My memories of condoms are of thin, translucent things prone to snag on engagement rings. Tough, yes. Reputedly they could hold a full set of snooker balls but definitely thin and to be be treated with care. Not these suckers floating past the boat. These were large, opaque and more like an industrial glove than a gossamer wing. They were not alone in their travels. Latex gloves, countless bottles, even more drinking straws from the small tetrapacks of juice-but strangely no tetrapacks- cigarette packets, tampon applicators, large bamboo like canes, plastic bags, sanitary towels, root vegetables, large logs-one with a large pizza box stuck on it-dead fish and all manner of detritus from modern living. This would flow past the stern depending on wind speed and direction.One day it blew a gale and everything collected between ourselves and the boat on our port side so there was a solid mat of rubbish between the boats. Italians taking their evening stroll stopped to look at it in amazement and with expressions that asked who put that there. The Italians put it there! I love Italy and the Italians because they make great opera, they make great cars, they make great ice cream but they make great mountains of litter.

The yellow and green Marine Ecology boat from the Minestero Dell Ambiente ties up on the marina side of the wall that separates it from the river. The big red Antipollution boat ties up on the river side of the same wall and one or both of them go out to standby tankers off loading at the platforms a mile offshore. There are six to eight launches from the Guardia Costeria, a few from the Carbiniera and the Piloti launch pops in and out to meet the high speed ferry from Porto Aranchi on Sardinia. In the river are fishing boats, yachts tied up on the Porto Publico wall and tugs waiting for victims. Watching all this activity can keep me occupied from breakfast to dinner.

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