Each season has its charm but if I had to choose my favourite, Autumn would be my pick.

Its yellow, orange, and crimson hues delight my eyes and make my heart feel wrapped in a warm embrace.

In Valtellina, the valley where my father was born, the red deer is at home.
The mating season for this imposing creature begins in mid-September. The stags bellow to attract the females which roam the woodlands all year around in small groups of 15/20 individuals.

The warriors clash, rattle and twist their majestic antlers ; they push and try to intimidate their opponent with their strength and grunts.The winner gets the harem and the right to father next year's offspring.

The land is particularly generous in Autumn: it's time for the grape harvest.
Thick, purple scented clusters are ready to be picked by hand just like in the past; modern machinery can not reach the stone terraces that cling to the rocky alpine slopes on which the vines grow.
It's a demanding job but the final product, some of the finest wines of the country, makes all the hardships worthwhile.

I cherish my solitary walks in the woods. There is a gurgling stream whose clear waters gush down from the nearby mountain tops. I search for chestnuts to roast and precious clumps of porcini to make rich , creamy risotti.

The mornings are misty and the sun becomes shyer by the day. The brisk wind makes the leaves swirl and dance, and the first tears of rain, drop from a leaden sky.

To ward off the dampness, I light the fireplace ; I start also to retrieve my jumpers, flannel pyjamas, and bed socks packed neatly away in boxes, last Spring.

It's time to cook those hearty alpine specialties like la polenta . Corn flour boiled in a copper pot on an open fire ( if possible) ...a knob of butter and a chunk of strong-tasting cheese, like gorgonzola, are added before the steaming amalgamation is poured onto a wooden plank. Pork sausages, meatball with ragu, or game like wild boar or deer are ideal to eat with polenta.

Pizzoccheri is another peasant dish worthy of mention made with potatoes, swiss chards, cabbage or spinach, and the main ingredient: buckwheat pasta.

Once boiled and drained, sizzling brown butter and parmigiana cheese are added and brought to a golden crisp in the oven making this the queen dish of Valtellina.

I'm excited ..Summer is over , the swallows have left for Africa in search of warmer clime and I'm looking forward to Autumn 's colours, sounds, smells, and tastes.