Fall was late this year in Ottawa. The leaves were just starting to turn red, yellow and orange right before I left—I caught a glimpse of the 2024 colours when the plane took off and the city disappeared, giving way to vast expanses of forest land.

We got the northern lights this fall, for a change. Mother Nature can’t deliver it all at once.

There was no sign of fall in Paris when I landed, except for the fact the pilot had announced that the weather was “humid.” When I stepped out of the airport, I realized it was an Air France euphemism for “pouring rain”.

It cleared up when the sun rose and once on the train for Nantes, I realized my Eastern Canada fall colours were apparently touring solo in France.

Usually, Fall isn’t a season worth mentioning in Nantes. Spring is lovely, unlike in Canada, but fall is wet and rather depressing. The leaves don’t change colours—they rot and fall or maybe it’s the other way around. Anyway, the result is slippery sidewalks and a thick brown, gooey mess all over the city. It’s not exactly picturesque and not exactly inspiring.

Well, this year, the leaves are subtly changing colours and the late-afternoon light is gorgeous.

So I’m taking pictures of the “Canadian” fall rhapsody… in France.