Venice under Acqua Alta

Venice was overflowing. A sea of tourists packed every vaporetto, fondamente and laneway around St Mark’s square making it difficult to move. Reaching Piazza San Marco was an exercise in patience. Blocks of awe-struck tourists shuffled en masse then came to a halt as no one could advance any further. The piazza was under Acqua Alta.

The natural phenomenon of rising waters is a common occurrence in Venice during the autumn and winter months. High tides cause the lagoon waters to rise above normal sea levels, flooding the lower parts of the city. Depending on the level of water, sirens are sounded in advance to warn people of the impending flood. People traverse waterlogged areas by way of thin planks raised on iron supports.

Walking the Plank

Seduced by the nostalgia of black and white images of a flooded Venice, I always hoped to experience Acqua Alta in my lifetime. But the reality was a little different.

The city of narrow canals and passageways that doubles its population daily with the influx of day visitors forcibly slows down. Yet there is nothing serene about La Serenissima. Locals don their thigh-high gumboots and go about their daily lives, unperturbed by the high waters. People become impatient and want to reach their destination in a hurry. Tourists walk the plank then stop midway for a photograph. Businesses continue to be conducted. Workers with trolleys laden with goods still need to deliver them over narrow bridges, steps and lanes spilling with a dense mass of visitors.

St Mark’s Square Flooded

Piazza San Marco can take on a surreal dimension, doubling in size through mirrored reflections in the water. Performers in the fabled Caffè Florian and Caffè Quadri continue to play and sing classic melodies. Tourists add their own splash by walking bare feet in the water and posing for photographs.

But once sufficient photos have been taken and every angle has been covered, the novelty wears out within ten minutes.

Much like the tide receding after it has reached maximum levels, normality returns to Venice.

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