Posted by: Debra Kolkka | December 14, 2011

High water in Venice

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We had a hint that the water was high in Venice when we boarded the traghetto to St Mark’s Square from the station.

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The choice of footwear set off alarm bells.

Apparently in late autumn it is quite usual for the tides in Venice to be high. St Mark’s square is the lowest place on the island and the first to flood. The Venetians are well prepared and have planks on legs stacked ready to be put in place when needed.

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Liz enjoying a big of plank walking.

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I’m not sure whether the man in the next photo was prepared or fashioned his lovely boots at the last minute.

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I didn’t see them for sale anywhere.

To get lost in Venice with us click here and for some lovely gondolas click here, and for the gorgeous Venetian island of Torcello click here.


Responses

  1. Cold water in Venice, I know !

    • I didn’t check the temperature, but the tide was certainly high when we were there.

  2. Not the image we had from Venezia… But it is an unforgetable experience!

    • I must admit it was fun to walk around on the planks.I’m sure the water causes a lot of damage.

      • usually buildings use to stop water at the door with special wood crossbars. Bars for example have special electrical systems with electric outlets very hight on the wall. The problem for people that live in this town is the water very very cold.

      • I’m pleased that the water doesn’t do too much damage. I would expect that people would be used to this and have things under control. I hadn’t considered the temperature of the water.

      • This is the link where is possible check the bulletin of Venetian tide http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/1748?4ee914f95ce96

  3. Oy vey…….it never rains but it pours! Love the photos…..love Venice.

    • water come from lagoon, also if it never rains…

      • The tides were high while we were in Venice. The square flooded in the morning, but the water went down fairly quickly as the tide went out.

  4. […] is the landscaper in Venice when you have high water. Check out pictures of Bagni di Lucca blog experience. Share this:ShareFacebookTwitterDiggEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]

  5. So, this is a form of Venetian planking? Why have one-way traffic instead of two? What if someone wants to pay an urgent visit somewhere? Clever man inventing those blue boots – I wonder if the fashion will take off? The olive ‘Puss in Boots’ pair in the second photos looks more stylish.

    • Streets are very narrow in Venice. With double way traffic people don’t can entry inside shops or doors. Ok for San Marco square (san marco is the only square entitled square) or other Campi (other squares)… where probably would be best supply double platforms…

      • You can squeeze past other people to pass in the opposite direction. Everybody seems good natured about the whole thing.

  6. Thank you for your comments, Jerry – makes sense with the narrow Venetian streets, and I agree San Marco Square could use double-way traffic on planks. I imagine this would take tourists a long time to get anywhere in one-way traffic.
    It’s interesting to see Venice covered in water at certain times of the year. Thanks, Deb, for showing us what Venetians cope with during high tides. We rarely see those planks in tourist photos.

  7. I’d love to be in Venice just once when the water level is high. It must give you a totally different perspective of Venice. Might be a bit annoying after one say but…..

    • I would be happy to be in Venice at any time, but yes, it was fun.

  8. I know a few years ago it was so bad… But now, I can see there are some solutions. How sad for Venice… I visited a few years ago, and I always wish to visit again. I love Venice… I love the spirit, the ambience of this city. Thank you dear Debra, with my love, nia

  9. The last part of this post made me laugh out loud. Well done, Deb!
    Kathy

    • Those blue boots were very impressive.

  10. Ha HAH! a place i can wander about in my gumboots and not be out of place! awesome.. c

    • Gumboots are an excellent choice for Venice in November.

  11. Thank you for sharing views of Venice I have never seen and for stopping by my blog.

  12. I really wish i could go to Venice some day, the whole idea about a city on water is an amazing thought to me 🙂

    • Venice is a magical city. I’m sure you will love it when you go.

      • Definitely on my bucket list 😀

  13. You inspire me to visit. Thank you. 🙂

    • I’m sure you will love Venice. It is a city like no other.

  14. Is it only the men who are so “stylish” with their wellies? 😉 (I imagine so: Italian ladies must still be chic, no?)
    I’m glad to read that everyone is good-natured regarding getting past each other on the planks; I certainly wouldn’t want to end up in that water! brrr!!!

    • Italian women in Venice are very stylish. We saw lots of pretty wellies in leopard print and bright colours. I’m sure they would be necessary if you live in Venice.

  15. Hehe now that’s not the footwear I expect to see in Italy! 😉

  16. Now those planks on legs are very inventive. Hopefully the ‘blue boots’ will never become mainstream.

    • We saw all sorts of makeshift boots. These were the only ones I was quick enough to capture on film.

  17. This is why I want to go back to Venice in the winter months!! I love the picture of you guys in your gum boots.
    We went there in Spring and had a little bit of the Venice “flooding” experience but not like the experience in your photos.

    • I love Venice at any time.

  18. My very first trip to Venice was during one of the flooding periods. A wonderful city to visit but of course I enjoyed it much more on return visits when it was sunny and dry. Much easier to explore.

    • When we were there this time it was raining and there was a transport strike but we loved it anyway.

  19. Gorgeous and as always, very interesting photos. It looks so romantic, but I wonder if all that water doesn’t drive the locals a bit bonkers after a while. There’s definitely no queue jumping there! And Liz looks like a catwalk model there.. 🙂

    • That’s why I photographed her and not the other way around. I’m sure it would drive you nuts having to deal with that water on a regular basis. They are very well organised, those planks appeared from nowhere and were put up in a jiffy.

  20. I think it just adds to the Venetian charm. Beautiful city.

    • It is a city full of charm.

  21. Those plank walkways look like they do wonders for keeping people in line 🙂

    • There is not a lot of choice when the alternative is wading through the water.

  22. High fashion, just like Kate Moss at a music festival.

    • I can see Kate in those blue boots.

  23. […] original here: High water in Venice « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond This entry was posted in Lucca and tagged boarded-the-traghetto, footwear-set, from-the-station, […]

  24. […] These makeshift blue waterproof boots took my eye on a wet day in Venice. […]


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