PHOTOS: High tides occasionally bring floods to Venice especially between autumn and spring. As you will see, however, tourists are completely unfazed. Flooding, many would agree, is a wonderfully authentic element of the whole Venetian experience.

Tourists walk with plastic bags to protect their shoes on a flooded St Mark's square during the first "acqua alta" of the season on October 15, 2012 in Venice. The "acqua alta", a convergence of high tides and a strong sirocco, reached 105 centimeters.  AFP PHOTO / ANDREA PATTARO