When we first went to bed last night the water was lapping peacefully just outside our front door.

Flood level at 6.00pm. Still outside.

By 10.30pm that had changed, a storm surge came into the laguna from the Adriatic and the expected flood level of 140cm kept going up,150, 160, and at 170 our front door burst open and the force of nature that is Filippo’s the owners mother, the Contessa Didi, shouting “the water is coming you must come upstairs”.

The Contessa evacuates Ilze to her apartment upstairs.

Strapping on our plastic wellies she led us away as a team descended on our apartment raising everything off the floor, even the fridge and washing machine. In moments it was mayhem and carnage

Down stairs bedroom

Downstairs lounge room

Downstairs kitchen

Up on the 3rd floor it was all peace and 18thC elegance, there was no quiet as the wind howled and the shutters banged but the Contessa reassured us it was nothing and hurled her 5′ 2″ frame back down the stairs to help wrestle our 17thC wardrobe up off the floor.

The Contessa’s Entrance hall

Upstairs bedroom

Upstairs bedroom bookshelf

In the end it was a recent record  flood of 187cm just short of the all time record of 194.

We slept well and were able to retrieve important stuff like passports, wallets and the knitting and see that the rest of out stuff was dry before the morning tide again surged out of the canal and into the front of the Palazo Lezze but did not break into our apartment.

The Contessa’s Kitchen

We are currently stuck in the Contessa’s kitchen, chatting with il Conte, a retired Professor of Biochemistry from Padova University who spends his time sailing on the laguna in his 1930″s timber yacht and occasionally venturing across the Adriatic to Croatia.

We will shortly be able to venture out to see if we can get some lunch and some replacement food for this evening as the tide will be back by 8.00pm. A modest 120cm flood and hardly worth a mention.

We tried to get forecasts of the tide for the race days on Saturday and Sunday but unfortunately the Tide Forecast station is ” off line due to flooding”

You have to love Italy.

Possibly the seafood risotto for lunch.

Pete.