November 2009
We went for a 40 minute motorized boat ride from Venice to the fishing island of Burano! We had a seafood Italian lunch at Cafe Vecio with the works; appetizer, pasta, risotto, meat (fish and shrimp), alcohol (wine and amaretto) and coffee! Although their seafood is no match to the seafood here in the Philippines, one thing that I love about Italy is the Italians’ love for food! Although the type of food is not the same with what we are used to in Asia, the rice, pasta, various spices and sauces is similar enough. Well not really, but after 2 weeks in Europe, any similarity to Asian food is very much welcomed by our stomachs! The serving sizes are bigger as well, much more similar again to Asian servings compared to the simple and small servings in the Germanic countries (Germany, Switzerland, Austria and etc).
Cafe Vecio Risotto
We were then given some time to wander around the small town with only 4,000 people! They are a fishing village, and instead of cars, the boats are parked outside their houses in canals. Bridges are used to cross to the other side of the “street” (canal). The houses were painted in bright colors, excellent for photos. I was taking a photo of a local’s house and we rushed away after seeing an old lady frowning at us from inside! The day was overcast though and thus the colors didn’t come out vibrantly in the photos; nevertheless, as tourists, we make do!
The fishing island also produces excellent lace, but I believe nobody in the group bought any. I guess it’s not easy to buy lace; you need some planning (where you are going to use it, how much of it you need, etc). I didn’t even ask for the prices as we just weren’t interested… We wandered around in the shops and purchased a keychain instead; something my wife collects. I also got my mom a Murano candle/flower vase and although not pure Murano (both labor and material form Murano), it was a good piece of glass and not too pricey. We also got some discounts as the tourist season is almost over (winter), and they wanted to sell off their stocks.
Colorful Burano Island
Burano is a nice, quiet and relaxing place; very different from the nearby city-like and tourist-packed Venice. Although Burano is too simple and provincial for my living preferences, I still think it is a good place to spend an afternoon or two, just to wander around and relax. :)
For other photos of Burano Island, Italy click here
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For other photos and blog entries of other places we went to in the European Cavalcade Trafalgar Tour, please click here
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