[Ohoho, a Nerd's nerd, confirmed. Palamedes would carry any number of heavy buckets to listen to an infodump about salt damage and pressure, this is simple truth. He nearly fumbles the bucket he's clutching onto right now in pure nerd delight. Aha--]

I'd have thought we'd be crushed, rather than popped. Then again, teleportation is not in my wheelhouse. Maybe those portals out of the tavern have pressure regulation baked into their magic?

[An emphasis on keeping the tedious work behind the scenes, to make the place run smoothly in an "effortless" way? Probably not as efficient as it could be, if so. He shifts the bucket around to tilt his head and use his shoulder to push his glasses up, since he will absolutely drop it if he lets go with even one hand.]

As for maintenance, whatever is taking care of this place is well-hidden. You'd expect to see automation, at least...

[Hmm!] Well, I'd love to hear more about fruit exploding.