I have never been anywhere more colourful, more delightfully avente garde than Burano. Burano is what happens when you say "get stuffed" to the accepted conventions of society and go mad with a paint brush.

At first glance, the island has the feel of a traditional Cornish fishing village, complete with little winding streets leading down to the sea - but there the comparison ends. Not many canals in Cornwall, and I don't think they've seen this much sun since the Dawn of time. What sets Burano apart more than all this, though, is the fact that every surface is painted a different bright technicolor. When they designed the place, they had Joseph's dreamcoat cut up into pieces and used as the blueprints.

Technically, the locals do actually have to apply to the island authorities to paint their house a new colour, but it is blatantly obvious that, unless someone was to ask if they could paint their house in black and purple stripes overlaid with lime green polkadots, the answer is always a resounding "Do what you like mate, did you bring pasta?"

Burano is also known for it's lacemaking, which is why you'll have to avoid staring at all the beautiful Italian ladies sweeping about in lace tops which are more skin than material, and flowing skirts that look more like exotic lingerie. Italian women are already beautiful and alluring enough to anyone with a pulse, they certainly don't need to go to the shops in their nighties to prove it. The lace trade in Burano is also why you can't turn anywhere without bumping into a row of tables in the middle of the street covered in sexy lingerie; I won't be at all surprised if I hear one day that Theo Paphetis has bought the island and turned it into a giant Le Senza superstore. I gather, though, that there is a growing trend for imported Chinese fakes to be sold here, so if you come here for the lace then be absolutely sure you know what you're buying for the sake of the local economy. I suspect the price and quality might be a giveaway - if somebody asks if your girlfriend would like a beautiful lace giftset for €5 and it looks like something you might find in the Anne Summers spring collection for 80 quid, or if they try to sell you a two piece twinset with Hello Kitty on it, then it's probably not a locally made product.

Carpe Dieme, as they used to say when the empire was in charge.

About Simon and Burfords Travels:

Simon Burford is a UK based travel writer. He will be re-publishing his travel blogs, chapters from his books and other miscellaneous rantings on these pages over the coming weeks and months, and the entry on this page may not necessarily reflect todays date.