bright and shiny on burano

I’ll get to the food part of my trip soon. I promise. I’ve actually been too busy eating to write much. But somehow I did manage to fit in a bit of shopping. Being naturally attracted to bright and shiny things, I made a bee line for this cute little shop in Burano that my friend Jane told me about, Alla Fiera dell’Est. Actually, I had seen her wearing one of their necklaces a while back, but never thought I would make it out to Burano myself.

Hah! Little did I know I’d be spending two full days there. So plenty of time to do some damage. I stopped by yesterday, fresh off the boat, and picked out what seemed like a gazzillion beads to make up a few necklaces to give as Christmas presents (yes, I’m one of those people). While some of the beads were very bright and shiny, what really drew me to this store – and what sets it apart from the thousands of others stretching across the Venetian lagoon – are the extremely cool felt beads they thread into all their works. Big, fat balls of brightly-hued felt in every color imaginable. I love the way the dull, soft surface contrasts with the hard and shiny glass beads.

They have dozens of gorgeous necklaces already made up, as you can see from these photos. So why was I choosing specific beads for my gifts, you ask? Well, some members of my family have very specific color preferences when it comes to receiving presents. You know who you are.






Alal Fiera dell’Est
Via S. Marino Sx 166
Burano