APRES (MOI) LE DELUGE

Well, not after me exactly but more like after another week of rain as the river rises. You've seen this bridge before, Il Ponte Rosso, the Red Bridge. It dates back to the middle ages and has survived many floods, including one that had me more than a little worried. You can see the modern repairs, which are crumbling and missing bricks taken away during the last flood. With four days of heavy rain behind us and eight more forecast, it's anybody's guess how high the river will get.

The muddy surge doesn't look much but it has replaced the usual clear trickle and the water can cover all but the very tip of the bridge. Swallows and swifts are darting over it but there are none in any of the shots of the rising river.

Here it is on a sunnier day: SUNNY BRIDGE

But guess what was found at the river's edge today. A granite rock with the St. Andrew's cross on it. STONE ST. ANDREW'S CROSS Is it an omen? :-)