To autumn and to birthdays

Autumn is my favourite season. I love it for its colours and the way that it smells. There is nothing more beautiful than low golden sunlight dappled through rusty leaves together with the lush freshness of damp earth. It probably comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that I am an October baby.

Celebrating a birthday at the end of October means you will always be greeted with a surprise as far as the weather is concerned. Two years ago, it was 20 degrees centigrade (that's hot here) and I floated around town in a flower-print summer dress. Three years ago, I watched the first snow of the winter fall on Birmingham's rooftops, almost scuppering my evening get-together plans as the roads jammed with unforeseen ice.

Even last year it seems I wasn't immune to the unpredictability of my birthday's seasonal backdrop. While spring was advancing through Chile, 28th October 2010 saw snow fall in Santiago city - making it one of those days that all Santiaguinos remember. And for Carlos and I, it made for absolutely unforgettable scenery as we watched our first sunset over the Andes, completed with snow and without pollution.

Well today is again my day. Good fortune meant that I woke up to a classic October scene - crisply cold but with clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Rising early, I indulged in reading a short story from Haruki Murakami; it seemed fitting that the only book of his I could find in the library this week, having been recommended the author (for a second time), was his anthology of Birthday Stories.

The childlike delight of unwrapping presents followed of course, along with re-discovering that modern technology's best feature by far is its ability to connect people. One giant digital hug has reached me from South America (and a couple of other parts of the globe), that is as reassuring and blessed as the embrace that stretched out from the UK one year ago, which propelled me on through homesickness and anxiety.

So here's to autumn and to birthdays, for their reminder that for every harsh winter that comes, there are mellow moments of slow-burning gloriousness.

Late summer blooms

At the end of September, the UK was treated to what the weather forecasters call an Indian summer - a delightful week of clear blue skies and hot sunshine of the type that rarely appears in summer in this country, but that does like to surprise us at more unusual times.

For us, this bout of good weather coincided with a visit from Carlos' extended family from Spain - giving them, I fear, a somewhat rosied perception of a British autumn. But never mind. It meant that we got to do some sightseeing with a proper holiday backdrop.

Amid a week of firsts for me - and the discovery that Birmingham and its surroundings have some cracking good places to visit (hence starting the new blog) - one of the stand out places was Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Despite having been several times in the past, albeit mainly for drunken university balls, I'd never had the opportunity for a proper look round. And how I had missed out.

On an absolutely glorious day, the expansive gardens were at their best - the first autumn leaves shining brilliant red and gold in the sun while the last of the summer blooms blazed. We started with the glasshouses, moving from the oppressive heat of the tropical and sub-tropical rooms, through to the truly zen-like tranquillity of the Japanese garden and national bonsai collection. Back inside, the Mediterranean greenhouse unsurprisingly captured the imagination of our Iberian guests, packed as it was with stunning colours.

We were slightly disappointed to find the succulent room out of bounds due to maintenance, but we were at least treated to some magnificent specimens of giant cacti outside on the terrace.

The next couple of hours were simply spent meandering through the extensive grounds, which are pocketed with different styles of gardening and flora. A sumptuous day; if you have a spare afternoon and a patch of sunshine, I'd highly recommend grabbing a picnic and taking a stroll around Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens are on Westbourne Road, Edgbaston. Easily reached on any bus leaving the city centre from Colmore Row towards Harborne - at the time of writing that's the numbers 10, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 29.

New beginnings

Just six weeks ago I stood on the other side of the world, breathing in South American air against a backdrop of the majestic snow-capped Andes. Back in Britain, those Chilean Adventures begin to feel like a distant dream. Time plays tricks on me as the before and after of my life in Birmingham begin to fuse together and seal over the magic bubble that was my year in Chile.

It almost seems unreal, but flicking through the pages of my Chilean Adventures is like pinching myself, reminding me that it's these eyes that were lucky enough to witness all those spectacular sights.

But the time has come for new beginnings, and I find myself looking at a familiar world with fresh eyes. I discover that in ten years of making Birmingham my home, there are so many corners of the city I have never explored. So it's time for a new blog and to treat my native land as I did my adopted home of Chile - with just one chance to see as much of it as possible.