I’d better get this post finished before Enel, our energy company, cuts off its electric supply at Longoio this morning for a couple of hours. Why are they doing this? It’s because a new electricity pole has been erected and today the supply will be moved from the old pole, a rusty thing right behind our chiesina or village chapel.

Every pole needs its hole and, indeed, the hole was ready for its host. We were shocked at first to find that the hole was only protected by a thin metal sheet placed on top of it.

As we wrote on Facebook:

This is so irresponsible! ENEL have been round near us and poured concrete for a replacement post. We took the loose cover off the proposed placement of the post which disclosed a hole at least twenty feet deep and wide enough for three people and goodness knows how many wild forest animals and domestic pets to fall into!

Fortunately my wife spurred into action and reported the safety risk to the authorities. The next day the hole was made safe.

Again, as I reported on Facebook:

Regarding that infamous hole…. we reported it and lo and behold! Now cordoned off and opening firmly secured.

Finally, the pole arrived.

It was carried to its location on the back of a special truck originally used in Germany as its details proclaimed and with a built-in crane.

It’s rather difficult to steer in reverse a truck this size and weight up a rough mountain road originally built for mule. One of the two operatives cleared the way with a machete and, eventually, the dextrous driver manoeuvred the truck to its destination.

Lifted up, painted green and inserted into its hole it now awaits the wires it will carry and the electricity it will supply to our households.

Like an ancient monolith or a Festival of Britain skylon it now stands in all its verdant glory and, thankfully, that ugly old rusty pole will soon be gone.

Meanwhile pole-vaulting continued the next day around Longoio’s car park:

Well done ENEL!