Thursday, December 11, 2008

BRUTTO TEMPO

With Rome flooded, high water in Venice and the Arno rising worryingly, there are weather alerts all over Italy tonight. A woman tragically died today in a Rome underpass as her car became submerged. Down here, we have had torrential rain and intermittent thunder all day, together with quite frightening winds. [Yesterday we had rain and a fog which refused to clear into the bargain.] Yet the daytime temperature has remained at 15C. Boat travel to the mainland and smaller islands was suspended from yesterday afternoon but crossings from Messina have resumed. “And our town councils tell us there’s no water!” was the wry comment on one internet report I have read. My sentiments exactly….

Here in Modica there is so much water on some of the main roads that it is virtually impossible for pedestrians to cross them. [I can’t tell you how many good pairs of shoes I have ruined trying to do so in weather like this in previous years.] And there aren’t even any Christmas lights to cheer us up! Why? Because the Comune has no money, of course, not even for improving the roads!

The new hairdresser nearby had put a cheerful Santa, who sings Jingle Bells in English, outside his salon at the weekend. The singing is triggered as people walk by. Simi, who knows exactly where to put her paw to start these jollifications off, was most disappointed today as the Santa had been taken inside to protect it from the elements. “Maltempo monello!” [“naughty bad weather”] I sympathised as we strolled [or rather were blown] along.

12 comments:

Leslie: said...

Oh dear! Seems so impossible in Italy to have that much maltempo! Hope you're staying warm and dry! :D

Trubes said...

I hope Simi has her Wellington Boots on when she goes out....more to the point...you too!
I can just see you both dancing along under your umbrellas, singing, 'Singing in the Rain'and splashing in all the puddles.

Now that conjures up a delightful scene!

Hope you're feeling better,

Di.x

old and angry said...

Global warming,innit!
Just pay all your disposable income into the tax mans hands, and all will be hunky dory!
At least that's what Gordon ( saviour of the world) Brown, tells us.
I'm sure Mr. Berlisconi is a tad wiser

James Higham said...

The new hairdresser nearby...

Oh? :) Tell us more.

k.c. said...

Hi,

How are you? hope you fine. I couldn't find your email contact. Please, could you send it to me again? I need some your good advice about a project I am going to set up.

Best,
Nanni

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Hi, Leslie. Am just about managing it! Ciao, Trubes. Oh, definitely! I'll try singing that next time we go out! A bit better every day, thanks. xx Hi, O&A. Well, I suppose you could say for Silvio that he has a bit of panache! Dunno about the wise bit, though.... Hi, James. I am not abandoning Raff but as I can't walk there yet I sometimes go to the new one - in one of the shops that were being done up along here, remember? Ciao, moderatore! Ti invio un email subito. Auguri.

CherryPie said...

The weather seems to have come over here now!

Gledwood said...

I shall never forget being in a rainstorm in Malta. Unbelievable. Roads turned into rivers. Dead cats and everything went sluicing on down... An exceedingly vivid memory to this day. If their infrastructure's anything like Malta's, the Italians seriously want to see to their DRAINAGE...

jmb said...

Now that is not the Sicily we know and love is it? Well occasionally it is like this. How tragic about that poor woman in Rome.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Sorry about that, cherrypie. I've just seen pictures of trhe flooding over there on Sky. Are you OK where you are? Hi, Gleds. That sounds horrific! Thanks for sharing the tale. Hi, jmb. Yes, I can't stop thinking about that poor woman. And now an Irish tourist is missing after falling from a bridge in Rome.

CherryPie said...

Thanks, yes where I am it was OK! The wind was terrible and there was an awful lot of rain but no floods!

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

I am relieved to hear it, cherrypie.

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