Monday 10 June 2013

Rainy Amboise France

While we have had some wonderful summer like weather in the UK, Europe on the other hand has experienced some serious rainfall. Typically sods law meant we booked our trip right in the middle of this and had rain on every day bar one. It did not prevent us from getting in plenty of walking, but our planned canoeing on the Dordogne and Vezere rivers was definitely out of the question.

Photography wise it was simply a case of making the best of it. In the small town Amboise on the way back to the UK we got another soaking when a thunderstorm hit one evening. We did our best to shelter from the downpour, but when I spotted this battered old Citroen 2CV driving up the street I could not resist trying to grab a few shots. Standing in the middle of the road I only managed to rattle off four shots before a car came up behind me and I had to get out of the way. Perhaps it was just as well because the rain got into the camera and some of the buttons on the back stopped working. Fortunately it recovered after drying out. It would have been great to have grabbed a few more shots as it got closer but by the time the traffic had passed it had gone.


06D-8044 French Street Scene. Classic Citroen 2CV Driving Along a Street in the Pouring Rain in the Town of Ambroise Indre et Loire France
Citroen 2CV's classically French

Later as the storm cleared I grabbed a few night shots of the Chateau and the swollen Loire River.


06D-8082 The Chateau and Lights of the Village Amboise Across the Loire River at Night, Indre et Loire Region of France
The Chateau Amboise, across a swollen Loire river, Indre et Loire Region of France



06D-8084 Pont Leclerc with the Church of St Florentin Behind Viewed Across the Loire River at Night Amboise Indre et Loire France
Pont Leclerc with the Church of St Florentin Behind, Viewed Across the Loire River, Amboise Indre et Loire France


Text and Images Copyright David Forster/www.bluestoneimages.com

4 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about the disappointing weather. Stunning photos however. I especially like the one taken in the downpour - very evocative. My camera often stays firmly in my bag when the weather is poor, I keep resolving to make more of an effort. Next time, hopefully, I'll remember this shot and at least try!

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    1. The downpour was one of my favourite images from the trip. It is definitely worth getting the camera out when the weather is bad. That street was full of folk with cameras when the downpour started, but they were all sat in bars when the light got interesting. Good luck in getting some bad weather pics - be prepared for some funny looks when people see you out and about when they are sheltering though.

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  2. Excellent images, David. Shame about the weather, but at least thunderstorms in France can we warm and quite pleasant – and a little scary at times, if I remember correctly.
    Cheers, Alen

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    1. Good point about the thunderstorms being quite warm - not sure about pleasant though, but I know what you mean. Mind you I am a bit of a wimp having had a couple of scary experiences on climbs in the Alps in my younger days. I don't mind them when I am sat at home or in my campervan though. Quite exiting really

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