Turning water into wine

Ah, Italy! The land of miracles, where celibate men of many years don skirts to propound on god, life, eternity, salvation and sex, certain that what they say has the imprimatur of the deity herself, and where water turns to wine!

Marino is a wine town south of Rome. Each year, the folks of Marino celebrate Sagra dell' Uva - the annual wine harvest. The center of attraction is the Fountain of the Four Moors where at a particular moment in the festivities, new wine gushes forth from the fountain and residents rush forth to fill their jugs and beakers.

It's all done, explains Richard Owen at timesonline, via "creative plumbing somewhere below the streets."


Not this year. This year, when the time came, people gathered expectantly holding their wine jugs, but nothing happened. No water turned to wine!

An investigation was launched immediately. Ten minutes later, gurgling was heard and the folk's faces grew expectant. But, nothing!

Except for nearby homes. In those places many surprised housewives turned on the taps to find wine flowing freely. Some were smart enough to grab every container handy and fill them to the brim with the sweet fruit of the grape.


Didn't last, though. The plumbers quickly fixed the problem. Darn.

I wonder. Were there any plumbers in Jesus' cadre of followers?