The last Saturday in November here means that it’s time to turn on the Christmas lights in the city. As usual there was to be a ceremony at 4 p.m. including a brass band and a torchlight procession from the town park to the main square; where the Christmas tree has already been up for a few weeks, but without the lights turned on. It was a grey and dull day, but around 3:15 p.m. still not raining, and not too chilly or windy. So I decided to walk into town to check out this year’s decorations.
Of course(?), 15 minutes later, when I was well on my way, the sky opened, and rain was pouring down! However, I decided that there wasn’t much to gain by turning around. I had an umbrella, and the parts of me not covered by that would get wet either way; so I might just as well continue into the city centre and take the bus back home from there. I did not stop to watch or join the procession from the park to the square, though… But I managed to snap a few shots of already lighted decorations on my way to catch the bus. Heavy rain, twilight, and mobile phone camera managed with one hand only (needed the other hand to hold the umbrella!)… So no top quality night shots. But you’ll get an idea of the atmosphere – and some wet street reflections.
New decorations (the archways) on a bridge over the river; reflected in a very wet pedestrian street.
This is overlooking the river. Not really easy to tell what’s street vs river in these photos!
they are all beautiful to me, I love the way the lights reflect on the rain and river. that lst shot is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra :)
DeleteGreat
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim
DeleteLovely photos, thanks for braving the rain.
ReplyDeleteJanet, on the whole I'm less afraid of rain than of icy streets... ;)
DeleteTo me, they ARE top quality pictures! And the rain and wet streets really add to the beauty. The top picture looks like on of those charming very old little European cities. And the last picture looks quite modern.
ReplyDeleteGinny, you've got a keen eye. Those buildings in the front of the first photo are old ones; while the big building in the background in the last photo is our recently refurbished and modernized city mall. Our city centre has quite a mix of styles, really.
DeleteI like them, no matter the weather, and the reflections wouldn't be there on a dry day (except for those in the river, of course).
ReplyDeleteOur Christmas Market opened on Thursday. My Mum and I went there for the opening ceremony; it was so mild (15 Celsius!) that not so many people bought Glühwein :-)
But now it is colder, and this morning I woke up to the first snow of the season...
Meike, you're right about that, of course... I wouldn't have been able to get all these reflections if the streets had been dry! ;)
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