Monday 27 May 2013

Deliveries, Venice-style.

Some years ago, before Over the Hill was published, a mentor suggesting I don't write about anything you might see on the telly. So, given that pictures of Venice are everywhere, I thought I'd give you a different view or two.

Have you every wondered how all that stuff - the food, the goods in the shops, the furniture in your hotel room - arrived? Anywhere but Venice, it comes on a lorry, or van, or maybe you trot off to the shop and can carry it yourself (though the shop has to get it from somewhere.) In Venice, of course, it's much more complicated. For everything comes by boat. Anything heavy is lifted off by a small crane.

While boxes of strawberries are hauled up one box at a time.

Then what? Well, big things like tables fold up and go on a trolley.

And heavy things, like barrels of beer, have to be wheeled through the streets - these trolleys have special little wheels at the front so they can go up and down the stepped bridges without the driver rupturing himself.

And, at the end of the day, comes the rubbish man, with another wheelie trolley, to take away the detritus that is left behind.

And in my next blog, I've got some photographs of some of the extraordinary things that come into this city on boats!

16 comments:

  1. Great photos Jo. I love places where you can watch different daily routines that people take for granted as their way of life and yet are so alien to us.

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  2. Interesting! I never thought about such problems when I was in Venice. I just enjoyed being a tourist.

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  3. fascinating Jo! The sort of thing you don't really think about...but is there right in front of us...

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  4. Such a great post, Jo, I love the 'alternative' view! I have something for you over on my blog... a Liebster Award for your uplifting posts! I hope you'll have time to take part? http://jackiebuxton.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. How very kind - thank you. Will be smug for the rest of the day.

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  5. Hi Jo - that was fascinating .. and I'll definitely be stopping by to read the next one. Wise advice about writing about things that aren't everyday .. definitely it's more interesting ..

    Cheers Hilary

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  6. Thank you all - I had such fun, once I began to notice these delivery people.

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  7. What a fascinating city! It's so weird to think about Venice, a city surrounded by water. I look forward to more of your pictures!

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  8. When we were there we saw a police boat, sirens and all, scudding along the Grand Canal.

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  14. Oh goodness how did I miss this? I love the photos (of course - some are of boats)! And isn't that lovely to observe the alternative way of delivering goods. The picture with the box of strawberries is a precious memory captured, and the top photo is just all about my world too. Lovely, Jo. I love posts like this with other world views.

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  15. One thing I notice in Venice is that there is an awful lot more to just sit and stare at, than in other places. I think this is because everything's done by boat, and boats do take a little bit of time to arrive at wherever they are going - a bit frustrating I suppose if you are a Venetian in a hurry but wonderful for the idler!

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