As mentioned in my Murano post, I’ve long wanted to visit the islands and Burano was the one I was most looking forward to as it’s most famous for lace. Anyone who knows me will know I’m a huge fan of lace and especially white lace. I can’t get enough of it and my wardrobe is full of different designs.
Stepping off the boat onto the island I wasn’t sure if we’d made the right decision to visit on this particular day as it was unfortunately the wettest day of our entire trip. It was grey and gloomy and it felt like the boat took forever. It was a 45 minute journey which wouldn’t normally be a problem however as the windows were steamed up and covered in rain, we didn’t really get to see anything which is probably why the journey felt so long.
Anyway we made a beeline for the first shop which is Martina Vidal. I immediately felt like I’d stepped into heaven. The shop is honestly stunning and fortunately but also unfortunately photos and videos are not allowed therefore I’m unable to share anything but you’ll just need to take my word for how beautiful it was. We browsed through the items on the ground floor, almost scared to touch anything as it was so delicate and beautifully designed. A lady greeted us and asked if we wanted to visit the museum on the upper floors which we did. We were taken upstairs and I initially didn’t think it could get any better but my gosh they had everything from bed linen to table runners to loungewear and bath robes. On the top floor, my favourite part was the kidswear. Each item was exquisite. The time involved to create each piece is remarkable and it really put things into perspective in terms of fast fashion. When we came back down to the ground floor there was a lady sewing which demonstrated the craftsmanship involved and it was great to see.
Afterwards we ventured back out in to the dismal conditions and attempted to explore the island through the limited view under umbrellas. There was hardly a sole about which made it easier to navigate with large umbrellas but it meant there wasn’t really an atmosphere. Overall it felt a bit vacant and lifeless.
The lace museum was still closed from the extraordinary measures put in place by the Italian Government and generally there wasn’t much else to do. We did our best and stopped in one of the restaurants for a cup of tea and a heat before heading back to Venice. Thankfully the journey was quicker this time around.
While we didn’t visit Burano on a good day, in Summer or in better weather I’m sure it would be great with more going on. It’s very picturesque with the colourful buildings and worth a visit even just for that.
xo!