ABOVE: Acqua alta in the Piazza San Marco.

In an article at Veniceforvisitors.com, we describe the flooding known as acqua alta, which occurs when certain tidal and meteorological conditions occur simultaneously. Such flooding is most common in October, November, and December, but it can occur later in the winter and into the early spring. 

If you're worried that your Carnival costume might get soaked or your new shoes might be ruined by a flood tide, visit the Comune di Venezia's Venice Tides page, which forecasts tide levels (and acqua alta) in the days immediately ahead.

This may look like a latter-day version of the Bridge of Sighs, but it's actually what some American cities would call a "skyway" or "skywalk" between buildings of Venice's defunct Manifattura Tabacchi or tobacco factory on the Rio delle Burchielli, immediately south of the Piazzale Roma. 

Few tourists visit this quarter, which is a quiet residential neighborhood with a prison, patches of grass along the water, and a pleasant little hotel where we stayed before a cruise last fall, the Alloggi Marinella.

ABOVE: A screen capture of the interactive map at the City of Venice's Wi-Fi network site.

In a city where a waterbus ride is €6,50 and spending a penny costs far more than a p, it's hard to believe that the municipal honchos would offer Wi-Fi to tourists at bargain rates. And yet they do: For as little as €2,50 per day, you can access the Internet with your notebook, netbook, or iPhone to your heart's content. For details, see our new Venice Wi-Fi Network article at Veniceforvisitors.com.