Sunday 2 February 2014

Can Spring be far away on St-Bridget's Day?

Well if you live in Ottawa on the snowbank Spring is never that close. We just had a further snow fall.  Though we could be living in Rome and experience the floods which plague the City every winter now. This is due in part to the two rivers the Aniene and the Tiber who connect and become torrents has they cross the City. The water is already some 16 meters above its normal level. All neighbourhoods below the famous hills of the City are experiencing some flooding. The sewers of the ancient city have also not been cleaned for decades and many are blocked. Little if nothing has been done to resolve this problem, the government seems to think, it will pass, yes but what a mess.

Yesterday I got news from the farm in Capena just outside the City where Dr. B lives with his wife and where our Nicky and Nora were born. The farm is flooded but not the house and all the dogs are safe.

Our friends L and N live near by but high up on a hill so they are not affected, however entering Rome from their area is complicated as the Via Tiberina which connects with the highway into the city is flooded.

31 January 2014 flooding in Venice 

Pisa, Florence, Turin and many other major cities have experienced flooding, the Alpine Brenner pass which connects Italy to Austria has been closed, a very rare occurrence due to heavy snow fall and now the risk of avalanche.

The Island on the Tiber in the centre of Rome the water of the river is about 16 meters high.

Floods in the Roman Forum area 


Rome Electric Tram 


Here well it's Winterlude, the so called Winter Carnival in Ottawa, lots of skaters on the Canal. Trudging through the snow is not my idea of fun but apparently to some bureaucrat it is.
We also have a few ice sculpture focusing on the First World War, this is part of the Official message to the masses from our dear Prime Minister S. Harper, gee how to depress everyone during a Carnival, I am starting to believe the Tar Sand fumes have affected his brain.

At the same time it was confirmed today that we will have 6 more weeks of winter, of course we will, it would be strange if we did not. This means that warmer weather will come around the last week of March, Oh Joy!  The Candlemas rhyme says: If Candlemas day be dry and fair, the half of winter to come and more. 

Well let's look forward to Spring and more pleasant weather.








5 comments:

  1. I'd take snow and cold over flooding ANY day of the year.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Traditionally on this day I plant my first tomatoes, the early ones; I plant them indoors in peat pots. Spring has begun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you planted them? Wishing you luck with your tomatoes this year.

      Delete
  3. I used to do this in the Midwest; I don't plant gardens anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, I'd agree with Debra. Oslo and Reykjavik in deep snow just felt right, if tricky to negotiate; but our months of flooding here in the UK are just demoralising. And it's scheduled to go on at least until the end of the month.

    ReplyDelete