What do you do on a rainy day?

I don't mind a good walk in a light rain, but if it's going to be persistent and torrential then I head to a museum.

In Florence at the first drop of rain you'll be surrounded by 50 umbrella salesmen who appear from every nook, cranny, and corner. The price starts out high, but as the rain tapers off the price drops to a fraction and then they all disappear as quickly as they first appeared.

We usually come prepared for any weather so we aren't held back from too much. Exploring a city in the rain can also be a lot of fun - fewer people on the streets, less competition for tourist sites, lovely hazy views in the parks and of the buildings. If the weather is really awful we do inside things: museums, enjoy the many cafes or restaurants - nothing like reading a book or newspaper and drinking coffee/tea in a cosy cafe, go shopping, or explore a bookstore.

In Palermo, as well, the umbrella salesmen pop up like mushrooms as soon as it starts raining. And once in Amsterdam, caught in a downpour, we ducked into a nearby Greek restaurant, and had one of the best meals we've ever had. Pure serendipity. Zorba de Griek was the restaurant. We wouldn't have tried it had it not been for the rain.

With our slow style of travel we often just pick up a book and settle in for a few hours.

A few years ago we spent a week in a large three story stone house in the Italian alps near the Swiss border. One day it rained so hard with lots of lightning and thunder that we climbed the stairs to the timbered attic retreat and watched the rain through the giant skylights while we read. It was quite a show!

She just needs to make up her mind to dress for the cold and go out and do things.

"No such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing". Attributed as an old Norwegian saying.
"No such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing". Attributed to Alfred Wainwright.

Having done a couple of multi-day ski tours in Norway and multi-day point to point walking tours in the UK, the above sayings are appropriate. That said, there is another Norwegian saying codified as Norwegian Mountain Code Rule 8:
https://godblessnorway.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/rule-8-det-er-ingen-skam-a-snu-there-is-no-shame-in-turning-back-2/

Rule 8: “Det er ingen skam å snu” – There is no shame in turning back

Christa, going to a museum is always a good choice!
When my mom & I were in Padova last year, we went to an art exhibit on a rainy day & had the best time.
When we got back to the hotel, my mom changed into her pj's, crawled under the covers & I went to pick up a pizza just around the corner from our hotel.
While sitting on our beds eating pizza & watching some animal show on TV, my mom looks at me & asks; "why are all the TV channels in Italian?" I love my mom!

Tim, I laughed when I read your comment because I remember those same salesmen in the town of Como one rainy day!

Susan, I agree!

Jane, I love "Pure serendipity!"

Mona,

A few years ago we spent a week in a large three story stone house in the Italian alps near the Swiss border. One day it rained so hard with lots of lightning and thunder that we climbed the stairs to the timbered attic retreat and watched the rain through the giant skylights while we read. It was quite a show!

This sounds amazing! Where is this three story stone house? I'm very intrigued now...

Stephen, You're absolutely, 100% correct!

She is ready to face the weather with waterproof boots, wool socks, many layers, a waterproof down coat with a hood, along with a warm hat, scarf, gloves.... hmm... am I missing something?

Edgar, Thanks for sharing the Norwegian Mountain Code Rule 8! One of my closest friends was from Norway...my dear sweet friend. I miss her so much... she passed away a couple of years ago...

Thanks for sharing your rainy day adventures!

Please keep them coming ;-)

I use a rainy day to find a laundromat, then hang out in a nearby cafe while laundry is washing.

An indirect answer: don't be so locked into a schedule that you waste a beautiful sunny day inside, when you are somewhere where the weather is undependable.

If I'm in a city I settle into a nice cafe or restaurant for a long, luxurious meal!
If I'm in a rural area I just put on my rain gear and keep going!

@ Priscilla our house was in the Walser people village of Cravegna in the Piedmont region. It was our Milan exchanger's summer home so we went back and forth.

My first trip abroad was to Ireland and England. I don't remember if I took an umbrella with me or bought one there but it is where I came to appreciate, even love, the term "bright intervals!"
I am happy to walk in the rain with a warm jacket and umbrella, but if the wind is blowing I will head for a cafe or museum or interesting church.
I haven't yet done this, but I next time I might hop on a local bus and and see the sights and neighborhoods (as long as I had a map or my phone to tell me where I ended up.)
SharYn

I have rarely had rain be an issue on European vacations. If in a city, definitely seek out indoor sights like museums. Even in Ireland (2002) and England (2000, 2013), notoriously rainy countries, we did not have any problems. Small sample size but my experience was that it would rain like crazy and then let up. Of course, I have a better attitude on vacation than in my regular workaday life in dealing with rainy weather, so that helps. You could definitely get unlucky and have rain adversely affect your trip, but you just have to have a contingency plan and make the best of it. Sitting in cafe sounds like a good option too. Sometimes the best experiences happen there, rather than in the act of seeing the "real" sights.

So far I've only experienced rain that lasted a couple of hours, mostly when travelling In Italy. In each case the rain wasn't exactly light, but rather a downpour of biblical proportions. On one occasion in Lucca, I borrowed an umbrella from the hotel and walked to a nearby restaurant for a fine hot meal. Even with an umbrella the bottom of my trousers were soaked as the water was about six inches deep in places (drains couldn't handle the volume), and my shirt sleeves were also soaked as the rain was blowing sideways. I enjoyed a leisurely dinner, had a nice visit with some British tourists and by the time I was on my after dinner coffee, my clothes were dry and the rain had stopped.

The same what I do if it's not raining. I am from Seattle.
"How can you recognize summer in Seattle?"
"Rain is warmer."

Hi, Priscilla.

Good question. Most days have a church or museum (or more) in my plan, so I might spend more time with my indoor choices. I have never not ventured out because of rain, that would drive me crazy.

I carry a cheap rain poncho (basically use a couple of times and then throw it away) and pack an umbrella (which I have yet to use).

where is your daughter studying?I actually work for Edinburgh University.Been very wet here in Scotland of late and today is quite cold with a good chance or rain and snow later on depending what part of Scotland you are in.
When I have rainy days on my travels I usually just get on with it.I usually carry a lightweight set of waterproofs and they keep me dry.If I am in a major city I often ride the public transport and see where it takes me.In Prague a city i visit often I play Tram Dice ,take two dice roll them and if odd go one direction if even go the other,roll the dice again and go that number of stops or to the end of the line,in my case I usually have to find a bar to have a beer in and then repeat the throwing of the dice and carry on.If you want to go and have a coffee instead of a beer I am sure that would be acceptable,but tram dice for a rainy day is not a bad way to spend the time.

Whenever possible I plan my schedule so that I have a day in each place that would be easier to deal with in the rain. That might mean more museums or indoor attractions, or just outdoor things that could be managed in rain. I then watch the forecast and plan those days for any day most likely to have the most rain. That said, when necessary, I will take my rain gear and go out exploring in the rain. I love to have outdoor meals, but that is one thing I have to give up in rain.

We've been very lucky in that most or our travels have had fair weather. On some days with rain, we'd head for a museum or break out the umbrella if we were somewhere walking.

We visited Washington DC in 2011 as the tail end of a tropical storm passed by and it rained for almost the three days we were there, complete with thunder/lightning (try walking around a zoo in torrential rain with lightning - the animals don't like it either!) and some flooding (luckily not in the area we were staying in but other areas of Virginia). I remember it was raining so hard, we came up out of the subway, had to walk across a road to the Space Museum - had the umbrella up and we were still soaked from the knees down in that 2 minutes it took to cross and enter.

Last year, we were in the south of France when there were torrential rains. Luckily, we weren't in the Cannes area those days (we weren't going to be there until a few days later) with the major flooding/damage/deaths. We spent the day in Aix where it looked like it was going to clear up and we decided to head for - maybe Les Baux or St Remy - it rained so hard we had to pull over, then we looked at each other...went...nahhhh...and decided to turn around and head back to our airbnb and I'd cook supper. (It was only 4pm). Localized flooding on the roads, overflowing ditches, some flooding in the villages we passed thru...the way to get back to Salon en Provence was blocked off and (thanks to the GPS) we had to take a very convoluted route to circle around the closed section. Finally got back to the room, I cooked some pasta and we spent the rest of the night reading and relaxing and chatting with our hostess!

Unclegus, I love tram dice!

Jane I have suggested that to many people who visit Prague, takes you to parts of the city that you might not have intended to go to but can be great fun.

Last May while in Salzburg it began pouring rain in the late afternoon. Fortunately we just past the Mozart statue at Mozartplatz and sat down at a restaurant under their covered patio area with a view of the Mozart statue & Salzburg Cathedral. My mom and I enjoyed some hot tea while my son & daughter in-law had some beer. We enjoyed a dessert as well and waited out the rain. It was a nice rest between the sight seeing. I did the same thing in Paris in 2014 at a Cafe off the Av. des Champs-Elysées with a great view of the Ave and the Arc de Triomphe under a heated awning enjoying some hot chocolate, creme brûlée then some Port. The heater worked so well outside I had to take my jacket off, it was in the high 50s low 60s, but that heater was working overtime. 141-days until my return to Paris.

Wow! Such great responses! I enjoyed reading each & everyone of them, thank you!

Charlotte, You read my mind! Last year while visiting Padua (Padova), it was a rainy day & I walked to the laundromat
while my mom rested in the hotel. While our clothes went around & around in the washing machine, I looked around &
found a bakery a few yards away & surprised my mom with a yummy almond cake & some pastries.
Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

Stan, great advice!

Anita, I love your attitude!

Mona, Cravegna is such a beautiful village! I just traveled there via, 'GoogleEarth!' I know this kind of traveling does not compare to actually being there! ;-)

Sharyn, You must hop on a local bus on your next trip!

My mom & I did just that in Rome (many years ago) & the bus got so crowded with locals.
We were tired from a full day of sightseeing that we decided to see where it would take us.
We decided to get off at a stop where most of the locals got off, we found a shoe store with great prices, a bakery/gelateria where we had to try the gelato & some pastries. We didn't even have a phone with us!
We just took the same bus# back, in the opposite direction, & enjoyed the ride.

VS, "Sometimes the best experiences happen there, rather than in the act of seeing the "real" sights."
This is so true!

Ken, You got soaking wet! Isn't it great, how some of the best memories, are when we experience times like these?

Ilja, "Rain is warmer"-- I love it!

Zoe, great idea to carry a rain poncho! How was your trip over the holidays?

Unclegus, What a small world! I've been checking the weather report & also checked the live webcam--- boy it's cold & windy there!

I love the Tram dice idea!

Karen (Leigh), smart idea!

Nicole P, Wow, what an experience to be in a foreign country driving in such bad weather... I like the ending of your story!

Brushtim, "hot chocolate, creme brûlée then some Port" I must say... Your tooth is sweeter than mine!
"141-days until my return to Paris" => Enjoy your trip!

This was so fun, thank you again!

Good night!

This was a fun topic, Priscilla. Thanks for offering it!

Priscilla,

"You got soaking wet! Isn't it great, how some of the best memories, are when we experience times like these?"

That wasn't the worst experience with rain that I've had during travels. That happened on a visit to Sicily (Taormina) a few years ago, during a walking tour with a RS group. The day started out with wonderful sunny weather, but in the late afternoon the clouds started to roll in and then the thunder and lighting started (we were about 1 km from the hotel at the time). The rain followed very quickly and it definitely fit the description of "biblical proportions". Within a few minutes it was ankle deep, as the drains couldn't handle the volume. As the weather had been great when we started out, I hadn't brought an umbrella so had no cover from the rain except for my Tilley hat. When I finally got back to the hotel, it wasn't just my sleeves and pant legs that were soaked, but rather I was totally soaked from head to foot (including my shoes). This is one occasion where I was pleased that I'd packed my laundry kit as everything I was wearing was rinsed out and then hung on the rubber clothesline.

Fortunately, we had a fantastic group dinner after that, along with a pizza and Tiramisu making demonstration. After a few glasses of wine and a fine meal, I began to recover from my ordeal. I had to wear flip-flops to the dinner, as that was the only other pair of shoes I had with me at the time.

We were waiting in the line for Vatican museum when the rain started. First, no problem. We had umbrellas (unlike Ken). It didn't take that long and intensity of rain reached indeed biblical proportion. Maybe because we were in front of Vatican (museum). And you know what, Ken? You don't have to regret you did not have an umbrella with you in Sicily. In rain like that umbrella or no umbrella makes no difference. Everything so wet like we fell in the river. First we wanted to give up on waiting but then realizing we cannot be possibly any wetter we endured and saw the museum.

we got caught out in the rain on the ferry in Varenna. we ended up having an early dinner, then headed back to the apt for a hot shower and a cup of tea. I was ever so glad I had brought along on some herbal tea bags.....

Brad and Janet got caught in the rain....We all know how that ended !!

Ken & Ilja,
Thanks for sharing your rainy day adventures!
You both go soaking wet!

The last time I remember getting soaking wet, as though I'd fallen in a river, is when I had to jump
into a pool fully dressed (during a lifesaving class in college).

The reason for doing this, was so the instructor would show us how we could use our clothing for floating (in case we fell off a boat)

Doric, Good thinking on your part to pack some tea! A warm cup of tea is so soothing...

David, Did I miss something... what happened?

Thanks everyone!

Priscilla

Edit: A brief update...

My daughter has been in Scotland for almost a week now & she's getting ready to start her college classes tomorrow.

She has visited some museums & she's getting acquainted with her 'new home',
away from home. She quickly found out that the boots that she took, were not waterproof... so...
she just purchased a pair that are. It's a good thing too, because it rained all day today!

Brad and Janet got caught in the rain....We all know how that ended !!

...They got caught with a flat, well how 'bout that....But maybe the rain wasn't really to blame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCZDWZFtyWY

Had to laugh at Sharon mentioning "bright intervals". When we moved to the Pacific Northwest seven years ago, we learned the term "sun breaks", for the sun that can come and go during the day, along with the rain. We LOVE our sun breaks in the PNW. We will be in London and Paris in Sept 2016 and do not plan to use an umbrella as we've gotten used to putting up our hoods on our rain jackets, much easier than managing an umbrella for sure! We plan to enjoy our European adventure, rain or shine!

David in Brisbane, classic entertainment.

The most important thing about Scotland is to not let the weather stop you. And you do that by being flexible and by having really good rain gear! The walking tours that I've done for several years never have a set schedule or planned walks as our guide looks at the weather the evening before and make a preliminary plan, then after a check in the AM we are off to if not sunny skies, at least a soft rain! I finally broke down after a couple of trips and bought rain pants. It's nothing you need in the city, but getting out into the countryside is a wonderful thing to do and the pants helped! As MC mentioned they don't have to be heavy.

There is another activity you can do besides visit museums or drink (coffee or beer) in cafes and that's go shopping! Whenever we had a real black cloud day, we would go shopping. Almost all my Scottish sweaters were purchased on rainy days. On some of the days, they were immediately worn.

Pam

I find a showing of Night of the Living Dead in the local language..

the original (1968) or the remake version with Donald Sutherland?

My rain story, which is a fond memory now, is the day we rented bikes in Brugge... we went all over, all day and into the evening, and were miles away from our hotel in the city center when black clouds came in very quickly and soon it was pouring buckets... we had no choice but ride in it... we were soaked to the bone (but not cold) as we rode through street after street... people were crowded in doorways and any shelter they could find while we were madly peddling by on the street... people looked at us like we were crazy but we thought it was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing. I kept thinking, here we are in beautiful Brugge in such a ridiculous situation, soaked through and riding bikes! It actually was a lot of fun. That's what I love about travel, we have fun adventures we would never have here at home!

Pamela, great advice!

The most important thing about Scotland is to not let the weather stop you.

Bkmat62, besides...umbrellas don't work well when its rainy & windy. Have a great trip!

David, MC, James & Fred... what can I say...

Susan, what a great story!

Good night everyone!

Priscilla

I don't have rain boots, but I have waterproof ones
so with their help I don't have to sit at home on a rainy day: I take my umbrella and go for shopping or just for a walk. I love fresh air on the rainy day!! mmmm ...

Jenny, thanks for your post!

I will send the link to my daughter as I'm sure she'd like some of those cute waterproof boots!

I wish they had a store front though... I always prefer to try on shoes before buying them.