@Shutterbug: It's fun you said it's strange. There, it's in Italia, but in France (in south) you can often see that.
It's nice to share our glances at various places of planet :)
(I don't know if you understand well french so I answer you in English)
This scene really is strange to us who use washing machines. In some parts of america you will be given a warning by the authorities if they see you hangning cloathes outside your house.