An old school friend and I met last week after work for a walk in the park. It is beautiful no matter what time of the year, but you only see these fantastic colours now, in September and October:
Yes, it's that time of the year again; I've showed you the pumpkin exhibition last year already. This year, I did not find that much of it worth a picture, but I really liked this display in one corner of the hospitality area:
Sorry for the blurred picture, but the lighting was rather difficult by then. It was almost 6.00 pm, the time when the kiosk and temporary restaurant closes down, and there were hardly any people left. We still got ourselves a tiny bottle of pumpkin sparkling wine each, though, and enjoyed it at this table.
This year's theme for the pumpkin exhibition is Sports, and as I said, there isn't much I thought worth taking a picture of. The alpine ski display was funny, though:
And of course, the world's heaviest pumpkin is on display! It weighs, as you can see, more than 1.000 kg, and is so large I guess two people could comfortably fit inside if it were hollow:
On Sunday, RJ and I went for a long walk (almost 5 hours altogether). We rewarded ourselves for our efforts with a delicious Sunday lunch at a Chinese restaurant. It was served so prettily, with a bird made out of a carrot:
On our way back, we came across this tree which was quite ahead of all the other trees in terms of colours; everywhere else is still more green than yellow, orange, red and brown.
The heron in the field was totally unfazed by people walking by, but I suspect not many saw him, he stood almost perfectly still.
That was my little September Selection - now October has begun, and I already have a back log of three or four book reviews waiting to be written and posted.
Beautiful pictures, and you are right, this is a colourful time of year. That huge pumpkin is both incredible, and scary! I agree with you about September passing quickly, we are hurtling towards Christmas now!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tracey! Indeed, it will be only another 8 or 9 weeks until our Christmas market starts...!
DeleteI enjoy the colors, temperatures and atmosphere this time of year as well. Perhaps it seems to pass quickly because we'd like to hold onto it much longer.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds about right, Christopher, although I know that one of the reasons why September passed so incredibly quickly for me was that, work-wise, I was busier than usual.
DeleteI love all of those pictures and especially the fall colors! So pretty!! And foggy mornings...I am such a fan of those! You'd think here at the coast we'd have a lot of fog (I thought so), but no. Maybe once or twice a year. Our September went by in a flash as well and I am looking forward to fully enjoying October!! Thanks for all your helpful comments on my last few posts! xoxo Silke
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I loved the mysterious air of foggy mornings. Even just walking to school along the very familiar road seemed different, as if anything could wait behind the next corner.
DeleteI love that fierce-looking pumpkin! We have those days which start out with thick mist and then turn out to be beautiful, too - though sometimes, nearby Berwick is enveloped in thick haar all day. We're just far enough inland for out to burn off during the morning - makes me feel quite smug :-)
ReplyDeleteThat huge pumpkin looks fierce alright! If it had been my task to carve that face into it, I would have been scared to ruin it all - and there wouldn't be a second chance, with it there being only ONE heaviest pumpkin in the world.
DeleteThere is every year a competition: Which is the heaviest pumpkin. But this one was not allowed, because it had a small hole in it, only a few cm, and so they gave it free to carve it.
DeleteWonderful photos of my favorite time of year.......(Though when spring comes I will say that is my favorite!) The fall flowers are colors that cannot help but make anyone feel happier for seeing them. And your lunch looks delicious. You say a Chinese restaurant, but I had a feeling some of the meat might have been game. Or maybe it's just the fall colors in the food, too! The bird is lovely. The heaviest pumpkin is very scary! Those teeth. Keep them away from me! ;->
ReplyDeleteI think that about spring every year, too, Kristi!
DeleteThe meat at the Chinese restaurant was duck, chicken, pork and beef, no game. We did not eat the bird but I scolded RJ when he accidentally pushed it over while helping himself to some more meat.
Nice to see your colourful pictures. I agree September passed very quickly. We too had quite a few foggy mornings followed by sunny afternoons.I feel behind with blogging as well as I've been out quite a lot.
ReplyDeleteThat's the best of all reasons for being behind with blogging, Monica!
DeleteA pleasant selection. Ludwigsburg must be a very attractive town.
ReplyDeleteA five hour walk before lunch? When did you get up?
I definitely think so (that Luddie is an attractive town), Friko - but then of course it is my home town, and I am biased.
DeleteThe almost five hours were not before lunch, but the entire walk with a break at lunch time. We did indeed get up a lot earlier on that Sunday than usual, because we had not been out dancing on the Saturday night. We walked to Asperg.
Beautiful pictures! I love the pumpkins, we have lots of them here in Sicily too finally. Just yesterday I made pumpkin gnocchi.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds delicious, Francesca! So far, I have never made anything pumpkin at home, not even the simple soup my sister often makes and has told me how to do it.
DeleteI love these photos from your September! It's so wonderful to see the photo of your blue heron. We have the same bird and I know just what you mean about how still they can be...I saw one recently right next to the new boardwalk at Lake Alexander and it was so very still, it blended in right beside a tree and I almost missed it. Richard got a good photo of it, so you will see it in one of my posts soon!
ReplyDeleteLove that meal that y'all had, it looks so good! Meike, why don't you learn how to cut a carrot like that, and then tell us how to do it, what do you say? :-)
Kay, I don't think I have a special gift for carrot-carving, I much prefer eating them as they are, and if I were to carve anything out of one, I am sure no-one would be able to guess what it is supposed to be :-D
DeleteLooking forward to seeing "your" heron!
Where did September go indeed? I feel like you captured it perfectly, the changing colors of late Summer -early Autumn. My favorite thing about this time of year a misty morning followed by sunshine. Cheers, e
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth!
DeleteYes, I like those misty mornings, too, Today, though, there is no mist, just a LOT of rain. Never mind - gardens and fields need it, and I shall go to the office shortly anyway.
September might be the last month when it is warm enough to sit outside with some sparkling pumpkin drink! I have never heard of this, by the way. I don't think I would like it very much, from the sounds of it, but will look out for it next time I am in Germany and give it a try. The huge pumpkin was rather revolting, although interesting. The skier was most ingenious. Altogether this seems a more interesting pumpkin festival than others I have been to. Not that they have them much in England, I don't know why but pumpkins only seem to feature here at Halloween.
ReplyDeleteThat pumpkin festival was introduced here somewhere around 10-15 years ago, even though this area has no tradition of being particularly "pumpkinish". It was made for tourists, to bring money in, and works its purpose every year. I would not go there if I had to pay admission, but since I have a season's ticket and love the palace grounds, while I'm there anyway I usually take a look at the pumpkins, too.
DeleteNot sure you'll get the pumpkin sparkling wine at a great many places in Germany; it is sweet and fruity and reminds me more of apricots than of pumpkin, really.
Your post has just sent me on a 30 minute (or perhaps more) tour around the map looking out places we went to in Bayern and it's environs. That started because I remember that we went to a Pumpkinfest one year (as well as several beerfests!) and I was wondering where it was. Apart from that my comment would have been very similar to Jenny's when it came to the sparkling pumpkin wine (not to my taste), the giant pumpkin (yuck) and the skier (great). I love the colours of autumn but there is also a quality of light that I find very attractive and which is reflected in your pictures.
ReplyDeleteAnd, did you manage to find out where in Bayern the Kürbisfest you went to was?
DeleteYes, autumn colours and light are something very special. I am glad I managed to capture a bit of that with my camera.
Because i was out of town, i missed this post! It's so good that Georgia Girl pointed it out, and i'm glad i took a moment to look!
ReplyDeleteThank you for looking, and I am glad you liked this one :-)
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