Friday 24 February 2012

european cold

     I grew up in snow. I was born in October in Wisconsin and by November it was certainly freezing. I seem to remember, although it's probably just a recollection of photographs, being bundled stiff and lashed to skis and tumbled down a snowy hill, head over heels, crying. I suffered fairly serious frostbite in elementary school, trying to compact a snowball with snow too cold to stick together. I took my gloves off to try and melt the snow so it would compact better. Big mistake. I learned from experience just how much heat is needed to change water from solid to liquid.
    On the 1st of February, a heavy, wet snow blanketed the roads and countryside; breaking trees and making driving very dangerous. Italy doesn't have a lot of snow removal equipment nor does it have a big stockpile of salted grit to distribute on the roads. When the snow on the roads is compacted by traffic, it quickly turns to ice. With a forecast of freezing weather, we had to clear the snow from our steep driveway or we'd soon be skating down a ski jump. All garden spades and hand trowels to the job. The LeCoste tractor plowed our road but it drags a blade, compacting the snow before it scrapes it flat. Driving out was impossible, so we hunkered down and blessed Alex for her vast food reserves.
    On the 5th of February the water stopped flowing through our faucets. It had happened before due to exposed pipes in our house and we had taken steps over the years to avoid frozen pipes, but this time it wasn't our fault. Supply to the entire neighborhood was frozen. Some time ago, a section of the supply line had been found to be leaking and ten meters of temporary line was spliced in but lying on the surface. When the big snow hit us, this exposed portion of the pipe didn't take long to freeze.  Six people in our house and no water. Richie had driven down from England to help us building and within one week of arriving in sunny Italy, we found ourselves without water to mix mortars and temperatures so low, no mortar would set properly. The good news was we had a good supply of firewood and a foot of snow on the ground.
When water freezes, it expands. When it freezes from water vapor, it forms lovely snowflakes that are largely empty space. When these snowflakes are melted, you get the equivalent of water that was originally water vapor. Not much. And it takes a lot of calories. Bathing was out. Drinking it was a gamble. Running the cement mixer was out. So was flushing the loo.
     On the 11th of February another foot of snow buried us alive. They had managed to open the school for two days since the 1st and the kids had walked out to get a lift to school but now everything was locked down hard. Grocery stores weren't getting supplies, many stores and facilities closed. Miraculously, electrical power went brown but not out. We struggled to clear our drive once again as well as our solar panels. By now our little apartment resembled a ski cabin with heaps of steaming wet clothing surrounding the hot wood stove. Big pasta boilers crammed the stove top filled with warming slush and plastic buckets surrounded the stove filled with powdery snow. Ironically, the hot water solar panels kept the hot water tank at a tantalizing temperature but the lack of flowing water kept us from bathing, laundering or even washing dishes in a normal way. During the big freeze, Richie and I shifted our work area to his bedroom. He moved into one of the apartment bedrooms, we moved everything out of his old bedroom and began hacking the old plaster off the walls. At night, our bedroom windows froze on the inside. The kids got actually bored with toboggan adventures.
     On Valentine's day, school bravely opened again. Many teachers couldn't get in. The roads were still dangerous and it was illegal to be found driving without chains. We couldn't get out and many very able 4-wheel drive vehicles had to be dragged out of LeCoste roadsides. One RangeRover was found nose-first over a bank in the woods. The girls hitched a ride with Julian in his LandRover although he had to be rescued once after plowing uncontrollably into the woods.
    15th of February, Thomasina's 12th birthday. She had a wonderful party with four guests able to make it. We still couldn't negotiate the roads since we had no chains for our 'new' car, but two sets of parents managed to get in.
    On the 16th of Feb, water flowed again. Ten days without running water.
    On the 18th Feb, the road through LeCoste was clear enough to allow us to drive out. We were snowbound for 17 days and with no water for 10.
    Italy is a civilized country. It has hosted major civilizations for numerous centuries. It's climate hasn't changed too much over the years. Italian people are clever. They are credited with numerous discoveries and advancements. Italy is one of the Group 8 nations. It's historically a rich country. For a time after the second World War, Italy's economy exceeded that of Great Britain. Despite all this, if you find yourself in a not-so-old Italian rural house in winter, you had better be prepared for serious winter discomfort. The houses are cold. European cold.
    I grew up in snow. The squealing of the girls at the first sight in the morning reminded me of my love of it despite the cold, the damage, the discomforts. I love the odd, steamy warmth of the down parka while shoveling. The blinding white where there was once brown, dead garden. I love the various forms, how it changes from volumes of airy powder to blocks of dry styrofoam. I hadn't seen snow like this in maybe 40 years. Lovely stuff and now I miss it.

Friday 3 February 2012

Snow photos of Trasimeno basin

Busy here with the winter weather. School out for a week. We are very fortunate to be spending our winter in the littl e apartment although we are all still sleeping upstairs in the drafty bedrooms. Click here for some photos of the area under snow.