Acqua alta

Volume two of Reflections is out, and we packed quite a bit into this one.

My, um, my travel buddy, Lin Fraser, takes us to Venice out of season, including an extraordinary morning photographing the Aqua Alta with water e-eventually reaching her knees.

We've got some listener letters actually exploring that question I'm forever asking on the podcast.

You know the one.

Let's start with the physical elements, which brings us right back to the scenario we opened the show with.

We are heading to Venice, Italy to a completely surreal space called Libreria Acqua Alta.

The name of the shop itself is a direct, unapologetic statement of the threat it faces.

Right.

Acqua Alta is the Italian term for the seasonal high tides that absolutely plague Venice.

It translates to high water, right?

Yes, and during these periods, the water level of the Adriatic Sea rises, pushing through the canals and completely flooding the city's lowest quarters.

A bathtub is engineered to hold water inside, but if you plug the drain, it is equally effective at keeping rising floodwaters out.