The smell of roasting chestnuts filled the air in Zurich today, the first sign than autumn is with us. This was coupled with the yearly spectacle offered by nature – brown leaves slowly falling to the ground. My return to work after a week’s absence couldn’t have been more soothing. Even the drizzle and grey skies contributed their part in making a perfect October morning.
I therefore thought I’d use my lunch hour to go out and enjoy the feeling of autumn, but something strange happened. Clear blue skies replaced the drizzle and clouds, people were wearing t-shirts, the smell of roasted chestnuts was gone, and even the leaves had disappeared. Where have the damn leaves gone, I asked myself? Then I realised that the Swiss efficiency in cleaning roads had struck again. It seemed as though an army of mechanical street sweepers had taken Bahnhofstrasse by storm – anything but literally, of course.
Disappointed, I returned to work in the knowledge that soon, very soon, the streets will be covered by a thin blanket of snow, the smell of roasted chestnuts will be fighting against mulled wine for our nostrils’ attention, the jingles of Christmas will caress our ears and everything will be postcard perfect again. Time to bring out my faithful old (warm) jacket.