It happened to rain on the day I visited San Gimignano in Tuscany. Since this is always a possibility on a trip, I came to Italy prepared for any kind of weather. So I wore a poncho and carried an umbrella. Since it wasn’t windy, the umbrella didn’t blow inside out! When I wanted to take a picture I stood under an awning or near a building entrance. I thought the town looked pretty in the rain and I accepted it as something that happens when you travel.
But a few hours later the rain started to let up. The clouds thinned out and there was a hint of blue sky, and later the sun appeared. After that I enjoyed the rest of the day even more because I was happy that the weather had improved so much. And the drops of water on the ground made everything sparkle. So on that day I was able to see the contrast of rain and sun. And San Gimignano was beautiful either way.
You can see sun and shade later in the day:
Meg Travels 
It poured for a while when we visited Florence, but it didn’t dampen our spirits! Italy is even pretty when it rains, you’re right. Your photos are beautiful.
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I didn’t really mind the rain, but I was so happy the sun came out! And thanks, I’m glad you like the pictures :)
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Your pictures are gorgeous!
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Thank you – I really wanted to show how pretty San Gimignano was!
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It all looks beautiful, but I love that top picture. I imagine it would be a wonderful place to just sit and sip the wine. :-)
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Just to be able to sit and admire that view would be wonderful! And I think it was open later in the day…
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We all wish for good weather when we travel, but maybe a little bit of rain provides an even more authentic experience of a new place. It just doesn’t need to be too authentic, though!
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I really like that thought! It could always rain, but hopefully it will be over quickly :)
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How lovely – I am having such wanderlust right now and this is throwing fuel on the fire
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I have to say I feel the same way, and I was just there!
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Oh Meg…so beautiful. You are so blessed to have the ability to do this, not just the travel but the ease with which you share it with us. It’s like being there. Just lovely.
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I really appreciate you saying that Rhonda! When I write these stories I get to remember all the things I saw too… :)
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Wow! That view is to die for!
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I agree – I thought the view was gorgeous!
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Loving your photos:)
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Thanks Renee – I’m so glad you liked them!
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Italy is sure beautiful. I love the old architecture.
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It’s very beautiful! And there’s so much to see there… :)
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San Gimignano is such a treasure! It was one of my favorite places in Italy–thanks for rekindling those memories. Enjoy! :-)
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You’re welcome! I thought it was a charming place, rain or shine… And I’m glad it brought back good memories for you, too :)
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It just seemed cocooned in time to me!
I hope you join in my challenge, Meg–you seem to be bringing your imaginations to life in your travels, and I’m sure you would have something wonderful and inspiring to share. :-)
http://bringingeuropehome.com/2012/06/02/quotes-from-the-masters-picasso/
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It sounds great! I’ll get started on the challenge…
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Wonderful!
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I can hear the mandolins in the background everytime I look at one of your pictures. So quaint and so old world. Love feeling like I kind of got to go along. Beautiful Meg rain or not.
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Thanks Sharon! It was very quaint and lovely. And I do like wandering down the side streets to see something different…
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Once again your photos are amazing and make me want to be there, rain or not.
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I’m really glad you liked the photos Darlene! And I’m so happy I was able to visit there :)
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Fantastic photos Meg, and I like the fact that you were able to see San Gimignano in the rain and the sun. When you see somewhere in different weathers you get a real all-round feel for the place, and I can imagine this memory will stick with you for a long time. It looks like a beautiful place.
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That’s just how I felt about it! And because I saw it in the rain, I appreciated the good weather even more. But it wouldn’t have mattered if it had only rained – it was still beautiful!
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love the line of flower pots and the brick details and the patchwork landscape and the metalwork scrolling….and, and, and…………………..and the flowers and the mysterious doorway. Where did that lead, I wonder??
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That’s what I always wonder, too! I’m fascinated by doors and doorways, especially in Italy. And I found the flowerpots enchanting. All those wonderful details…
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It rained for some of the time we were in the town as well, but it was still gorgeous.
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That’s true Debra – the rain didn’t make it any less beautiful. I was happy to see the sun, but it was lovely no matter what the weather…
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Wonderful photos of a beautiful place that transport me to a place I have never been.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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Thanks Francine, and I hope you enjoyed visiting San Gimignano! It’s such a special place…
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Nice pix, Meg! Did you know that umbrellas that are virtually unbreakable in high winds do exist? I only know this cuz a friend actually owns one!
Big hug!
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I definitely would like an umbrella like that. And thanks, Sue!
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Hi,
Fantastic photos, and such beautiful scenery, it does look so very different, I love the architecture, which always fascinates me with a lot of the older buildings. :)
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I’m glad you liked the photos! And I thought the scenery and buildings were beautiful, too :)
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The red chairs lined up with the white tables…wonderful photo. What a beautiful town, Meg. The gray skies go well with the old buildings. Weather is not so hard on the traveler, but it can make photos tough! You did well! Debra
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While it was raining I stood under awnings so I could get the pictures I wanted. I really liked the chairs and tables – I think they were waiting, too. And thank you Debra!
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Nice
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It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?
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A rainy day in Tuscany is better than the sunniest day not-in-Tuscany! Inspiring photos of your rainy day.
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That’s so right Teresa – I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else but there!
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It has almost always rained on me at some point in Italy. I’ve usually been at the end of May and summer’s not really arrived. So beautiful though Meg. Thanks for sharing.
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I like traveling in May, so sometimes there’s a little rain. But it’s still a good month because it’s less crowded than during the summer. And I’m glad you liked the pictures!
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Tuscany is my number one travel destination, and the landscape looks exactly like I imagined it. Beautiful photos, I feel like I’ve had a wonderful preview. Now I’m even more determined to go! :)
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You’ve made a great choice, and you’ll really love it when you go there! And it’s even more beautiful in person… :)
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Looks beautiful – wet or dry! Isn’t it funny the way the Umbrella Sales Guys come out of nowhere when it starts to sprinkle? tee hee…!
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I actually kept my umbrella from blowing inside out this time, so I didn’t have to buy one of those flimsy ones! Of course I spent the money I saved on gelato :)
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Wise move, oh experienced Traveler, to use that money on gelato! My goal is to eat gelato in every town we ever visit in Italy. I know…it’s hard, but I’ve been successful so far :)
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That was my goal too! Maybe we even went to some of the same places… I greatly admire that you’ve been successful – keep up the good work!
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I loved San Gimignano! It looks like you didn’t allow the rain to prevent you from capturing some beautiful shots!
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I really appreciate you saying that! Once I figured out how to stay dry and take pictures, I could see that San Gimignano was beautiful even in the rain…
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I have happy memories of two different trips to San Gimignano thanks for reminding me of them. It’s a shame it rained the day you where there.
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That’s fantastic that you’ve been to San Gimignano twice! I thought it was gorgeous, and I’m happy I got to see it in the sunshine at least part of the time… I’ll just have to visit there again :)
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Beautiful. I love Italy. Thanks for letting me travel back with you!
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You’re very welcome – and writing about Italy helps me remember how beautiful it is too!
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Oh I loved San Gimignano! It’s such a special little town. I love the narrow walkways and the plants everywhere. The church was simple and beautiful. You captured it so well with your lovely, lovely photos. Your landscape shot with the rain in the distance is awesome! I love Tuscan landscape shots. I didn’t take enough!
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Hi Judy! You describe San Gimignano beautifully, and it’s a place I’ll always remember, too. I took lots of pictures of the landscape, and I also (tried) to balance that by putting the camera away and just enjoying it… :)
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Looks just beautiful to me, too. The lush green, the dramatic mood.
Very nice shots of a lovely place.
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Thank you Ruth. And it was just as beautiful and dramatic in person!
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I have a long standing love affair with Italy. Thanks for bringing back great memories of San Gimignano! Tuscany is such an enchanting part of the world. Hope you enjoyed your trip!
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I enjoyed it tremendously! And I’m so happy that this story brought back good memories for you. Tuscany is simply beautiful… :)
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We watched a movie on t.v. last evening “tea with Mussolini” (some of the movie takes place in San Gimignano). I really like this movie and have seen it many times. We are going to Italy in the fall. The movie and now your pictures make me want to fit this destination into my itinerary.
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You’re going to have a wonderful time in Italy! You know I’m going to have to watch that movie again, especially since it has scenes in San Gimignano. Thank you for mentioning that :)
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San Gimignano is so unique! I loved how they display pottery on the street and in shops.
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I think San Gimignano is simply charming, and it sounds like you had a good visit there yourself!
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That was some years ago, we made a day trip to San Gimignano from Siena which is another charming town.
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I was in Siena, too! There are some beautiful places in Tuscany…
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Thanks for the peek into your travels. That is such a lovely area.
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San Gimignano is very beautiful. And I’m glad you enjoyed what I found there!
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Lovely photos of such a pretty town, did you find any gelato in San Gimignano? We saw a Gelateria but the queue was quite long and we were about to leave :-(
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I found many gelato shops in San Gimignano. And it’s a perfect combination – sightseeing and eating gelato!
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Your pictures of the vineyards just made my heart leap! I can never get enough pictures of vineyards!
Ashley
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It’s another beautiful thing to admire about Tuscany…!
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Loving the Italy posts. I’m going to have to show the husband. His dream is to visit Rome—again. For more than 7 days. :)
My dream is to live there. Well, so we have different dreams. We co-exist. :P
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These are really good dreams! But to live in Italy is a great idea, I would say!
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Nice pics!
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Thank you. I thought it was a beautiful, photogenic place!
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I love the city sights, but on a busy trip it is nice for a slower pace. Some of the best memories and sights happen in the small out of the way places!
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I think so, too – it gives you a better sense of what a place is really like!
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Yes for sure! Off the tourist tract is good sometimes.
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beautiful images [I too,enjoyed that area when I visited it].
Is the header image from an Italian lake? maybe lake Como? looks familiar :-0
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Thank you – I think San Gimignano is simply beautiful! And you’re very observant, too. The header image is from Lake Maggiore, so you’re thinking of the right region. It was another beautiful place to visit :)
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Brings back wonderful memories of when we visited in 1996. Tuscany is just so fabulous! We went in April and it rained a lot then too but not the day we went here. Did you go to Sienna? We stayed 4 days there and loved it, making trips elsewhere during the day and enjoying it to ourselves at night when the day trippers had gone. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I enjoyed yours too:)
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I did go to Siena and it rained, but it didn’t matter – I was prepared with an umbrella and a poncho! I always like learning more about Italy, and I enjoyed visiting your blog :)
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