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only from the canal. Speaking of high water, would you like me to tell you what happened to me a long time ago at the Lido?"

"Sure. Up until now, only I have spoken. And I talked a lot, Now it's your turn." 

"Right there in front..." I said pointing to the fountain in the center of Campo Santa Maria Formosa "during the war I queued with the women to get drinking water. It wasn't enough to boil the water from the canals and then remove the salt, that was fine for cooking, so there was scarcity of drinking water during the war and so they restored the artesian possibilities. It was full!" 

Papa also looked towards the center of the Campo with the stalls selling fruit, vegetables and fish: "A problem with water when there is little. A problem when it is too much." As I watched the man carrying tubs full of fish to the fountain to change the water, I stopped talking. "You were saying that once at the Lido..." I remember Papa. 

"Oh yeah... all in all it's not a very interesting story." 

"Tell me. Then I'll be able to tell you if it's interesting or not." 

"It was a long time ago. Our housekeeper had a headache and so Jackie and I went to the Lido with the Gigia. Gigia immediately gave us permission to bathe alone in the section facing the hut, within the pole that marked the safe area for children. Hand in hand, hopping in fear of the crabs, we entered the sea happy." 

"It was high tide. As the water was about to reach Jackie's chin, I straddled him over my shoulders. Continuing to move towards the pole every now and then...