Autumn

At L’Indret, the heat has been hiding in the fireplace for weeks. The kitchen smokes the scent of pumpkin, chestnuts, and mushrooms; from behind the windows, you can see the changing landscape, and the restaurant is full of this fleeting life.

Nature retreats to release expansive activity. The green, stifling days of summer gave way to yellows, ochres, reds, and earthy tones. The paths have become carpets of damp fire, and the trees begin to shed their leaves. 

It’s time to gather figs, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, carob, saffron, pomegranates, and quinces, to make jams, roast chestnuts,… At L’Indret we have two special dishes for this season: roasted pumpkin puree and smoked potato with quince aioli. 

We also made chestnut, sweet potato, and panellet desserts for the chestnut celebration, of course, and when we gather, we offer mushrooms, mainly saffron milk caps, which we sauté with garlic, parsley, and lots of love. A nice dinner at our floral restaurant doesn’t sound bad at all, check out our menu! We cook with dedication using local and high-quality products.

Until a few days ago, at dusk, a planet could be seen next to Pedraforca. We spoke with Salvador from the Pedraforca Astronomical Center and he explained that it is Venus. It doesn’t twinkle and is the brightest after the moon. Have you seen it? Other celestial bodies easier to see this season are Jupiter and Saturn at night and Mercury during the day.

Autumn is considered the evening of the year. This is due to the approach of the cold and because the sun wanes until the winter solstice. There’s a change in the landscape from the equinox at the end of September to around All Saints’ Day, November 1st. 

The burst of colors and light of the golden autumn shifts to the cold autumn, bringing us closer to the winter landscape and temperature we all have in mind. We experience a small rebirth with Saint Martin’s summer around November 11, when temperatures tend to rise, as if nature gives us a glimpse of warmth to prepare for the shorter, colder, and darker days of the year. 

In the past, and until the 16th century, autumn was called the “harvest season.” Have you noticed that the full moon shines brighter than in any other season? It was also called the “harvest moon,” as farmers used this extra light to gather their crops. 

You know it, if you want to enjoy the last month or so of autumn, we recommend the hike from Saldes to Gresolet along the coastal path offered by Visit Pedraforca, with the chromatic landscapes of the beech forests and other spots in the area. You can also enjoy cultural activities such as the Maçaners winter festival on November 30 (Saint Serni) or the celebration in Saldes on December 4 in honor of Saint Barbara, patron saint of miners. This year, the Saldes winter festival on November 11 (Saint Martin) was celebrated last weekend.