I'm lucky that I'm only passing by, Mary, so for me it's interesting to see how it comes along. But I feel for anyone who living next door to such renovations.
You always seem to spot such fascinating glimpses of everyday life in Venice, and so often it makes us aware of exactly how different it is to cope with those everyday situations, there. Thank you.
They're actually just sinking a *palo* for the boat owner (overseeing the operation from aboard his boat) to tie up to. The old one, being made of actual wood, had rotted away and had to be replaced--and the new one is also actually of wood, which is becoming ever more rare (as you'll see more plastic ones in use everywhere). Although clanking pile drivers are used for larger pilings, these shorter and more slender "pali" can be driven deep down into the mud by just a crane like one in the image. (You can actually here a vintage audio recording on the traditional Venetian pile drivers's song in "Sequence No 1" of the "Italian Work Songs" recordings made by Alan Lomax here: http://research.culturalequity.org/get-radio-detailed-show.do?showId=29 I think it comes after the segment on the work songs of the Carrara marble quarry men.
yes, I wondered about that nifty green portable winch today. And are they EVER going to finish? This is ceiling plaster now, I think?
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky that I'm only passing by, Mary, so for me it's interesting to see how it comes along. But I feel for anyone who living next door to such renovations.
DeleteYou always seem to spot such fascinating glimpses of everyday life in Venice, and so often it makes us aware of exactly how different it is to cope with those everyday situations, there. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ella, I'm glad you find them interesting. They're just part of the reality of living here.
DeleteI can't make out what's going on in the first photo. Can you explain, please?
ReplyDeleteThey're actually just sinking a *palo* for the boat owner (overseeing the operation from aboard his boat) to tie up to. The old one, being made of actual wood, had rotted away and had to be replaced--and the new one is also actually of wood, which is becoming ever more rare (as you'll see more plastic ones in use everywhere). Although clanking pile drivers are used for larger pilings, these shorter and more slender "pali" can be driven deep down into the mud by just a crane like one in the image. (You can actually here a vintage audio recording on the traditional Venetian pile drivers's song in "Sequence No 1" of the "Italian Work Songs" recordings made by Alan Lomax here: http://research.culturalequity.org/get-radio-detailed-show.do?showId=29 I think it comes after the segment on the work songs of the Carrara marble quarry men.
Delete