hello, october + a woodland walk

hi friends, i was just reading an article in the local budejovice rag, milk and honey, about the lazy days of summer (it was an old issue!) that got me seriously jonesin’ for summer’s return already. no! not happening!
so i am turning my face away from the hot, everlasting summer of two thousand fifteen that was to the pleasant autumn, recounting all of my favorite autumn things.

first thing that comes to mind: pumpkin everything. along with the ubiquitous (or perhaps here, not so much) pumpkin spice lattes, it means pumpkin soup! pumpkin cookies from my absolute favorite recipe. pumpkin coconut curry.
lighting a pumpkin-scented candle and a bubble bath. reading on the balcony, shrouded in a cozy cape with a mug of sweet apple tea and a stack of books.

burčak season! (fermented wine-like juice that has a high alcohol content and is very popular in the czech republic at this time of year) walking through crunchy leaves and smelling that wood-burning smell in the air. sweet wet maple leaf smell.

cold mornings with sunny afternoons. slouchy dresses, scarves, and knits. boots and socks. finding cash in your pockets when digging out your winter coats for the first time this season. sweaters!

how wonderful it is to travel this time of year! bavaria in autumn (like the photo below from two years ago in passau), krumlov in autumn. drinking steins of lager or mugs of old bohemian ale. sunny cool forest walks with sunlight filtering in through the yellowing tree leaves.

farmer’s markets and the giant gourds that decorate them. walking around with a fresh-pressed juice or coffee and looking at the different wares, like fresh mushrooms from the forest. our october sunday night movie series! we are starting with a hitchcock classic, 39 steps. i will undoubtedly do a post on this series later in the month because it’s such a fun way to enjoy the season and that halloween feeling.

the weather this weekend was pleasant enough just to wear a cape over a t-shirt and go walking in the farm and woodlands south of budejovice, near the villages of boršov nad vltavou. one of the things i most appreciate about living in the czech republic is how no one thinks it’s strange to just go wandering in a forest for awhile!