Final touches...
Archive post September 19, 2019…
They aren’t done yet. Darn it. You know, rumour had it back at the beginning of July that the bridge renovation project had to be completed by August 10th. Terms of the contract, one informed person had told me. I can attest the re-construction work did proceed apace despite the OFF & ON soaring temps past 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the Summer months. Many of our community thought it would certainly be finished before Codiponte’s oldest sagra of all the sagras, La Sagra dei Pomi, for the first weekend in September. Come & gone. And the metal barriers are still in place and work guys show up at 8:30 to continue their labors. They are a noisy group. I cannot enjoy the terrorism of Codiponte’s church’s campanile ringing in the hours and half-hours from 7AM onwards. Darn it.
So, here we are, middle of the 09, and what is going on? Work-guys about to lay down more ripply stone pavement on top of the yet-to-be sunk gas & water pipes. And at an important AND historical juncture. Crossroads, so to speak, of the via Comunale lacing its way from the Medieval bridge to Codiponte’s piazzetta and the ramp leading past our il Poggiolo up to the sentiero to reach the Borgo Castello above.
By the way, the stone arch on the right in the left hand photo is the cornice to the now defunct sportello to pay the toll to cross the Medieval bridge. I’ve mentioned this before but, it warrants it again… Codiponte is dialect for al capo del ponte… or, at the head of the bridge… a traveller’s advisory of a toll to pay to cross the Medieval bridge.
I don’t fool with this ongoing construction site. And few do too. Occasionally, I look out the window of our salotto and see n’er a car parked at the start of the Medieval Bridge. There’s a kind of scenic overlook at that end. As predicted, and though the bridge is passable… barely… the folk choose to park on the dirt road which passes below the bridge. Ahhh, Concevience with a capital C.
I find it funny to watch the rare pedestrian risking neck & limb while crossing the bridge. A head runs just above the stone wall, and then, sinks slowly into disappearing as the person descends one of the arches, only to rise and fall again from view with the second arch of the bridge. A fun-house vision. Slightly nauseating too.
Meanwhile, no action to be seen over at the village’s piazzetta. There was a meeting of the minds between the officials of the Comune… or, City Hall… and the Culture Police on the day I departed Codiponte for Genoa and USA. Perhaps the people’s petition against the Medieval Bridge’s over-ambitious reconstruction has caused a re-think? I seriously doubt it. But, if I have learned anything about living in Italy, Hope & Patience are Virtues to hold dear and until further notice. Stay tuned.