There are some who seem to think it never rains in Spain. It is perhaps the one thing they know for sure about this country. Spain = Sun.
It is sunny here, extremely sunny for a large part of the year. But it’s not always like that. It is also important to remember that weather differs from North to South.
Come this time of year in Seville, no one really knows what to wear. Most people here dress by season rather than temperature. So while thermometers still marked over 30ºC last week, you would already see those wearing boots and light scarfs. Others, determined not to get heat stroke, still opted for t-shirts and sandals.
Yesterday, however, the weather suddenly changed. The skies grew dark and cloudy and it rained hard for most of the day. Temperatures dropped dramatically, sending everyone scrambbling for umbrellas and jumpers from the depths of their wardrobes and cupboards.
Thankfully, it was also a bank holiday yesterday. So the city streets weren’t suddenly sent into a chaotic mess of traffic and people trying to get to work or school, as they often are when it rains. Because when it rains it often pours.
It can absolutely tip it down. Like streets filled with puddles you can’t walk round, get completely soaked despite the umbrella, kind of rain. Drains can overflow, streets pool and cars splash, because the city isn’t really prepared for a lot of water.
Rain quite often stops the city. Not completely, but because it’s pretty safe to assume that by tomorrow, or by next week at the latest, it will have stopped, going out in the rain is a bit pointless unless your business is urgent or compulsory. People stay home in the dry if they can.
Since it’s been raining, I thought I’d share a fun, well known phrase about Seville and it’s rain.
You know the movie ‘My fair lady’? There is a moment when Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) is trying to learn proper pronunciation and she finally manages to poshly pronounce a whole sentence. The sentence used in the English version is ‘The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain’. Not ringing any bells? Here’s a reminder:
But guess what? This is kind of hard to translate and sort of doesn’t make much sense if the film is being shown in Spain itself. So, that is where this lovely city of Seville comes in.
The famous quote turns into ‘La lluvia en Sevilla es una maravilla’. [The rain in Seville is wonderful (I know, it doesn’t have the same ring to it when you say it like that)]. Have a listen to the Spanish version.
It’s rather different, don’t you think?
Lately, I’ve had several friends repeating this phrase anytime someone complained about the rain, reminding us it’s a good thing really. We may not like getting wet, but the plants and reservoirs certainly appreciate it.
Most people were ready for a change in weather by now, too. There comes a point when the sun and heat gets too much and you’re looking forward to a bit of cold and rain. You always know it won’t last for ever, though, and you’ll soon be able to enjoy sunny winter days as well as spells of wetter weather.
I only feel sorry for those who visit Seville on a brief trip and it happens to coincide with the few rainy days we have a year. It’s not quite the same exploring the city with an umbrella. Although, that said, there is plenty that can be visited in the rain. Perhaps I’ll save that for another post, though.
So there you have it. It does rain in both Spain and Sevilla and most of the time it truly is ‘una maravilla’.
What do you find most interesting about this season and weather?
The Spanish Berry 