Eight days later, same region, basically the same weather — but with at least a few clouds this time — and more colours. Just eight days made a difference: the yellow patches, everywhere, are no longer exceptions but the rule, and red patches have started to appear too. The temperature has significantly dropped and the overall atmosphere has totally changed.

Eight days ago I wished I could drive up to Col d'Allos, but I was blocked by an unexpected problem: the road had been closed for several hours due to work in progress. Today the road is open and I can realise what I've missed in the past years, when I failed to include this destination in my journeys and lost the seasonal opportunity window.

Wonderful fall colours are not only in the trees foliage, but also on the ground in a symphony of bushes, thorns and dried herbs. They appeared in all their warm brightness after a bend, when the road came out of the wood and climbed at the side of a rock wall under the sun beams.

I could probably have spent the rest of the day in that place, searching for a number of ways to frame the scene, also including the blue sky, fortunately painted with some white clouds; but I had another couple of places to explore behind the pass.

Obviously the late hours of the evening further improve the rendering of this early fall scenery, because of the warmer light and deep shadows.