A Transition from Raincoats to Urban Umbrellas

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Yesterday I walked from a "village" to a town. In the process I saw very few people out and about. I don’t know whether they stayed in because of the weather, or if they fled because of the three day weekend. Today is a cantonal holiday so shops in Vaud are closed. This could explain why it was quieter yesterday.

It was funny to walk in the rain, equipped for it. Other people had gone out, expecting good weather. They got heavy rain instead. The castle in Nyon had a few people sheltering, but very few were taking photos and appreciating the view. On a rainy day the view is of white clouds, rather than the Alps. The lake was flat too, except for the ripples caused by falling rain.

I was wearing Trail Glove 7 shoes and shorts, as well as a proper rain jacket. I stayed mostly dry, most of the time. If you wear heavy shoes in heavy rain, then rain soaks in, and it takes a while for it to evaporate back out. In contrast, with minimal trail glove 7 there is little fabric, so they dry with ease overnight. I did use two pages of rolled up newspaper, twice, to soak up the humidity and it worked.

Given that people don’t like rain, it’s a shame that they have today off. Those that use umbrellas, rather than rain coats are limited in what they can do. Retail therapy is out. The options are cinema, indoor climbing and probably some restaurants and bars.

Despite wearing shorts, and a rain coat I did start to get wet as water whicked its way up. I was out for almost two hours, and when I was at the Jetée it was raining so hard that I couldn’t use my phone due to the screen being wet.

By then I was done with my walk, so I headed home. I still enjoy rainy walks. I think rain is not a reason not to go for a walk.