Think pink
I used to adore walking in the woods in autumn, that earthy, sensual smell of damp leaf mould, the tones that grow warmer as the air grows colder… and of course the fungi in their myriad of colours and shapes. Why am I writing in the past tense? Because for the last decade or so, I’ve lived in a part of Italy determined to leapfrog autumn, going straight from arid dry summers to bitterly cold winters, separated by nothing but a fragmented display of autumn colours towards late October, if the wind doesn’t strip the leaves first.
It does, of course, have its good points, but at this time of year I really miss the fungi hunting that, in milder climes, used to keep me occupied at least until December. But there are consolations, such as the blossoming of one of my iconic flowers, the ivy-leaved cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium), its delicate pink blossoms bursting up through the crunchy leaves and sun-dried moss on the desiccated woodland floor.
And I wasn’t alone in revelling in the glorious autumn sunshine. Not sure about the ID, but possibly the rufous grasshopper (Gomphocerippus rufus).
Adapted from an article first published in The 617 Club.
For my Italian-speaking friends (or anyone wanting to translate into another language), I recommend DeepL translator available clicking here or also as a browser extension for Google Chrome.
Per i miei amici di lingua italiana (o chiunque voglia tradurre in un’altra lingua), consiglio DeepL translator disponibile cliccando qui o anche come estensione per il browser Google Chrome.