Venice, Murano, & Burano

I think Venice is on most people's bucket lists as evidenced by the hordes of tourists during the summer. Is it as great as the magazines and travel vlogs make it to be? Yes, it's a pretty darn good city to visit. However, I would insist that you also visit the neighboring islands around Venice such as Murano, Torcello (skip), and Burano. 
In fact, I loved Burano the most and maybe even more than Venice itself...gasp!

Burano is about a 45 minute boat ride from Venice, and you can't miss the colorful buildings as you approach.

I felt as if I was walking around a movie set with all of the colorful houses and charming alleyways.

We got lucky with these shots because the rain scared some people off in the morning. By the afternoon, these streets were filled with people.

Notice that there aren't gondolas like in Venice. This used to be a fishing village, and supposedly the houses were painted bright colors so that the fishermen could easily spot them. Today, Burano is known for its intricate lace, which you can find at most shops.

Murano

Glass blowing factories and shops line the streets of Murano. A lot of factories offer paid tours, but this one happened to have their doors open while the artists worked. It cracks me up that their idea of appropriate work attire with hot kilns nearby and glass shards on the ground includes T-shirts, shorts, Crocs, and a gold chain! Oh, they were also blasting American pop music the entire time. Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" was on full blast at one point--LOL!

There are a myriad number of glass shops, but this one caught my eye with its sleek black display. I was in awe of the delicacy and intricacy of this handmade glass vase.

Notice how there isn't an entire gelato collage this time around? I didn't feel the need to try every artisanal gelateria this time, but I had to take at least one gelato shot in Venice!

This cafe offers handmade tiramisu in a variety of flavors from pistachio to apricot. You can even watch them make it fresh while you're there. This cafe is set next to a bridge, so you can sit outside with your freshly made tiramisu for a grand total of $4! I can't order tiramisu in the U.S. now without feeling robbed, but I guess it's cheaper than a plane ticket to Venice.

The Best Thing That Happened in Venice...

When I was in Florence last summer, I ate at the Mercato Centrale and it's still one of the best indoor food halls I've been to in Europe. We happened to be buying train tickets at the Venice train station when I saw the Mercato Centrale logo and signs that basically said "follow me," or at least that was my interpretation. Of course I followed it as each step was marked with anticipation. Could Mercato Centrale be in Venice? Is there really a foodie god? Yes, there is!
​Mercato Centrale happened to be on tour in Venice when we were there, so instead of going back to the hotel we stayed and ate. We even got to meet the director responsible for bringing this market on tour and I basically fangirled out even though he didn't speak English, so he probably thought I was a crazy American!

My favorite food vendor at Mercato Centrale is Il Tartufo because they have all things truffle. These little bites were samples, and see those green slices on top? They look like olives, but they're actually truffle marinated little peaches before they get ripe. I've never had them before, nor have I seen them in the U.S. They're crispy like a peach can be, and they actually don't have much taste since they're so far from being ripe.

Yeah, I just had to order my own charcuterie truffle plate after the samples. So good and fresh! The best part was that it cost about $11 for this gorgeous plate!

The vendor also makes truffle pasta, and it is simply divine. It may look simple, but just wait until you take a bite of this truffle cream pasta. Drooling...

My second favorite vendor is La Pasta Fresca, which offers fresh handmade pasta. This is their Venetian special crab ravioli. The ravioli was perfectly al dente with loads of crab meat.