Rain brings magic every time it falls… or at least that’s how we feel about it! There is something clean and fresh and a smell of new when the moist of rain fills the air. Granted, rainy weather is not something one usually hopes for during a vacation – and indeed it can actually spoil a lot of the fun – not to mention that pictures rarely turn out looking good under gloomy skies. 🙂 Yet, sometimes, a rainy day can be a true blessing even when exploring new places during a holiday.
The fact is, one of our most wonderful experiences was re-discovering Venice during a rainy and cold February day! Almost deserted by tourists and covered in a shroud of absolute silence, those old wet walls spoke to us in a way forever cherished as one of our most precious travelling memories!
It truly felt like we had Venice all to ourselves. No crowds, no queues, no bumping into other people on the tiny bridges! There was just us, the ocasional shrivelling passer-by and details of Venice that otherwise would have been impossible to notice.
Even the Dodge’s Palace finds a new form of secluded dignity when there are no flashes and noises to spoil it’s grandeur.
Sometimes the silence is so deep that you can actually start to feel like you are touring a disaffected movie set, but the many covered boats of the locals hiding inside their houses remind you that the place is not deserted but only beautifully torpid.
Under that leaden sky, the cafes were closed and even the gondolas have been retired for the day and the yet the music of the drizzle hitting the pavement and the restless lagoon figgeting through the canals made everything still feel very much alive.
For many hours we wondered through a soaking Venice, marvelling at all those magical places we never thought we would ever experience in such sublime tranquility. That is for sure the absolute moment we fell in love with Venice and we truly hope we will get another chance like this again. So, if during your next trip someone wishes you to get a bit of rain in Venice … thank them, you’re in for a real treat and an unique taste of this marvellous city.
Have you ever fallen in love with a city when it was covered in rain? Let us know as we would really love to hear from you if your similar experiences!
We hope you liked our special edition of a Venetian Photo Diary and until next time: Happy Lives and Joyful Journeys everyone!
Wonderful photos! I was there around November, I think, and one night it rained and I got soaked and had to seek cover in the lobby of a hotel 🙂 Thanks for bringing back some beautiful memories, and yes it’s a completely different experience when you don’t have to fight the tourist crowds.