After The Rain

An incredible downpour struck Barcelona today about 12 noon. Each preliminary drop landed expansively on the sidewalk and then the heavens opened, as if an outraged God was taking revenge for all of the world's wrongs, more precisely, those of it’s politicians!

With three levels of potential flood sites in our house (ground-floor patio, first-floor balcony and top-terrace) we were on full alert and in full intervention mode, taking off the drain caps, sweeping away displaced flower head threatening to block the open downpipes (many did and had to be digitally prised out as what seemed buckets of water landed in my back) and creating a towel-wall to prevent ingress onto the top landing and prevent the waterfall that we've had before down the whole inside of the house. Never before have we been so relieved that we inserted an overflow pipe from the terrace through the external wall to channel all that flood water out over the rear elevation - it was like a gargoyle in full spew-mode!

One upside was that Françoise, our dear Citroen 2CV or Deux Chevaux, got a welcome 'douche' and was looking very pleased with herself when we eventually judged it safe to go out for lunch!