Italy summer 2025

Once back on Burano we hurried over to Il Gatto Nero where we'd booked a table for lunch. Michael and I enjoyed a platter of various seafood items from the lagoon and surrounding waters, and we all shared a plate of fried fish, calamari, shrimps and scampi. Annika picked the dessert out of the desert cabinet. It was some sort of mascarpone mousse with berries. So. Good.

Then we met back with Silvia and she showed around the Island. She explained that in the past years the paint colors are more extreme as people have a bit more resources. Back in the old days (pre 1990s before tourism really came to the island) the paint colors were mostly restricted to pastels and it was used as a way to mark property. It marked what part of the wall belongs to your house, and therefore also the part of the sidewalk outside that was more under your control. Due to the harsh climate, the paint job only lasts a few years before having to be redone. She also told us a fairytale about how the Burano lace was invented (think: mermaids, faithful fiances, and love). It was a real pleasure to stroll around the island with Silvia as it is so clear that she loves this place so deeply.Read more