Today our weather luck well and truly ran out. Light rain was falling when we set off after breakfast, and got steadily heavier as we walked on down the hill. We visited Sao Francisco, as much to escape the rain as from a deep interest in gothic church's or baroque decoration. Ok, more to escape the rain. I visited the crypt, all suitably macabre and sombre, down to the grill in the floor opening into a large chamber piled with scattered human bones. Momento Mori indeed. The interior of the church is right over the top gold and carving, with some altars very reminiscent of dioramas showing Fransiscans being gruesomely martyred. Just the thing to cheer you up on a gloomy rainy day after a visit to the crypt.
It was raining heavily when we left. We headed down to the river, thinking we might get one of the river cruises, but the people huddled under cover on the boats going past looked pretty miserable and the rain was sheeting down, so we sought refuge in a bar looking over the river with a great view of Eiffel's splendid bridge, and we settled in for lunch. A few hours later, the rain seemed to be getting heavier, so we sloshed off up the road back to the hotel, which had turned into a brisk stream by this point.
Of course, about a half an hour after we got back, soaked with sodden shoes, the sky cleared and the rain stopped.
Still, a good opportunity to get organized for heading off to London tomorrow.
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