Burano Island

Sipping champagne and listening to jazz in Piazza San Marco with my corporate pilot made me wonder if  life could get any better.  But within moments, my dreams were shattered again with his abrupt departure to the States, leaving me alone with an unfinished bottle of champagne and my imagination of what might have been.

So, spending time alone on Burano and Murano Island the day after my surprise rendezvous with Tall, Dark and Handsome left me with mixed emotions. And a slight hangover. 

But, I was in Venice.  I survived  heartbreak once and lived to tell the story.  And now a new chapter was potentially unfolding and I wasn’t going to let this little glitch spoil the splendor of Venice.

Off to Burano Island I went and when I stepped foot on land, I could have sworn I was on a Hollywood set in California.  It wasn’t possible for such a charming  place to exist.  It was picture perfect.  Life should only be this perfect. And beautiful.

~Welcome to Burano Island~

A local told me that all the houses on this delightful island used to look alike and were painted drab gray.  Fishermen would leave for months at a time and when they returned weary and a bit drunk, they couldn’t find their homes.  Eventually, every building was painted a different color, making it easier for the tired men of the sea to find their own dwelling. And as a result, Burano Island  looks like a postcard.  A blind photographer could take a breathtaking picture of this island without issue.  It’s just that gorgeous everywhere you turn.

Folklore or truth? It doesn’t really matter to me. This quaint village speaks for itself and left me a little breathless by its beauty and charm.



The island is known for its intricate lace work. Tourists visit to watch a group of women sitting together sewing their specialized stitch.

Each woman passes her little piece of fabric to the next woman who in turn sews her intricate stitch onto the fabric and then passes it on to the next woman. Within weeks or months, magnificent works made of lace are created.

From tablecloths to wedding dresses, which take over a year to sew, all of the pieces are one-of-a-kind and worth every Euro they charge.

I believe people not only visit to see the century old technique of lace making-which is mesmerizing to watch-but visit to take in the splendor of the island.  It’s a perfect photo-op.

I have always fantasized about living in Italy, but wondered how I would make a living. And then it came to me. If I wanted to move to Burano Island, I would open an optometry office because after generations of women stitching miniscule intricate designs for 8-10 hours a day, their eyes must be shot.

                                      I’d make a killing selling rhinestone covered bi-focals.

                                                                   I see that clearly now.