Valentine's Day in Venice

Burano, Murano, a shooting and the fog.

Last February (2024) I spent a bit more than two weeks in my hometown, Vicenza, in Italy, I could work remotely and my dad had a difficult winter so I wanted to be closer to my family.

Also, my girlfriend, Fernanda, came with me, and since we were there on Valentine's Day she asked me to go to Venice to celebrate that day. She is Ecuadorian a also a foodie, because most of the time we travel together you can understand she likes to travel too, she loves flowers and gardening. This was our third trip to Italy together. Almost a year ago we went together to Venice, so this time I proposed to her to go to visit the islands of Burano and Murano.

Venice is very close to Vicenza, less than an hour by train, I have been there several times, we usually celebrate bachelor’s parties there and it is quite common to visit it on a school trip. This made me take Venice for granted and I started to enjoy it more when I travelled there with my foreign friends, and seeing it with the eyes of a tourist changed my perception. Last year, seeing Fernanda crying with excitement as she stepped out of Santa Lucia and saw Venice for the first time, was moving.

If you want to know Venice better, where to go, and what to do, I suggest checking and subscribing to Gillian Knows Best, she has great guides about the city, and there you can find everything you need.

Venice is built upon a network of 118 small islands connected by a maze of intricate waterways, this floating city is a masterpiece of art and architecture. From the grandeur of St. Mark's Square and the majestic Doge's Palace to the serenity of narrow alleyways and picturesque bridges, every corner of Venice exudes history and romance. Gondolas glide gracefully along the shimmering waters, while ornate palaces and historic churches line the waterfront, offering glimpses into the city's rich past.

We arrived in Venice in the late morning, the Vaporetto 12 goes to Burano and it leaves from Fondamenta Nuove, and we walked there from Santa Lucia train station. It was a 30-minute walk, and the weather was beautiful so we enjoyed this stroll in the small streets and bridges. The day before was the last day of the carnival, so the city was not too crowded and many people with their luggage full of feathers and masks were leaving the lagoon. We decided to go to Burano and on the way back to Venice stop in Murano. The ride to Burano was around 50 minutes, and the Vaporetto was full, but the view from it was unique, I suggest you, if possible, stay outside and admire the landscape.

I am quite sure I have been already to Burano, probably on a school trip but I don’t remember about it, so it was like the first time also for me.

The colourful island beckons with its vibrant charm and picturesque scenery. Renowned for its brightly painted houses that line the winding canals, Burano is a feast for the eyes, each building adorned in hues of every shade imaginable. As sunlight dances on the waters, reflections of these colourful facades create a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colours, casting a spell of enchantment over visitors. Burano is also celebrated for its rich tradition of lace-making, a craft that has been passed down through generations. For centuries, the skilled artisans of Burano have practised the delicate art of lace-making, creating intricate patterns and designs renowned worldwide for their beauty and craftsmanship.

The tradition of lace-making in Burano dates back several centuries, with roots in the 16th century. There are a few reasons why lace became typical in Burano, the economic need for an additional source of income instead of fishing, a population of skilled artisans who possessed the intricate needlework skills necessary for lace-making, and the local government and wealthy patrons recognized the value of the lace industry to Burano's economy and culture.

Strolling around the small streets and the coloured house at one point I saw a beautiful yellow house with a wall that was a perfect background for a portrait, so I asked Fernanda if she wanted to pose and here you can see the result of that shooting. I like to take portraits, but recently I didn’t have the opportunity to do it regularly, so I appreciate this random shooting.

On the way back to Venice we stopped in Murano, but when we went to the Vaporetto stop in Burano we found a lot of people and we couldn’t take the one we wanted and we had to wait for the next. While we were waiting for the Vaporetto the fog started to come up and this ruined a bit our tour in Murano but also gave an unexpected beautiful feature to the sunset.

Murano is renowned worldwide for its exquisite glassmaking tradition. This island, with its charming canals and historic buildings, serves as a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of its glassmakers. Wander through its narrow streets lined with workshops and studios, where skilled artisans shape molten glass into intricate sculptures, delicate vases, and dazzling chandeliers.

The tradition of glassmaking in Murano dates back to the late 13th century when Venetian authorities ordered glassmakers to move their furnaces to the island. There were several reasons behind this decision, the first one is that the glass furnaces posed a significant fire risk to the densely populated city of Venice, which was primarily constructed of wood and interconnected by narrow streets and canals. The second is that by moving glassmaking to Murano, it was easier to monitor and control the flow of information and prevent the sharing of knowledge with outsiders. The fourth was to mitigate the environmental impact on the main city of Venice, and the last one was to stimulate economic growth on the island.

Unfortunately, we arrived late in Murano the shops, bars and restaurants were starting to close and there weren’t many people around, so we strolled around, enjoyed the sunset and then went back to Venice to eat a Tramezzino and then we went back to Vicenza.

I still have a difficult relationship with Venice, I think that the city is dirty, smelly and overcrowded with tourists, but at the same time, I think it is something unique and magical. Visiting it with my girlfriend makes me appreciate it more, seeing it as a dream destination, a place that people can see only once in their life makes me rethink my feelings for the lagoon.

It was a nice day, Burano was amazing and we loved walking around and discovering the island, Fernanda didn’t want to leave, and next time we will explore Murano better.

Next week I will start a series of posts about a long trip that I took in 2019 in the Far East.

See you soon,

Flavio