Autumn Days, White Nights

I love autumn. Don't get me wrong, I like spring and summer well enough and am even rather fond of winter but, when it comes to seasons, I'll take autumn every time. The rich browns, ochres and oranges, the cold nip in the air that makes you catch your breath, the smoky night-time smell of chestnuts being roasted on Marais street-corners. Every bar and café looks that little bit more welcoming on a chilly autumn night, with pools of golden light spilling out from their windows and doors to warm the pavement. Crikey, I hear you cry, Rhino75's gone all weird and started channeling Keats. But fear not, dear reader! (Note suitably olde-worlde poet tone - at no extra cost). It's just that this weekend, I realised my fave season is almost upon us. In no time at all, I'll be lighting candles, mulling wine, whipping up a treacle sponge and making boar-sausage toad-in-the-hole. How good does that sound? Yummm. How likely does that sound? Humm. Anyway, enough anticipation. Saturday was spent window-shopping, drinking beers by the Canal St. Martin, tucking into sticky cakes and mint tea at the Great Mosque of Paris (a little spiritual moment there) and a lot of walking - and laughing - inbetween. And that night was La Nuit Blanche, an annual event in Paris since 2002, when museums, galleries, churches not only keep their doors open until dawn but also display some great art. We ended up sticking pretty close to home but saw some nice stuff - my favourite was the exhibit above (in the church of Notre Dame des Blancs-Manteaux), consisting of candles modelled on famous buildings which gradually melted as the night went on. Maybe it was the churchy smell, maybe it was the candlelight, but when I stood in front of it, I felt like a kid at Christmas. Click on the pic to see some more photos! Today, a late leisurely brunch, more shopping and an evening sprawled on the sofa. Is it really nearly Monday? :(