First signs of autumn in the Dordogne countryside

THERE is a touch of autumn chill in the air when taking the dog out for a walk in the morning.

The local farmer walks past, following an overnight rain shower, most probably on the look out for cèpe mushrooms as he is armed with his wooden walking stick to fold back the bracken hoping to tease out the bun shaped fungus.

Should the cèpe begin to pousse then you can expect to see restaurant owners and village locals head to the halle in Villefranche du Périgord to barter over the price of a kilo of the delicacy.

It is early morning that the sound of chainsaws echoes around the hillsides as small plots of land are cleared, or home owners get ahead of winter by cutting and stacking half metre lengths of oak and chestnut for the fireplace.

The trees themselves are beginning to prepare for cooler weather as they shed their leaves which crunch underfoot and it can only be a matter of days before autumnal colours begin to spread through the forests.

Some trees are ready to give up their treasures with apples already being picked, while the green sharpness of the chestnut cases stand out against the sky as the sunlight stretches across the valley towards the end of the day.

And for me a sign of autumn is the beginning of the new football season, with a friendly match tonight and our first cup game less than a week away.

Comments

[Miss Bougie]

Mmm, lovely choice of words for the season to come.

[J Roger Clifford-Banks]

I wonder if we've had enough rain yet for cepes?

Good luck with the football!

[Craig McGinty]

Glad you enjoyed the piece Miss Bougie, and we won 2-0 Roger :)

[Lynn Ayres]

If the French are getting ready for the winter months as well (getting firewood ready, etc), then it doesn't make me feel too bad that we, here in Canada, are doing the same. Surprised to read though that the leaves are starting to fall and change colour. I always thought that Autumn would come later in France for some reason.