25 September 2022.
Rain on a forecast makes me cringe. Is my travel going to be a washout and won’t see anything I came to see? Will we be confined to quarters or get soaked on our way back from a hike?
No traveler wants to look at the forecast and see five days of rain, especially if you only have a few days in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Fortunately, for us the weather in Switzerland usually turns out better than the forecast and a high percentage of expected rain is balanced against how many minutes or hours of actual rainfall. A 90% chance of rain in a day is accurate even if it only rains for 15 minutes.
Having a few activities in your virtual back pocket makes it possible to enjoy even a dreary day with hopes that it will actually turn out better than forecast.
In our books, we mention outings that are OK on an overcast or even rainy day. Yesterday we used one of our own ideas and while we got a bit wet, we had a nice hike, didn’t get too cold (layers!), and we were done in time for lunch back in our cozy apartment. While many travelers headed for the lifts to higher elevations hoping for views, we chose a walk along the Lütschine River and incurred a small fee for a train ride back from the end of the trip, not the high price of a mountain gondola on a day without views.
Yesterday afternoon offered a couple of rain free hours enabling a little stroll with weak sunlight and we were back “home” right before a downpour. Switzerland, like most of Europe, needs rain so we can’t complain.
Today was supposed to be dry in the morning and it was. In fact it has been dry all day! The cloud deck is low so views are not stellar but we invoked our Pacific Northwest mantra, “At least it’s not raining” and headed out on a long walk through the valley and a stroll through Mürren, high on the cliff, with coffee in our favorite cafe. Number of people encountered in the valley in a three mile walk: four. The cows easily outnumbered humans by 50 to 1.
In fact, the sun is breaking through so I think we’ll take advantage and have our evening passeggiata a little early in case it the weather changes its mind.
Tomorrow will be drier than the forecast above indicates…we hope! Rain hats and waterproof boots will ensure our plans aren’t ruined by some much-needed moisture.
I found this picture from the same day last year. We were eating outdoors in a beer garden. May that weather return in the coming weeks!
Girovaga 
I am really enjoying travelling with you! My husband and I were in Switzerland in 2015 and loved it. Mürren is a very special place- wish we could return.
LikeLike
Lynne, this whole region is magical! No wonder Tolkien took to it heart as a source of inspiration for Rivendell!
LikeLike
I love how you make the best of even a few rain free hours. That cake and coffee would be worth the three mile hike! We just arrived in Barcelona for the next four days. Enjoying great walking in the center I’d town but it’s a holiday today so very crowded!
LikeLike
I see you are off to Sicily! Looking forward to seeing your experiences on Facebook.
Rain is to be embraced. A little down time, a different activity, a less frantic pace. Although we’ll have almost a week of this we’ve had to adjust our expectations. Luckily we are here for 3 1/2 weeks and more good weather lies ahead. The advantages of a long stay!
LikeLike