Rain in Georgia - in Paris and Lisbon

What are the lyrics that Gene Kelley sings in the 1962 musical movie "Singin' in the Rain?"

I'm singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above ...

No, I don't have a glorious feelin' about all the rain we have had in Georgia.  This year the spring was sunny and bright as usual but, starting in late May, the rain came.  Saturday May 18, 2013, was the 175th Anniversary of the Trail of Tears - the starting of the removal of Cherokee Indians from their homeland in Georgia and other states in the South.  This event was celebrated in New Echota State Park, in Calhoun, Georgia, about 47 miles from our home.  In 1825 the Cherokee national legislature had established a capital there called New Echota.  There is a museum, several original and reconstructed buildings.  I'll have a post on all this later.  I'd like to return first to take pictures because that day it was pouring rain most of the time.  We sat huddled under a tent listening to the dignitaries, and several Cherokee elders chanted, also under a tent.  (Click on collage twice to enlarge.)

It seems that was the start of the rain.  It rained almost every day in June, in July (the 4th of July fireworks were rained out here) and in August.  It does not rain all day long, but it does rain sometime during the day or night.  I have collected many umbrellas along the years - I bought some, some were gifts and others were obtained as a bonus for buying an item.  For example I obtained my red Burberry large golf umbrella when I purchased some Burberry eau de toilette years ago.  It is the largest umbrella I have and the one my husband likes to use to go down to the mailbox.  I just saw on eBay that one is for sale as a "rare, vintage" for $300, so we better take good care of ours.

I have another red umbrella, a folding one that was a gift from Avon when I purchased some lotion.  Here it is below with other folding umbrellas.  I decided to open it and, of course, my cat Cody had to come and see why.

In Paris a folding umbrella is a necessity as it rains quite often.  I always had one in my purse going to school, or later going to work.  I did not carry a camera then so I don't have pictures of rainy days in Paris but here are some paintings showing Paris under the rain.  On the right is "Rue de Paris" by Gustave Caillebotte, French (1848-1894) and on the left "Femme au Parapluie" by Louis Anquetin, French (1861-1932.)

The French word for "umbrella" is "parapluie" from the Latin "pluvia" (rain) and the combining form "para" meaning against.  The French actress Catherine Deneuve obtained her first major movie role in the 1963 film "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg."  It was the first French musical, entirely sung.  It became famous worldwide and received several prizes.  This year the city of Cherbourg, in lower Normandy where the film was made, is celebrating the film 50th anniversary.

Colorful umbrellas might encourage one to be cheerful as it can be quite gloomy walking in the rain in New York as shown in Childe Hassam's painting "Rain Storm, Union Square" American (1859-1935.)

or in Paris as shown in Edouard Leon Cortes' painting "Place Vendome in the rain" French (1882-1969.)

Black and white photographs show the somber and dark sides of the rain quite well as in the four vintage photographs below, from well-known photographers.  Top left is Paris 1963 by Andre Kertesz, Hungarian-born American (1894-1985) next to Quai du Louvre by Rene-Jacques, French (1908-2003.)  Bottom left is Rue Muller 1934 by Willy Ronis, French (1910-2009) next to Passants dans la Pluie by Brassai, Hungarian (1899-1984.) (Don't forget to click twice on the photos in the collage to see better.)

The sun makes me happy and the rain, after a while, sad.  Some people are used to rainy weather, such as in Washington State where it rains often.  My blogging friend DJan, whose blog "Djan-ity" I have been following since 2009, goes on weekly hikes with a group, very often under a mist or rain.  She shows beautiful rainy pictures of her walks in the mountains.  Here are several that she let me use - please go to her blog to see many more (click on her blog name above.)

I do not take many pictures in the rain.  This week I took one of the skies toward Atlanta from my doctor's office, on the 5th floor.  Below there were several Canada Geese grazing in the parking lot, which earlier had been flooded.  I also have a picture of a music event that I took earlier, under the rain.

When I went to my doctor I used my large beige Portuguese umbrella.  Several years ago we went to Lisbon, Portugal for a week.  It was raining as we went to visit the famous Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.  I bought an umbrella in the gift shop to use later on our hike to St. George Castle.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is an outstanding museum located on 17 acres of beautifully landscape gardens.  It is one of the largest private collections in the world.  The collection was built during 40 years by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, an Armenian born in Turkey (like my father.)  As a young man Calouste went first to Marseille, France, then to King's College in England where he obtained a top engineering degree at only age 19.  Later he helped found the Turkish Petroleum Company (later Iraq Petroleum Company) and was the first industrialist to exploit Iraqi oil.  He was the person who negotiated the oil concessions from Saudi Arabia to US firms.  His 5% share made him one of the richest men in the world.  He left $70,000,000 and his 6,000 art collection to Lisbon to start a foundation.  He died in Lisbon in 1955, age 86.  His collection includes many masterpieces such as Greek coins and a vase 2400 years old, Japanese prints and European art by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Houdon sculpture and unique pieces by French glass maker Rene Lalique.

Above is a portrait of Calouste Gulbenkian as a young man.  Above him is a painting entitled Quilleboeuf, Mouth of the Seine by Joseph M. W. Turner, British (1775-1851,) top right is Two Women Asleep by John Singer Sargent, American (1856-1925) center is Still Life with Melons, Claude Monet, French (1840-1926) and bottom is Portrait of Madame Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, French (1841-1919.)  Below is a pendant by Rene Lalique, French (1860-1945.)

It stopped raining in Lisbon after our first day then it was easy walking and sightseeing during the rest of our stay.  It would be easy walking on our road too, but so much water is not appealing to me.

Maybe if I used my Paris umbrella, I could imagine that I am walking in the rain in Paris?  I don't think so.

It's better to stay inside and read or watch Mitsuko, my kitten, taking a peek outside from the window sill.  The shade loving plants have done well under the rain  - even though some pots are water logged, and the weeds have grown so tender and green that we get a daily visit from a bunny.

 Insects like to be indoors too I think as I watched a scorpion in my sink this morning when I went to wash my teeth.  My husband picked the scorpion up and placed it on the front porch among all the plants.  The Caladiums have been growing quite well, but my figs are still small and green - usually by now I am making fig jam.

In the back yard, apart from a couple of foliage plants, the flowers have drowned.  You can see below how pretty were the violet Torenia in the spring, and the pot now is full of water - flowers all gone, and not a pretty sight!

As I am writing this, Tuesday evening August 20th, it is still raining.

Since I started with a song, I'll finish with another one.  It is a rainy night in Georgia tonight ... and it sure feels like it's rainin' all over the world!

A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia

Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world

I feel like it's rainin' all over the world ...

- from Brook Benton's song