When Autumn Turns to Gold

 

The month of November this year is one of the most beautiful I have ever known!

The temperatures have been milder than most other years

and the leaves are lasting longer.

This particular vision of sunlit leaves took my breath away!

These two images are the wonderful colours in a Tulip Tree.

I love their easy to recognize shapes.

Two burnished leaves connect against the blue of the sky.

Every autumn, I look forward to visiting one of the city parks, the one nearest to me,

to see the Ginkgo biloba Tree turn golden.

It's also know as the Maiden Hair Tree.

A golden carpet of fallen leaves forms as the wind brings them down to the ground.

 I was lucky enough to see them fall when I was standing there.

Children were playing in the leaves and the air was full of laughter!

Aren't they just beautiful?

Their fan-shape is so special.

I took a few to put them in my flower-press

A branch hangs down against the deep blue sky.

Look how next spring's buds have already formed...

Taking a closer look to see the sky behind the openings and the beautiful structure of the leaf.

I have to include the pond

The lighting was beautiful in the late afternoon.

There's a bench by that pond - and I've sometimes taken a picnic

and a book to read to sit right here!

A collage of my favourite leaves and autumn hues.

Right at the end of this month, I'll be posting the last leaves of November

I still find them in protected places

shining in the sunlight like golden jewels!

More Walks Through Autumn

 

Autumn has been so beautiful this year, partly due to sunny days

which has allowed the beautiful leaves to linger.

I love this red maple in my neighbourhood.

One late afternoon, I took my little pumpkins on a walk and 

put them on the fallen leaves by the roots of a very big Beech Tree.

Beech tree leaves turn the most lovely colours in the autumn.

One of the benches down at the Mon Repos Park in Lausanne

before the gardeners clear away all the fallen leaves.

Let's have some blue sky and golden Tulip Tree leaves illuminated by the sunshine!

American Oak Leaves generous in size and pleasing in shape and colour

They look as lovely on the ground after the rain.

The colourful flowerbeds with chysanthemums are just starting to open.

The dark red ones are lovely too

But these are my favourites nestled in the fallen leaves.

The big Ginkgo Tree is turning golden

More fallen leaves catching the light

Another shot of the Tulip Tree with the leaves taking on a burnished look.

I love all the shapes and different shades of the Tulip Tree leaves as they mature.

Newly planted urns in the park. The flowers are only beginning to open.

Before we leave, let's walk down the alley of tall Beech Trees.

There will be more autumn colours to come,

but for today, I've enjoyed walking here with you!

The Vibrant Colours of Autumn

 

Not long ago, the leaves started to change from green to 

hues of gold and orange.

Some leaves turn pink and then red

Just walking in my neighbourhood, I can enjoy the daily changes.

Bright and shiny in the sunlight

Beautifully shaped.

Falling leaves get caught in branches and enjoy the sunshine

before falling down to the ground.

I love to walk down to the big Mon Repos Park in Lausanne

and it only takes between fifteen to twenty minutes from my home.

It's my way of getting into nature despite my town environment.

I love the colourful leaves of the oak and to see the ripening acorns.

The pond is always beautiful to contemplate and there are still some lily-pads.

The blue sky and trees are reflected in the water.

The big American Oak leaves have already taken on a burnished look.

Acer leaves in vibrant red brighten up darker corners.

Another fallen leaf, resting in an evergreen tree, backlit by the late afternoon sunshine.

The Chrysanthemums are filling out the flower beds.

I particularly liked this colour which blended so well with the colour of the fallen leaves.

The leaves from my strawberry plants have changed colour.

I have had a really good crop of fruit this year!

The Beech leaves are among my favourites against the soft dappled background.

I have taken so many photos this autumn

 that it would make this blog entry far too long to add them all here, 

so I'll make several entries during this month of November to include the most beautiful ones.

We are now in our second wave of Covid-19,

we are told to be very careful and follow strict hygiene rules.

Restaurants and cafés have closed,

but shops have remained open.

It's best to avoid crowds and enclosed spaces and to wear a medical mask.

One day, we shall be free of all these strict rules,

but in the meantime, we find joy in the wonders of nature.

I hope that you are well.

Take care!

Gateway to the Vineyards

In September it was decided to have a mini stay in the vineyards.

The weather forecast was excellent and it was easy to take a couple of short train rides

to return to the lakeside village of Chexbres in the canton of Vaud.

Two nights in the vineyards was sheer bliss.

The daily walks along small paths with no traffic was ideal.

The views over the lake and mountains were a constant joy.

The village below is called Rivaz.

The temperatures were still very warm and sunhats and bottles of water

were always with us.

This is the Hotel Prealpina where we stayed.

It's perched high above the vineyards and has wonderful views over the lake and mountains,

but it was quite a trek to get up there on foot from the village below.

It took us about thirty minutes pulling our suitcases uphill from the train station!

This was the sideview of the surrounding mountains.

From left to right, these are called La Dent de Jaman and Les Rochers de Naye.

These were the colours of the same mountain range very early in the morning before sunrise.

This is a wider view of the faraway mountains leading to the Valais

and the end of the lake.

I took this from my hotel room just as the sun was hitting the tips of the mountains

at 7:33 a.m.

Here comes the sun from behind the hill in the foreground

After breakfast, we walked down to the small Chexbres Tourist Office near the station.

I love the flower decorated window.

A beautiful hanging basket hanging from the roof covering the village fountain.

We walked down through the village to the vineyards below to start our first walk of the day

I rather liked this palm tree jutting out above the view on the lake 

looking towards the town of Geneva at the other end.

It sometimes seems that the vineyards lead right to the edge of the lake,

but below these vines are many others

and they go down in layers right down to the lake's edge.

Way below the vineyards, I zoomed in on a passing steamboat full of happy, waving passengers!

This is my favourite boat of the fleet called La Suisse.

A few weeks later, we were able to take a sunset cruise on this boat.

I liked the winding trail left in the water where the steamboat had passed by

We decided that it time for lunch and knew a restaurant that we'd been to in the past,

but first of all, we stopped off at a terrace, called the Deck, for a sparkling water

overlooking the fabulous view.

This is the terrace of a hotel where it would be nice to stay another time!

Here is the hotel called Le Baron Tavernier.

A pretty archway, with climbing roses, leads us to an sheltered area with a bench to sit

and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the view.

Up through the village again, past this lovely chalet and to enjoy

our books from the peace of our hotel surroundings before having dinner.

The sunset created pink hues on the mountain tips and in the sky.

This view is from the hotel restaurant.

Most of the light has gone now, but the surface of the lake and the mountain tips

look so lovely at the end of the day.

This is the last scene of our first day in the vineyards.