A rainy day can intensify moods and emotions. If you’re in love, a rain can be wonderfully romantic. If you’re sad or heartbroken, it’s painfully bitter cold. If you’re nostalgic, it can bring a tear to your eye. Or maybe you just find rainy days to be an inconvenience.
I think that a good rain helps to make a city interesting and edgy while it creates a veil of anonymity. As you’re doing the umbrella dance (my name for the raising and lowering of umbrellas to avoid collisions with others while walking on a city sidewalk), nobody is really paying attention to you. Everyone’s into their own mood.
On my way to a meeting in San Francisco’s financial district Tuesday night, I was compelled to take a few photos even though it meant an awkward juggling of umbrella, computer bag and camera. Here are a few that I liked. I hope that you see one or two that say something to you, as well.
I haven’t been able to get this great 1970s song out of my head, so if you’d like to hear “In the Rain” by The Dramatics while you look at the photos, click on the link below.
If the rainy day music and photos have put you in the mood for something drier, you might want to check out my blog post featuring America performing “A Horse With No Name”: The Heat Was Hot: My desert road trip.
This is my contribution to this week’s Travel Photo Thursday originated by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to check out other contributions on her website.
Vote for my article on WorldTravelist.com, sharing the best travel content on the web.
Ah, not only a windy city but a rainy wet one too, I see.
Michael recently posted..Black Forest Hiking Season Open Soon
It certainly can be wet and windy, but oh so wonderful!
Looks bloody miserable to me – but you’re right – your mood is 90% of the experience!
I firmly believe that!
Your photos are great but I do count myself in the group that finds rain to be a bit of an inconvenience – and if it’s cold and rainy then I’m miserable!
Love the first couple of shots – I don’t think I appreciated just how steep the San Francisco hills are.
Lisa recently posted..A D-Day Tour of Normandy with Kids
Thank you! I don’t like the traffic jams that rains can cause, but I like a good walk in the rain sometimes.
Great shots Cathy! I love San Francisco but it can be a challenge at times. The elements add so much to this beautiful city but it makes it difficult for visitors.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Wiesbaden- Worth A Second Look?
That’s true — especially navigating some of those hills or taking a sightseeing bus or boat tour.
The rain polishes everything up so the city shines. I think we do have an esp thing going on, Cathy.
VeraMarie Badertscer recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday: A Foggy Day
Great minds … Can’t wait to see what you’re up to for next week.
Once I’m there, I don’t really care what the weather is. I just love being in San Francisco. On the other hand, if I’m trying to get in or out of the city, the rain and fog is a huge inconvenience. Can’t count how many times I’ve been delayed going through that airport.
Your pictures SO make me want to go back though.
Steve recently posted..Hyatt Place Herndon / Dulles Airport-East
Gee, I’ve never had a fog delay at SFO.
just kidding.
Nice shots! Spring is “officially” here in the Bay Area but it seems more like winter.
Thanks, Dick. Indeed, it does. Nice to see all the blossoms, though.
Great to hear the music while scrolling down through your shots here, Cathy! Very interesting to see one of my favourite cities, San Francisco, through your eyes like this!
Andrew Graeme Gould recently posted..Santiago, Chile: Daniel Zamudio, victim of intolerance / víctima de la intolerancia
Thanks. So glad you listened to the music, too. I like associating music with photos.
I think I’m one of these people who finds rain mostly inconvenient, but you’re right it can make a sad day even more sad. The reflections of the light in your pics are my favorite parts of the pictures. Gives them realy something interesting!
Sabrina recently posted..My Seven Super Shots
Thanks for mentioning the reflections of light in the photos — I was so happy to capture them!
I never think to take pictures in the rain, but it adds a whole new look to everything – I loved these!
~Becca
Becca@R We There Yet Mom? recently posted..Friday Daydreamin’: Readers’ Choice
I don’t usually think about it either, but for some reason I went right for the camera after leaving the BART station.
Always better looking at the rain from behind a window or in photographs. Your images take me there!
Corinne @ Gourmantic recently posted..Lunch at Wild Bunch Food & Wine in Seaforth
Thanks for the nice compliment, Corinne!
I agree that rain can be emotional. Munich is the rainiest place I’ve ever lived and it takes a bit of getting used to.
Laurel recently posted..Snowshoeing on the Baltic Sea near Oulu, Finland
I didn’t know that about Munich. I wonder how it compares to places like Seattle.
Raining here, too but, ya got me in the mood to grab my camera an get wet ! Thanks for sharing !
Would love to see some of your rain photos!
I love the rain. It sets the best mood! I grew up in Florida and moved to Vegas from the tropics… Now that I live in the desert, I miss that.
Abby recently posted..How well do you know the Las Vegas Strip?
Something to be said for the moods created by all kinds of weather. I love the hot, dry desert, too.
I’ve never been to San Francisco, and even in the rain it looks interesting. Nice set of shots.
Nancie recently posted..Travel Photo Thursday — March 29, 2012 — A Magic Moment in Sevilla, Spain
Thanks. Yes, SF is wonderful — rain or shine.
I guess I never really think about the “umbrella dance” it just seems so instinctive now. The winters in San Fran are interesting often due to the rain there. I hope it didn’t rain too much though.
Anwar recently posted..Friday Photo: DC Cherry Blossoms
I don’t know why that phrase just kind of sticks in my head. It first occurred to me in NYC on Fifth Avenue in the rain as I watched all the umbrellas in front of me constantly moving up and down — as if to music.
Lovely photos Cathy, I never manage to get clear photos when it rains!
Angela recently posted..Exhibition in Rome’s Campidoglio, revealing the Vatican’s secret archives
Thanks, Angela. I admit that I was surprised that these turned out as well as they did.
You’re pretty adept at handling umbrella, camera and computer bag, Cathy! These are some fabulous shots. Hope you weren’t too wet when you got to your meeting. Great sound effects in that song. I didn’t remember that part at all.
We had a beautiful shower here yesterday – lasted about an hour. I love the smell of the earth after a drenching shower. It’s like it’s been freshly tilled.
insideJourneys recently posted..Soulful Sundays: Third World
Thanks very much. Yeah, the bottom of my pants were pretty soaked, but otherwise I arrived in meeting-appropriate condition.
Sometimes rain creates the best photos! Love the look of stormy skies
Leslie (Downtown Traveler) recently posted..Friday Photos: Colorful spring flowers in New York City
I love dark skies and a good storm once in a while — can be very exciting.
I love the photo of all the people holding umbrellas. We have sure had a lot of rain lately but really needed it, didn’t we?!
Thanks, Jenna. That’s one I really liked, too. We really have needed the rain — glad it finally came!
It looks like Seattle! It looks like Seattle has for the last year. . .or so it seems! Nice photos, especially considering you were juggling an umbrella.
Jackie Smith recently posted..In the “Spirit” of Spring Break ~ American-style
[...] Cathy Sweeney Moody San Francisco [...]
Wow, looks like SFO and Vancouver have quite a few things in common, but I bet Vancouver is a lil wetter
But it does not diminish the good things. I am absolutely with you but wouldn’t have been able to express it so adequately: ” I think that a good rain helps to make a city interesting and edgy while it creates a veil of anonymity.”
Fida recently posted..Breakfast at Tobys
I love San Francisco! I wish I was there right now. Even in the rain it’s such a beautiful, fun city.
Simon P recently posted..Visiting the ghosts of ANZAC Cove
[...] enjoy an occasional walk in the spring rain. On a late afternoon last spring, the rain created a moody San Francisco [...]