Autumn Introduction

Autumn is my favourite season in France. It’s the time when the tourists go home, when the grapes are harvested, and when the villages return to their life of calm and serenity. The French autumn smelt of orange rind left to dry outside the pastry shops, later to be dipped into bitter chocolate. It tasted of chestnuts fried on a fire in a heavy pan.

In South Africa summer still lingers throughout autumn, trying to keep one foot in the year’s door before allowing winter to arrive. But you can taste autumn in the crisp air and see it in the clear, liquid crystal light. The shadows change as we move further from the sun, throwing things into stark relief. The light is more beautiful at this time of year than at any other time. It’s the time when the leaves change and for a few days the vines are painted with electrifying colours. Autumn is a time of relief and reward, a quiet time to enjoy the lingering summer warmth, with clearer light and sharper air.