Villa San Rocco

Gilgamesh

February 2009 — Updates

“Ninurta went forth, making the dikes overflow” Gilgamesh XI,102

We should have dug the pool. We'd have filled it ten times over. A passing mythical king might have recognised these 'waters of oblivion'. Still, without wanting to be overly British and weather-conscious (apparently there was some snow in UK recently..?) Italy has endured its worst downpour in at least a decade, probably more. Hence emergency drainage channels dug in the garden and more steel/concrete mix in the laundry and cantina against the hillside.

Good news is that the windows are almost ready. They're still in Lucca, however. The eternal frustration with the infamous Latin bureaucrats continues as we vie for permission to bring a large lorry containing plastering machines up the hill - these will cut plastering time to a quarter of that conferred by a manual system. Had we foreseen this, we might have started the old-fashioned way - ah, hindsight... Soon as the plaster's on, windows can be installed - then floors - then baths. It's tantalisingly close.

The fabbro's been round measuring up for the ironwork - balustrades, handrails etc. Plumbers/electricians are installing on the first floor and Luca and team have finished interior pointing upstairs, with wonderfully soft natural lime mortar as per exterior. Let's hope the truck arrives before the road slides down the hillside. Then we'll have a real classical existence in the village.