We had some down time in Burano, another popular island in the Venetian lagoon, around seven kilometres from Venice by boat. It was a good idea to get away from the crowd in Venice and we enjoyed a very early and very heavy fisherman's dinner consisting of various fresh seafood caught in the lagoon at the Trattoria da Romano, said to be one of the best, if not the best place to eat on the island.
The trattoria (told you...in Italy, there are many different eatery categories...a trattoria is more casual than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria) is housed in a lovely building that used to be a school for lace-making, the island's primary industry. The restaurant itself has been in operation since the 1920s and has become an iconic place in Burano, catering to both local fishermen and lace-makers, as well as special visitors.
The original owner had a fondness for the arts and over the years, he had entertained a prestigious line-up of artists and celebrities who went there not just for the food, but for his company and hospitality. And in case of any doubt, one has to only look at the interior walls of the restaurant decorated with a collection of paintings given by these artists as gifts to the owner, as well as photos of famous people who had gone there. There was also a special book with autographs and messages from celebrities (and we are talking of the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Hemingway, Maria Callas, Sylvester Stallone, Robert de Niro, Keith Richards, and no less than the Duke of Edinburgh, and other European royalties) prominently displayed in the corner, as a testament to their VIP patrons.
The trattoria is best known for its risotto buranello, also called risotto di go. It is flavoured by the aromatic broth of the “go fish” that thrive in the lagoon, but is difficult to find. The late renowned chef, Anthony Bourdain, tried and raved about this dish. In his TV show, he referred to it as “Go Fish Risotto” (which reminded me of the Go-Fish card game I play with my son). This dish was the reason why our Tour Director brought us there in the first place. One does not leave Venice without trying this famous risotto at this famous eatery, according to her. And it was indeed divine!
The rest of the meal served to us was described as the "poor man's meal," though I doubt the moniker was from the quantity, because the food on our table was certainly more than bountiful. However, each dish was presented almost effortlessly, with little or no fancy seasonings or rich sauces. So, I guess that's the reason they called it "poor" - to denote being plain and rustic.
But that was the beauty of it. Because of the simplicity of the preparation, the natural flavours of the seafood stood out and we were able to appreciate the pure freshness and succulence of the fish, shrimps, calamari, crabs, and their other local offerings. My husband was in heaven because he loves risotto (and he already had risotto for lunch in Venice, though the one in Burano was clearly the winner). My personal favourite was the tagliolini with spider crab, which was unique to Burano. The dessert and coffee at the end of the meal were excellent as well.
We strolled around Burano after that wonderful early dinner. It was a relaxing walk because the island is small and easy to navigate, and the people we met were very friendly and laid-back. The place is also extremely charming because of the brightly-painted houses along every street, with flower boxes hanging from its windows and small boats docked on the sparkling green channels. It was like a set for a children’s television show and I imagined cute, little puppets emerging from the picturesque scene singing an opening song about sunshine and rainbows and saying, “Hello kids, welcome to Beautiful Burano!”
Our Tour Director explained that the houses were painted that way to make it easier for the fishermen to recognize their homes while they were out at sea. In time, these brilliant colours had become so iconic, and to preserve this look, the residents now have to obtain permission from the “commune” before painting their houses. Each lot has a pre-assigned house colour. I was glad to know they are doing this to keep the tradition. The vivid hues of pink, blue, green, red, yellow, purple, and orange give this tiny island a lot of character. If your love taking photos or posing for pictures, this is the perfect place to visit.
Burano also boasts of other attractions. To start off, they have their very own leaning tower, the tilting campanile of the Church of San Martino, which looks like a mini-version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Inside is the Crucifixion painting by Giambattista Tiepolo, a renowned Venetian artist. There is also the Town Hall made of Istria stone, the Oratorio di Santa Barbara, and the statue of another well-known Venetian artist Baldassarre Galuppi, also made of Istria stone and sculpted by the famous Remigio Barbaro, also of Venice.
Istrian stone is a dense and impermeable type of limestone quarried in Istria (now a part of present-day Croatia) that is prevalent in Venetian and Dalmatian architecture. Its white colour contrasts well with red marbles as can be seen on the façade of many palazzos in Venice.
Around Piazza Galuppi, the main square, one can find souvenir stores, small cafes, trattoria buranellas that serve fresh seafood, gelato stalls, and pastry shops selling local sweets.
The most popular pastry is the traditional bussola buranello or esse. These are cookies similar to a shortbread and are shaped round like a compass or a backward letter S that are dipped in wine before eating. My husband loves these and has passed on that fondness to our son. In fact, we regularly get them from Italian stores and our son calls them "S cookies". My husband bought some, of course, along with fresh bread, from one of the oldest bakeries in town. "Nothing like the original," he said.
We stopped by the many lace shops around the area. This was not to be missed, for Burano has been famous for making quality lace since the 16th century. We saw friendly elderly ladies sitting outside, who allowed us to watch as they embroidered on their tombolos and invited us inside the shops to see their products. The array of lace work was just amazing.
Nowadays, however, not all lace products at the store are handmade. Some are mass-produced for tourists. They are still very pretty, but if one wants to buy artisan lace, it would be a lot more expensive. The locals have also set up a lace museum, the Il Museo del Merletto di Burano housed in the former lace-making school building to make people understand the tradition of lace-making in Burano. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to go inside to look at the exhibits.
We saw a wedding party marching down the street from the church on their way to the reception place, which we presumed, was one of the quaint restaurants on the main street. They were having their pictorial as they were walking, stopping at several picturesque spots around the neighborhood. We took pictures as well. It was such a lovely scene – a bride and a groom surrounded by their wedding party in smart tuxedos and bright red gowns against a kaleidoscope of brilliant colours. And to add even more drama, the sun was setting and was illuminating the sky with shades of yellow, orange, pink, and purple. How I wished I had a professional camera with me, but since I only had the regular digital kind, I tried my best to capture that wonderful scene with my low-tech gadget.
I was disappointed that the islands of Murano and Torcello were not part of our itinerary. After seeing Burano, I could only imagine what the other two islands were like. Murano is known for its glass, while Torcello is known for the spectacular Byzantine mosaics in the 7th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Dell’Assunta and its peaceful walking paths. Next time…
We went back to our hotel to get some rest. Unfortunately, it was around this time that I started feeling sick. There was a cold virus going around our travel group, based on some significant sneezing and coughing on the bus ever since we left Verona. That night, I began a sneezing marathon and in no time, used up two large boxes of tissue. By 8 pm, it became clear that I caught a bad cold. My eyes were watery, my nose runny, and I was drained off all energy.
Photo Credits:
e-borghi.com, europeforvisitors.com, tripsavvy.com, venetianrestaurants.it, outthere.belafuori.com
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