Bergamo in the Rain

Bergamo, Italy

A few days before I flew to Bergamo, in northern Italy, I checked the weather forecast. “Uh oh,” I remember thinking, “It’s raining the entire time.”

I’ve been weirdly cursed with rain for almost all of my travels this year; though I expected it when I covered a music festival in Ireland this summer, I didn’t expect it in nearly every place I visited. I’m currently in Bangkok and it’s pouring rain here, too, though I hope it won’t last… at least I got a sunny first day yesterday.

I once spent a week on the island of Little Corn in Nicaragua and it absolutely belted down the entire time, so much so that I only saw the sun once. I’ve spent my fair share of days in the rain, even scuba diving in it, camping in it, hiking in it, and more. Hell, I live in London, I’m used to a bit of drizzle.

Because that’s the thing – we have absolutely no control over the weather (short-term, anyway, don’t get me started on global warming). When we go to book a holiday we have little to go on other than what previous years have told us about the weather in that particular month. I may know that a particular season is rainier than others, but even that doesn’t guarantee that I’ll need a raincoat or umbrella.

But looking at that forecast for Bergamo, I decided to pack accordingly. “I’ll bring an umbrella,” I thought. “A pink one.”

Lovere

Lovere

And it did indeed rain for two of the three days I was in Italy; it poured and poured, the cobblestoned streets slick with water. Somehow, however, I didn’t mind it – it seemed to highlight the bright colours of Bergamo’s buildings, the yellows and blues and greens a vibrant contrast against a grey sky. And because there isn’t anything we can do to stop it, I thought I may as well embrace it, and I did so by taking photos of people with their umbrellas.

A stranger with the most perfect umbrella in Clusone

Clusone

Bergamo

So as I travelled around the region, through the city of Bergamo and into the countryside to see the towns of Clusone and Lovere, right on Lake Iseo, I looked for umbrellas. I posed my travel companions, too, because sometimes we need a few models to get the right shot.

Bergamo

Clusone

Lovere

Bergamo

Clusone

Bergamo

Lovere

So despite the rain – or because of it – I ended up falling in love with Bergamo’s beauty. I tried to make the most of my time, whether that involved rain or sunshine. We may not be able to control the weather, but we are able to embrace it.

Clusone

Lovere

Clusone

Many thanks to Visit Bergamo for hosting me in their region. For more on my time in Bergamo, click here.