Murano and Burano

The unlimited use of vaporettos available with our tickets meant that we couldn't resist the chance to visit Venice's neighboring islands, Murano and Burano. To reach the former, we needed to take a 25-minute vaporetto ride. This took us out of the central canals and into the open water, which felt like a proper Mediterranean lagoon with a warm breeze and azure waves. We also had a great view of Venice's shoreline and some of the neighboring islands like the spooky Isola di San Michele - this island is the graveyard of Venice, and its somber mood was strangely tangible. 

Isola di San Michele

When we docked at Murano, we realised that we were among the first tourists of the day, so we had the island largely to ourselves. This city is famous for its glass production, and every shop along the canals seemed to be selling coloured glass sculptures. The craftsmanship was truly incredible, with the local glassblowers creating everything imaginable, ranging from minuscule glass flies to tanks filled with tropical fish. Every window display was also different from the last, with all of the glassblowers seeming to have a favourite model that they liked to produce - some featured lots of birds, others were filled with tiny people. Worryingly, though, these trinkets were as fragile as they were beautiful, so I entered every shop with my arms fastened to my sides to prevent my clumsiness from leading to a hefty cost. 

 

Perhaps it was because few tourists made it to the island before lunch, but Murano had an air of calmness to it which was particularly enjoyable. Its outer streets were very peaceful, with some lovely areas of grass and trees, and it felt like a big departure from the crowded houses of Venice. We also poked our heads into the island's church, which was similarly pared-back when compared with the opulence of Venice, with its bare timber frames and whitewashed walls feeling far removed from the golden mosaics of St Mark's. 

The Basilica

One of our favourite discoveries on this island was the view from its far side. The sea rolled out to the horizon, with the odd plane flying overhead bound for Marco Polo, and beautiful trumpet vines added some colour to the scene. 

Once we had done a full tour of Murano's glass shops, we caught a vaporetto to Burano. This journey was much less enjoyable - the seats were all taken and even the standing areas were cramped, so when we squeezed ourselves into a corner, the heat was stifling. We stood throughout the forty-minute journey, and when we arrived in Burano, we couldn't have jumped off quick enough. 

Burano's only real attraction is its beautiful houses, but these houses are truly an unmissable sight in Venice. Every street was made up of the brightest coloured houses I've ever seen. There was an array of pinks, blues, yellows, and greens, some neon, some dark, and some faded by the sun. Lined up along the canals, they looked like children's toys rather than real houses. The colours created such a joyous vibe and the cafes lining the main streets and canals added to this: not many tourists are willing to make the longer journey from Venice to Burano, so the injection of visitors that the island does receive seems to breathe more life into it.

As we walked around the whole circumference of the island, we noticed that there wasn't a single house or street that wasn't painted a bold block colour. The little fishing boats moored along the canal looked dull compared to the buildings behind them, and the bright blue sky made the colours the more striking. 

Picture Perfect Houses

After an hour or so we headed back from Burano to the mainland, grabbed a bit of lunch, wandered around, and caught a bus home. We returned to Venice in the evening for another dinner reservation. Tonight we were in a different area of Venice, one that we hadn't visited before. Its streets were occupied by restaurant tables but it felt less touristy that the area we had visited yesterday, and much more laid back. When we arrived at our restaurant we were greeted by very friendly staff and seated at the only remaining outside table. We ordered two Venetian dishes, spaghetti with clams and spaghetti with squid ink (an ominous black concoction which is actually delicious). It was a perfect meal to round of a perfect day, and we headed home feeling enchanted by the beauty of the city. 

A Perfect Evening