Venice Under Water!

Our day started today under relatively clear skies. However, it wasn't the sky that interrupted our day. Venice decided to flood!

Pedestrians teeter over a flooded St Marks Square

Eloise in St Marks Square at high tide

Even ambulances have to get around in Venice

Eloise in front of the Rialto Bridge, Venice

Sean and Eloise wade home to our hotel

Table service, signore?

Brett, Sean and Eloise head off on their gondola ride

Doges Palace, Venice

Brett and Tricia relax on their gondola ride

Brett, Sean and Eloise sitting back and enjoying the canals by gondola

So many beautiful Venetian buildings

Gondolas and sunshine in Venice

Costumes and masks mark festival time before lent

Eloise and Tricia split up from the three boys after breakfast and made a bee-line for the gorgeous shops lining the path between the Rialto Bridge and St Marks Square. By 11.15am, Brett Snr rang us to tell us not to bother meeting them in the Square for lunch as it was under water! Boy, was he right. People waded in calf-deep water and shuffled along wooden planks placed strategically over the deepest waters. Needless to say, we had never seen anything like it.Apparently, the worst months are November to February for flooding. Heading back to the "safety" of our hotel, we were met with water lapping the sides of our street, too. Our only choice was to wade our way to the front door. What an experience - and thank goodness for Goretex boots!

After lunch, we decided to take the obligatory tourist gondola ride up the Grand Canal and around the littler canals. The sun was shining brightly and our gondolier explained different sights to us in his thick Italian accent.As he passed other gondoliers, they would chat animatedly to each other. We're convinced they were saying, "We sucked in another dumb tourist. Meet you at the pizzeria."

A few more mask and leather stores and we were back home. Here's hoping the tide is kinder to us tomorrow....but it was fun.               Tricia