Holey moley

Here's an update on the hole post I wrote on 21st February (I think - just go and find it yourselves, I can't be bothered with any of that linking stuff, I'm not able to stay online long enough to get it to work).

Anyhow, earlier this week, my peace and quiet was broken by various clanging and scraping noises from the street below. On leaning out of my window (something I do a lot now that the weather has improved) I saw a couple of workmen, with a small truck, putting up temporary signs along the road. Now even though the signs were images and not words, I couldn't work out what they were there for but, this is Italy and who knows what's going on. A couple of hours later, I heard a pneumatic drill being used, and when I later went out to get some bread, I saw the workmen digging a trench in someone's yard. I didn't think anymore of it but I did notice the signs hadn't been removed even after the work seemed to have stopped.

Then this morning, the sun was shining so I opened my windows, only to be aurally assaulted by an opposite neighbour playing the radio at full blast whilst singing along. Her voice wasn't that bad but the music did leave something to be desired. However, in the process of pulling my head back in through the window, I glanced down and saw... more workmen.

To be precise, three workmen, all wearing the fluorescent orange work jackets (and matching trousers, in one case) which marks out the municipal worker here. Of the three, one was leaning on the back of his truck, prior to driving it away, another was smoking a cigarette whilst reorganising the various shovels and brooms leaning against my front wall and the third was on his knees mending the road.

Yes, you did read that correctly. He was on his knees, patiently fitting the square blocks that make up the road surface outside my home. He was using a small hammer to loosen the soil and tap the blocks into place and he was very picky about which block went in which space. It was a pleasure to watch a craftsman at work. The whole process took about three hours, leaving a smooth and seamless repair to the road.

When I went out later, I passed a couple who live further up the road. Now I don't speak much Italian but I could tell from the way they looked at the huge tarmac patch outside their home and then stared down the road to the repair outside my home that they were wondering when it would be their turn. They did not look best pleased but the signs are still up so there's hope for them yet.

In the meantime, I get great pleasure from looking at the beautiful work done outside.