Tourists larked around in the flooded St Mark’s Square in the sunshine, snapping selfies in their neon plastic boots and taking advantage of a respite in bad weather which has driven the high tides.
People wearing waterproof shoe covers walk across the flooded St. Mark's Square, with St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. - AFP “For the tourists it’s amazing, it’s something to see. But for the people who live here it’s a real problem,” Litschauer said, cradling her white Chihuahua PabloThe Locanda Al Leon hotel said its bookings had suffered from the international media coverage of the flood, with some guests cancelling their rooms after seeing images of Venice underwater.
Many, including Venice’s mayor, have blamed the disaster on climate change and warned that Italy – a country prone to natural disasters – must wake up to the risks posed by ever more volatile seasons. A massive infrastructure project called MOSE has been under way since 2003 to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, corruption scandals and delays.