The Rain In Spain

Another rainy day in Spain — and yes, the rain was falling not just on the plains this time, but absolutely everywhere. Especially in Toledo, where the skyline is crowned by the formidable Alcázar of Toledo. If I’m being honest, the Alcázar was the main reason I made the trip. I didn’t know much about its history beforehand — only that it looked imposing, dramatic, and photographically irresistible. Sometimes that’s reason enough.

Perched high above the city, the Alcázar dominates the Toledo skyline. From almost every angle, its square towers rise above the tangle of medieval streets below. It now houses the Army Museum, which, while extensive, proved a little difficult to fully appreciate as a tourist without deeper context. But for me, the real draw was always the architecture — that fortress-like silhouette watching over the city.

Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas. Grey skies flattened the light, muting the warm stone tones that make Toledo glow on a good day. Instead of golden Spanish warmth, everything felt cold, subdued, almost monochrome. The Alcázar, which must look magnificent under blue skies, felt stern and brooding beneath the low cloud. Dramatic, yes — but not quite in the way I’d hoped.

Still, travel photography is often about working with what you’re given. And just when the day felt entirely washed out, I stumbled across a welcome splash of colour: umbrellas lining a narrow alleyway. Bright reds, yellows, and greens punctured the otherwise muted palette of stone and rain. They brought life back into the frame.

That said, there were perhaps a few too many blue and black brollies for my liking — practical, yes, but not exactly vibrant. I suspect the owners didn’t realise they were about to become the subjects of a photograph. Had they known, maybe we’d have seen a few more daring colour choices.

Even so, in a city steeped in history like Toledo, even a rainy day has its moments — you just have to look a little harder to find them.