Garbage Bag Chic

We had heard about the high tide in Venice last week as we watched the news and saw people walking through waist deep waters. We thought about buying rain boots beforehand, but figured if the water was going to be up to our stomachs, what would be the point anyway?

We arrived on Sunday around noon and as we walked along the Grand Canal and neared our hotel, we crossed our fingers we’d be able to reach our destination with untouched shoes and dry feet. We turned a corner, beheld the hotel entrance (cue spotlight and victorious music) and then we saw it – the pool of water guarding the doorway as if to say, “Nuh-uh, not so fast sweeties!” We looked around and quickly weighed our options, ultimately deciding it’d be best to invest in a pair of sexy, disposable rain boots from a man cleverly selling them in that exact spot. He was even holding a pretty purple one and so maybe I got a little bit excited…until he pulled out two not-so-cute yellow pairs. No more purple left…I asked. False marketing if I ever saw it. They were only 10 euro so if you find yourself thinking about buying rain boots solely for a trip to Venice, have no fear, those sneaky sellers have got your gear.

And so we spent Sunday and part of Monday morning working the unique Venetian trend, looking fabulously “garbage bag chic."

[Pedestrian traffic on platforms in front of St. Mark's Basilica]

[Garbage Bag Chic hitting runways near you!]

I posed this question on Facebook and Twitter last night and I'll ask again since we're of divided opinions around here: 80 euro, half hour: Do you take the gondola ride or keep to exploring Venice by land??