Watery Wednesday - Burano, Italy

Recently I watched a Rick Steves European Travels episode on PBS which spotlighted Venice and some of the small islands in the Venetian Lagoon. Reminded me of a 2008 trip to this most romantic Italian location, especially Burano with it's gaily painted houses and handmade lace. To get to Burano the easiest thing to do is to pick up a water bus, or vaporetti, in Venice somewhere along the Grand Canal:

From Venice you travel north on the Venetian Lagoon, enjoying views like this of grand churches, galleries, hotels and private homes.

After about 45 minutes on the vaporetti you arrive at Burano, an island of fishermen, lacemakers, and Murano glass artists. Gaily painted houses and shops sit along the narrow canals that run through the town. The houses were painted different colors so that fishermen could see their own houses from the water when out fishing.


After lunch at a delightful seafood cafe in the town square, we wandered along the canals looking for pieces of the exquisite Burano lace in small shops. We were also lucky enough to see elderly women sitting outside the shop making the lace.
Some shops also sold the beautiful jewel-colored Murano glass which is handblown in the area.

Venice is crowded with tourists and the accompanying carnival atmosphere from mid-morning to very late at night. If you are lucky enough to visit this area, I recommend that you take a break and enjoy a slower paced travel experience like on Burano.

Want to see some more "watery" photography? Click here for the players.