Floods in Venice

I hope Eva's palace is not flooding.

BBB

That is distressing Osso...how would they manage to put up flood barriers when the water is everywhere?

Here's one of the proposals, Mismi:

www.veniceword.com/news/8/mose.html

I think the Venetians have waited too long, unlike the people of the Netherlands, the Venetians have been working at an Italian pace and it may be too late to install and finance a solution.

I saved a bunch of articles on this at some point, but lost them in a computer melt, will read the one Green Witch posted.

Ah, here's an old thread posted about this by BBB -- http://able2know.org/topic/7644-1

Did you see the PBS documentary on the problem? Very well done and it might be available on line. I recently watched the new In the Footsteps of Marco Polo on my computer. Not as Venetian oriented, but still interesting.

No, I missed it. Wonder if that was the same show Farmerman was talking about. I'll chase around for it. (Wondering if it's on a netflix dvd..)

Here's the PBS link. I think they only have some highlights you can watch on-line. For the full video you might have to purchase the video:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venice/

That is amazing Green Witch - I hope it is not too late...

I am going to watch the PBS link later. Goodness...what a sad thing to see Venice suffer any more damage.

Thanks for the link, GW.
Checked netflix, no luck - which makes sense.
Now I remember about that book, Venice Against the Sea...

Venice Against the Sea, by John Keahey

available at amazon, used and new

I've heard news reports and saw a special on TV some months back about the rising water situation in Venice. Very sad.

I wonder if there ever will be a time where parts of the city will have to be permanently evacuated, due to the fact any solution will be so cost prohibitive?

A little... ah.... humor on the subject. But also a clue re some thought on all the money going to the lagoon efforts.

I'm the fond recipient of news updates from the to-me loveably scurrilous website Only in Italy. Generally they take a news item, and then make comic hay out of it, or try to.

Since I couldn't begin to paraphrase this, I'll just clip the part that has to do with Venice - but there's more about massaging grapes in vinyards if you're interested.
the link -
http://www.onlyinitaly.com/mainarchives/022309.htm

the news item -

Coca Cola Will Not Take Over Venice
Venice - February 23, 2009 - Coca-Cola is not "buying" Venice, its city council said Monday, reacting to polemics over a planned million-dollar partnership between the drinks giant and the lagoon city.
An Italian daily reported Monday that the city was "selling itself" to Coca-Cola in a 2.1 million-dollar deal that will involve "vending machines in every corner of the city", including St Mark's Square, where tourists are forbidden from picnicking under strict council rules on urban decorum. But Maurizio Calligaro, the council's chief of staff, said the 60 vending machines would not be placed on public soil, let alone near landmarks such as St Mark's.
"Fifteen distributors will be placed on the principal vaporetti landing stages, the others will be inside council carparks and in the limited traffic zone of the mainland. Where's the invasion?" Calligaro said.
He also stressed that the vending machines would not bear the Coca-Cola logo, quashing rumors that the brand name would be plastered all over the city. Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari, who has long bemoaned a lack of state funds for the upkeep of city monuments and churches, said he was "astounded" by the polemics over the deal, adding that it was no different from others adopted in the past.
"This is a financial strategy that today is simply indispensable for safeguarding our monuments and artistic heritage and is in line with culture ministry guidelines," Cacciari said.
"It follows a strategy we've adopted with other equally prestigious collaborators - Lancia for the restoration of the Ducal Palace, Swatch for the Biblioteca Marciana, Replay for Ca' Rezzonico and Bulgari for the Scala d'Oro".
The mayor added that the idea that Venice could be safeguarded "by philanthropy alone" was unrealistic.
"These idealists who protest against strategies such as (the Coca Cola deal), which by now have been adopted in all the cities of the world, should have the good taste to indicate an alternative, or, even better, provide for the needs of the city from their own pockets," he said.
Cacciari last month warned that Venice's monuments and churches risked falling into ruin because too much state aid is being directed into a controversial project to protect the lagoon city from sinking. The experimental 4.3 billion-euro Moses scheme is scheduled to come into action in 2014 and involves moveable flood barriers that rise from the seabed to block the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when high tides are forecast.
A longstanding opponent of the costly scheme, Cacciari has warned that there are no guarantees that it will work.

the commentary from the website -

Bob Dylan (When I Paint My Masterpiece):
"Sailin' 'round the world in a dirty gondola"
"Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!"
"Vaffanculo Bob!"
"Ah, minchia!" Nothing like standing shin-deep in dirty lagoon water paying 5 euros (6.35 USD) for a can of carbonated water with some flavoring and sugar. Well, if one considers the legal fleecing that goes on every day in Venice, what are the alternatives? Harry's Bar?
Harry's Bar is probably the most famous named bar in the world due to its association with people like Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote. "Cazzo", and who could forget the refined, dignified and grossly overfed Orson Welles who would chug down two bottles of Dom Perignon at one sitting?
Unfortunately, some tourists turn into complete ignorant jackasses and convince themselves they have to go in and have one of their famous "Bellini" concoctions.
"Ah, minchia again!" Nothing like a glass of 3-4 oz of supermarket peach juice and stock sparkling wine for 14 euros (18 USD). And if you're not a jackass enough to order a second round, then the barmen politely point to the flooded piazza outside that awaits you.
"ONLY IN ITALY" PRESENTS: THE OFFICIAL TOP SECRET "BELLINI" COCKTAIL RECIPE OF HARRY'S BAR
Ingredients:
One third fresh peach juice,
Two thirds chilled Prosecco sparkling wine.
THE SECRET: Make sure to pour the peach juice into the glass first.
"Huh?! Figlio di puttana..." Disappointing, isn't it?

Disclosure - Me, I've never been to Harry's or ordered Bellini, nor can testify to the recipe.