Yes, I have seen myself fight the urge to stop at the first restaurant, and forget the recommendation. I usually do persevere. #TPThursday

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely! it's hard to escape the touristy side of Venice but rewarding when you do. This looks lovely. I'm sorry I missed it -- especially the food!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved your description of Venice and comparing to the fine wedding china! It's great that you discovered a beautiful alternative that seems so accessible...I didn't go here last time I visited Venice, but would LOVE to check it out in the future! And that food...!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh our trip to Burano seems ions ago and this makes me want to go back. As for food, this traveling duo gets along much better on stomachs that aren't grumbling. . .so I suspect we might have given up before reaching the recommended restaurant. Another great post, Michele!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the bright colours! Your descriptions of Venice being like fine china are great - and of Burano being the opposite! I love good food but I have to admit that I'm useless at waiting when I'm hungry. I get so grumpy and tired!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You make it clear that I needed to get t Burano - beautiful images! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd definitely wait for a good meal! Burano looks absolutely charming! Thanks for opening my eyes to a new place to put on my "to go" list!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What beautiful bold colors the city has! As for being able to wait for a good meal - I can do that most of the time... unless I am short on time and then I will go for the quick meal!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The bright colors drew me to your post from #WeekendWanderlust and I was not disappointed! Burano is a place that would make me very happy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love good food, it's one of the big joys of travelling getting to try all the local produced prepared in the local style. Lovely photos, really enjoyed the bold colours.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the story behind the brightly-colored building, that's so sweet :) Certainly brings the place to live and make for great pictures too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The answer to the question is "yes!" It's both. Sometimes I just have to get some fuel for the body before I'm so hangry that my eyes are throwing daggers! ;) I really enjoyed seeing Burano through this post of yours. Venice is on our Italy list, but we weren't able to make it up that way this past summer. When we do go, I'd love to take a day trip out to a smaller place like this!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I had no idea that, that was the reason behind the colourful buildings. Food for me is a mix of fuel and an experience - it depend on how hungry I am :P

    ReplyDelete
  15. We loved Burano and I'm glad you enjoyed it too. We're looking forward to the return trip with the kids next month. Thanks for the restaurant tips. I am making sure to stop at La Paticceria Carmelina Palmisano. Food is both fuel and experience for us. I seem to have a never ending supply of snacks in my purse just to pacify the kids sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Burano is definitely on my list of places to visit as I'm drawn by all of those brightly colored buildings! It looks like a great way to view Venice in a different way from the super touristy areas at St. Mark's Square. Thanks for the great write-up!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Michelle, a great meal is definitely worth waiting for. If my idol Bourdain recommended It I don't mind waiting for yours. I dind't make it to Burano when I was in Venice long time ago. I love your desctiptions of the island with lovely photos to match. It truly is like a colorful theme park wiith people living in it. I certainly visit Burano next time I'm in Venice and also eat my stomach out at Da Romano.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really like the sound of Burano though I still feel like I have to travel to Venice at least once.
    I try and pack snacks so I can enjoy a good meal, even if it means waiting for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yum yum, that nougat looks delightful. Definitely one of my favourite treats. Looks like you had a great day exploring the surrounding islands. While I've never been to Venice, your description of the islands vs. Venice sounds definitely plausible. Venice even in photos looks too perfect. That said, I still totally want to go there!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would love to visit places like this one day. So many places I want to go! It was interesting to read the story behind why the houses are painted so brightly. It looks so colourful and I am sure they gave heart to those fishermen in the fog. Thanks Michelle for another excellent travel blog post. Happy travels and have a great weekend. I wonder where you will take me next!
    ps - and thank you for the great Penang travel tips! I've linked you in my latest post. cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh I can absolutely wait for a good meal, Michele. And even longer for the amazing walk and dining you guys had there! The Fritto Misto would definitely be on my radar and I'm not usually a sweets eater but when I get a craving....watch out lol! So, that Torta di Torrone sounds yummy! :)

    ReplyDelete

I read each and every comment. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Comment moderation is on, so your comment may not appear immediately.

Web Analytics