Today we went to Burano – one of the tiny islands of Venezia. If you’re ever heard of Burano it might bring to mind thoughts of their brightly colored houses, possibly seafood risotto, or maybe their handmade lace industry. But you’d be missing something special – the bussolà. What are bussolà? They are delicious cookies unique to Burano and are fashioned in either the traditional ring or essi (reminiscent of the curve of the Grand Canal as it snakes its way through the cluster of individual islands that make up Venezia).
But before I discuss these wonderful essi any further, let’s talk about Burano itself. I’ve included images of the Venetian lagoon so you can get an idea of where Venezia, Burano, and Murano are situated in the lagoon. Venezia is in the lower left corner and resembles a fish with the Grand Canal winding in an “S” through the islands. Murano is to the northeast and accessible via vaporetti. You can purchase individual tickets for €7 per ride, or a day pass for €20. At the top right corner of the map is Burano, with a pin for the Dolcezze Palmisano bakery in the middle. After arriving in Venezia, we purchased our vaporetta passes and took the #4.2 to the Nove stop and picked up the #12 to Burano. The ride lasted about 45 minutes with various stops along the route. Not everyone stands. There are rows of seats inside, which we took advantage of since the morning temperatures were in the mid-50’s. That day would eventually reach the low 70’s. Perfect.
I had asked my personal travel agent, Cinzia, to arrange for me to get to Burano at noon. She accurately calculated when we needed to wake up, take the tram to the train station, ride to Venezia, and cruise on a vaporetta to Burano. I checked the time as we docked in Burano – 11:56am. Yup, she’s that good. I wanted to give us an hour to walk around a bit in order to select a nice place to eat lunch. We found Restaurant Galuppi which touted “rinomata cucina premiata dall'Accademia Gastronomica Italiana” (renowned cuisine awarded by the Italian Gastronomic Academy). That should do.
I already knew that I wanted seafood risotto and they had 3 varieties. I ordered mine with scampi. Cinzia, not much of a fish person, ordered their lasagna. The sun was coming out and our outdoor table put us right on a busy thoroughfare to people-watch. My risotto was cooked perfectly, and the perfume of the seafood stock permeated the dish. It wasn’t a huge portion, but I wanted to leave room to enjoy whatever other treats Burano had to offer.
I already knew that I wanted seafood risotto and they had 3 varieties. I ordered mine with scampi. Cinzia, not much of a fish person, ordered their lasagna. The sun was coming out and our outdoor table put us right on a busy thoroughfare to people-watch. My risotto was cooked perfectly, and the perfume of the seafood stock permeated the dish. It wasn’t a huge portion, but I wanted to leave room to enjoy whatever other treats Burano had to offer.
Burano is a beautiful, tranquil place. The canals are much narrower than Venezia – about 3 rowboats wide. This means that the bridges are shorter and lower. This makes for easier walking and more picturesque spots for snapping photos. People seem to know this, especially the Asians. There were a lot of Asians on the island – mainly young females in small groups all taking photos of one another as if they were print ad models. It became humorous. They came dressed in odd outfits and might strike several poses on one bridge while their friends all snapped dozens of photos. Even the men got into it as we spotted several walking around with selfie-sticks shooting video of them as they made their way through the narrow walkways.
After lunch we checked out one of the lace shops directly across from the restaurant. We’re met by one of their saleswomen who escorts us through the shop and showroom. She told us that all of their items are made on premises and are not cheap Chinese imports for tourists. Upstairs we see the lace making room where her 103 year old grandmother uses a single needle and thread to make lace. No eyeglasses either! She showed us a work in progress telling us that 3 women will work on this item – each one is proficient in one type of stitch. The three had made a complete lace tablecloth. It took them 2 years and was on sale for €9.000. Cinzia commented that one red wine stain or splash of ragu or olive oil on the tablecloth and it would be ruined. Our escort made a motion to just kill your husband. So I noted to her than since there are never any men in these lacy shops, that they must have all met their fate at the dinner table.
In another lace shop, called La Perla, we were shown tablecloths handmade on looms using the shop’s own design. Cinzia spotted a beautiful pattern with grapes and leaves which came in a golden yellow color. It was very similar to the one we purchased in Bologna in 2014, with a special type of stitching around the border. They had a 65” runner available for €180! We spent €190 on our tablecloth in 2014 – and it was for our table with the leaf – and our weave was heavier and more luminous. As we made our way to the door to leave, the price dropped to €150 and then to €120 for cash. Sorry, no sale.
After lunch we checked out one of the lace shops directly across from the restaurant. We’re met by one of their saleswomen who escorts us through the shop and showroom. She told us that all of their items are made on premises and are not cheap Chinese imports for tourists. Upstairs we see the lace making room where her 103 year old grandmother uses a single needle and thread to make lace. No eyeglasses either! She showed us a work in progress telling us that 3 women will work on this item – each one is proficient in one type of stitch. The three had made a complete lace tablecloth. It took them 2 years and was on sale for €9.000. Cinzia commented that one red wine stain or splash of ragu or olive oil on the tablecloth and it would be ruined. Our escort made a motion to just kill your husband. So I noted to her than since there are never any men in these lacy shops, that they must have all met their fate at the dinner table.
In another lace shop, called La Perla, we were shown tablecloths handmade on looms using the shop’s own design. Cinzia spotted a beautiful pattern with grapes and leaves which came in a golden yellow color. It was very similar to the one we purchased in Bologna in 2014, with a special type of stitching around the border. They had a 65” runner available for €180! We spent €190 on our tablecloth in 2014 – and it was for our table with the leaf – and our weave was heavier and more luminous. As we made our way to the door to leave, the price dropped to €150 and then to €120 for cash. Sorry, no sale.
Back out on the street we saw Palmisano, a bakery in business since 1926. It smelled wonderful and they sold cookies called essi in a variety of flavors. The baker told us that these are the traditional cookies of Burano. He even gave us the recipe, saying that the recipe belongs to Burano and not any one bakery. We bought a traditional cookie and one with pistachio and cinnamon. Back out on the canals we tore into our essi, breaking each in half and tasting both. Wow! These are really good. We were told that they’re made with flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and a bit of lemon (but I suspect there’s a pinch of salt and some vanilla in there too).
Since Burano is small enough where even I couldn’t get us lost, Cinzia let me lead the way. After walking all over the place and seeing the beautiful canals and homes of Burano, we rested on a bench before seeking out a café for a Spritz and Coke. The streets are so narrow that the tables are inches from the edges of the canals. With little boat traffic, the still water reflects the bright colors of the homes. No wonder so many people come here to take photos. After a second round we continued our leisurely stroll. We made our way back to Palmisano and purchased a variety of essi: traditional, pistachio and cinnamon, chocolate chip, and almond. By 5:26pm we found ourselves back on the vaporetta. We were standing next to a couple on vacation from Los Angles. They were spending a few days in Venice, then Milan and Paris. The women talked about Blue Zones and New York Laundress as we made our way to Venezia.
After another vaporetta ride to the train station, we had a decision to make – either hop on a train back to Padova or stay in Venezia for dinner. We chose the latter and settled in at a pizzeria alongside the Grand Canal. Cinzia ordered a carciofi pizza and I went with zuppa di pesce. Not bad, but not the best. The view was the show – vaporetta, water taxis, and gondolas making their way up and down the Grand Canal as footprints from seagulls danced on the tarp over our outdoor tables drawing laughter from the diners below. After that, we hopped the train on track #15 back to Padova. Another delicious day in the books.
After another vaporetta ride to the train station, we had a decision to make – either hop on a train back to Padova or stay in Venezia for dinner. We chose the latter and settled in at a pizzeria alongside the Grand Canal. Cinzia ordered a carciofi pizza and I went with zuppa di pesce. Not bad, but not the best. The view was the show – vaporetta, water taxis, and gondolas making their way up and down the Grand Canal as footprints from seagulls danced on the tarp over our outdoor tables drawing laughter from the diners below. After that, we hopped the train on track #15 back to Padova. Another delicious day in the books.