The Tide is Higher

The weather had turned even worst, my what I thought waterproof umbrella was internally leaking from the consistent rain, I got so wet but what the heck I'm in Venice so by the time I start to head back I decided to go past our local deli, well not so much that I decided but the powers out of my control landed me at there front door, I do so love surprises, so I picked up some supplies for the day milk, fruit, some several different styles of rovoletti, some pesto take them to the checkout lady and practise some italian on her "bongorno bella, coome ee star" she giggles and I think I was better at saying "morning beautiful, how are you" than I was the other day as she replied "benee benee" and rattled of some more words so with my hands on my chest and with my usual bowed head saying Gratzie Gratzie, I whisk away, well splosh away. Sandy is please or surprised to see me so we settled for a day on the lounge playing cards with our view of the Grand Canal. Had our own moka coffee pot and some Italian coffee + some kalour that was smuggled back onto the cruise in plastic diet coke bottles so the afternoon just slipped by. Until we started to here the sounds of water splashing under our jetty, well by the time we had noticed the water it was over our jetty. If you have been paying attention to my blogs the top level of the jetty was at the same level as the corridors to our room, but some 8 m away and slightly sloping to the jetty, thank goodness but also remember we were 1step down into our room, hmmmm I said to Sandy that I think we are now under sea level. It was so interesting to see how much the Grand Canal is affected by the tide, yes it was still pouring with rain but not that much rain to make the Adriatic Ocean rise about 1 m. We watch the water as one would watch an open fire as it is so mesmerising well it's better than Italian TV! Still so may stories on the New Pope and the other day I think we watched a bit of a movie from a past Pope or it may be a doco on the new one as I did see the smoke change from grey to white and the fanfare that followed!!!! Come on Pete focus, the waters rising and everyone what's to know what happen next, get to the point. For those who have sat at a dinner party with me would know why get to the point when there are so many possible stories to tell and so few hours to tell them in! So by now the water is lapping the bottom of the lounges (joking just making sure you were paying attention). But I go into the corridor and can now see the water coming under the jetty doors as the boats go past and makes extra waves, I turn around and head to the back courtyard to where there is a door bell for the Family that live up stairs and the butler answers, everyone here has a butler as you do! Mind you he is also the gardner and what ever them upstairs so requires him to do. He was from Sri Lanka and I meet him the other day sweeping the courtyard and tried to crack up a conversation, he start with cricket and thought I was a cricket Captain, god only know which one he thought I looked like but to him he said us Aussies all look to same "what the". So cricket was not my choice of conversation so I started on the garden and his life here in Venice. So is that truly a conversation or me being my typical self and nosey, asking just too many interrogating questions. He also lives here but in the 4th floor, the top floor, which is saved for the hired help, but his room for he and his wife is at the back so can't see the Grand Canal. He get about 1000€ a month and has good health cover and food and a roof over their heads, and for this he and his wife are able to send money back to their country to support their 6 year old son and his parents that care for the kid. We are so lucky in Australia! but these workers truly believe they are lucky to be able to support their families all be it from the other side of the world and they get to see their children for 1 month a year kinda breaks your heart! So I say into the intercom Hibjamfloatadoora or something like that, how high will the canal get today before I should ring the state emergence services? With a head wobble I'm sure and a oh s--t probably was a good interoperation to the tone of his voice, so with in seconds he was like a flash down the marble stairs to our courtyard and with a look of urgency. He started up the corridor and opens a door just prior to ours and of course I'm in like Finn to see what was behind this door, just a store room but very medieval looking and from the beams on the roof that match our room it is apparent this was how our little apartment had started life some several hundred years ago, a gondolas garage under the main house. Mind you then the floor level/water was 2 meters lower. Hibjamfloatadoora grabs a stainless steel plate some 800 x 500mm and start to make his way to our door, this plate is specially made to fit into the stainless steel brackets that are retro-fitted to our door jam so with the rubber seals also in place and with a click of a button the flood gates are erected and I don't need to call out the SES. Gratzie Gratzie and he disappears back upstairs. So it's back to the lounge and wait to see how high the high tide will get. It was only a low high tide so the water didn't quite make it into our apartment, but in the past by the tell tale signs that a cabinetmaker can pick up it has been in there before, andapparently there is no flood insurance for the bottom floors in Venice