autumn colour

Loving these autumn days. The light is so lovely and gentle. The grape vine on our back fence has changed into its autumn shades and the leaves are slowly dropping to the ground. Crunchy dry leaves from elm and plane trees are floating down the streets all over town at the moment. So lovely to walk in! A favourite spot to ride my bike at this time of year is the gorgeously autumnal Royal Parade, apparently an old northern stock route in the 1800s. The canopy of leaves is so lovely along there. Such pretty golden yellows.

It's definitely chai weather now. I'm aiming to make this classic French pear tart over the weekend. I made it last year and cannot describe how good and rich and buttery it was.

change

Today is the last day of winter.
This was the sky this afternoon with a storm brewing.

Spring begins from tomorrow.
The wattle trees are in flower everywhere.
Bright yellow-gold, a visual feast.

circles of light

Pockets of northern light, in rows of circles, peeping through the blinds this morning. I love the soft strength of the light in autumn. The days are tinged with a yellow, gentleness not seen in harsh summer sunlight. The mornings are crisp (2 degrees here yesterday morning) but later the sun comes up and warms everything. I love living in Melbourne because we actually have a winter. Many parts of Australia don't. I love the distinctness of moving from summer into autumn and then winter. The fact that we wear different clothes and can rug up. And the cosiness of drinking hot chocolate in cafes and bars with open log fires.

But in just 6 sleeps time, I'll be in the early summer temps of New York City. I find I suffer more from 'season-lag' than I do from jet-lag. It's only something you would know if you live in the southern hemisphere (or if you've been to the southern hemisphere and you live in the northern one). Mid-summer to mid-winter or vice versa is the worst. Three years ago I left Kyoto in early February on a snowy, cold day and 9 hours later landed in Melbourne on a day so hot it reached 44 degrees celsius (111.2 F). The season-lag hit me so badly I thought I was going to melt on the floor.

And what will I do after 6 sleeps when I actually have to use fahrenheit to understand temperature, and the non-metric system for other stuff for 3 weeks? It's going to do my head in. Not to mention knowing how to work our tips. Eeeeeek!