An essential part of Venice's "ordinary maintenance" is, as you can see in the image above, dredging the canals of the mud--and other things--that accumulate in them.
I'd be extremely interested in a chemical analysis of the muck that is hauled up out of the rii, but I suspect the mere sight of the black oily sludge being brought up today would go a long way toward dissuading all but the dimmest (or drunkest) of tourists from indulging in a swim in the city's waterways.
The first time I encountered a drained - well, almost, just a gloopy mess at the bottom - Venetian canal, I was simply fascinated at the wear and erosion usually hidden from sight, and the odd patchwork repairs. The next time I returned, that section looked as serene as the rest … but I KNEW what was really there, beneath!!!
ReplyDeleteThey say it's a whole 'nother world on the waters of Venice, Ella, but, you're right, there's yet another one underneath them!
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