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L’autunno è arrivato (Autumn has arrived)!

Although the official date for Autumn is 22nd September, throughout Italy il tempo (the weather) is now starting to get really autumnal. The days are crisp with blue skies and the evenings are really cool. In a few weeks in the North of Italy the famous nebbia (fog) will start to creep in, whilst in the South people will be taking the last dip of the season.

One place you’ll really notice Autumn is at the supermarket. Summer fruits have been replaced by uva (grapes), cacchi (persimmon), and melograno (pomegranite). Autumn verdura (vegetables) include porcini (a type of tasty mushroom), zucca (pumpkin) and carciofi (artichokes).
Also for sale at the supermarket in this period are decorated storage boxes designed for putting away your summer clothes until June. Italians have a tradition of completely changing their guardaroba (wardrobe) for il cambio di stagione (the change of season). A great excuse to go shopping….!

The cambio di stagione brings bad news too. Doctors surgeries are usually full as Italians fall foul of the sbalzi di temperatura (temperature swings) prevalent at this time of year.

Outside, as in other countries, you notice the change in the alberi (trees) as foglie (leaves) turn from verde (green) to rosso (red), arancione (orange) and marrone (brown). The beauty of this season impels people to pull on their stivali (boots) and sciarpa (scarf) and go castagne (chestnut) picking in the colline (hills).