Chasing Autumn
Have I made autumn my whole personality?
Hi Friends,
Currently, I am still in Portland, Oregon and the weather has taken a delightful turn towards autumn with temperatures falling into the high 60’s and low 70’s and overcast skies. Sigh. I love it.
Have I made autumn my whole personality?
Maybe.
I adore autumn. I am an autumn baby, born in October, and was brought up in one of the preeminent regions of serious spectacular autumn: the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. I have so many memories of apple picking (at Bartlett’s Apples), hay rides, bonfires, the neighborhood kids raking huge piles of leaves, and us all promptly jumping into them over and over again. Crisp, sunny days where we would shed layers as we went and watch as the day turned into the night being able to see our breath as the season progressed.
Even when I left Massachusetts for Arizona in 1996, where I would live in Tucson for 10 years, I adored autumn in the desert. If it was still too warm by October, I could quickly go to the mountains (about a 30-minute drive) for much cooler temps, leaf-peeping, and dense forest. But Tucson in autumn (October and November) is something pretty special and I highly recommend it.
When I moved to Oregon in 2007, it gave me a happy medium between Massachusetts and Arizona - seasons but not the blistering cold and never-ending winter of the Berkshires and not the heat of a desert summer (even though now? It’s hotter than ever but that’s a different topic).
Heading out into the world to chase autumn…
The last few years have seen me leaving the country in October but this year I decided I wanted to chase autumn earlier and am delighted to be leaving next week. I am SO excited.
My first stop will be:
Edinburgh, Scotland
Earlier this year I was able to take an unplanned trip to Edinburgh, my first time, from mid-January through March and I fell in LOVE. And if I loved it in winter then I thought I would really love it in fall. I was a bit worried when I started working on my accommodations because Edinburgh is having a bit of a weird time with their city council trying to shut down a lot of self-catering apartments and Airbnb’s in favor of more hotels. This is BIZARRE to me because I stay for at least a month and I would never (never) stay in a hotel. If I can’t rent an apartment I will be forced to go somewhere else. I think this is the same for a lot of long-term travelers and the lack of critical thinking of the local government is perplexing. But that whole issue is currently still up in the air and I was able to secure a lovely apartment in my preferred neighborhood, Stockbridge, for 5 weeks.
I really loved everything I discovered while I was there in the winter, which included many delicious meals, long walks around the city, and a private road tour, with many incredible stops, to the Highlands.
I have a long list of places I want to visit, a few Airbnb Experiences booked (ghost tours! Whiskey!), friends that I made that I cannot wait to see again [check out this post], and many restaurants to eat at. I will be revisiting my favorite spots like Spry Wines, Ante Coffee, the Botanical Gardens, TREEN, J.Mellis, and of course Dishoom Edinburgh.
On this visit, I also plan to visit my dear friends at Carfrae Farms in East Lothian, where I spent the most dreamy long weekend at their cottages and explored the village, met the most incredible Cheese Lady who toured me through her larder and made daily visits to these hooligans below.
I’m stalking the weather in Scotland and they are having a little heat wave this week but will be back in the high 50’s, low 60’s by my arrival and I’m swooning.
Bring on the crisp mornings, evenings of jackets, some whiskey to warm me, and the smell of fires burning in the grates.
Exciting plans - the future of Pied Á Terre Life
This summer I have been working on plans for expansion here on the substack with weekly updates on my locations - apartment, and neighborhood tours - places on my wishlists - experiences - interviews with locals, and more! I am very excited to be sharing more “in real time” content and connecting with my readers to find out what they want to know about all of the above.
I will be doing more video on my Instagram, which is my only social media account, and you can find me there @michele_boyer_m
Continuing to chase autumn (and winter)
My travel plans immediately following Edinburgh include Italy (of course) and I am excited to share that I will be exploring a whole new region, revisiting forever favorites and taking you along with me, this winter. I am so, so thrilled to be diving in and will be sharing all the good, kooky, challenging, and wonderful places and experiences to inspire your travels and explorations.
Stay tuned!
Thanks, as always, for being here and reading and sharing.
Please let me know if you have anything you would love to see me share here or have some great intel to pass on. I would love to hear from you.