El Bahdja Under a Weeping Sky: A Rainy Day Story in Algiers
Algiers, the radiant "El Bahdja," the joyful city, typically gleams white and bright under the abundant Mediterranean sun, its buildings cascading down the hillsides like a waterfall of plaster and tile towards the azure sea. But this Wednesday, May 14th, Algiers awoke to a different kind of beauty, a more introspective and atmospheric charm, as the sky opened up and draped the city in a persistent veil of rain. The air was thick with moisture, carrying the clean, earthy scent of wet pavement and the ever-present, underlying aroma of the sea, now mingled with the freshness of the falling water. In these early morning hours, the city began its daily rituals not with the sharp, defined edges of bright sunlight, but with the softened contours that rain imparts. The temperature was mild, resting between 14°C and 16°C (57-61°F), a comfortable coolness that the high humidity made feel just a touch warmer, perhaps closer to 15-17°C (59-63°F). This wasn't a biting cold rain, but...