When late autumn sweeps across the Bay Area, the atmospheric change is immediate. The cool evening fog rolls over the Santa Cruz Mountains,
dusk arrives earlier in Palo Alto and San Jose, and the urge to step outside gives way to the sanctuary of home.
In France, this seasonal retreat has its own modern name: le cocooning.
There is an open secret among seasoned travelers: summer in France is vibrant, but autumn is magnificent.
By early October, the intense heatwaves and bustling peak-season tourist crowds have dissipated. Transatlantic airfare levels off, train
cars grow peacefully quiet, and the countryside undergoes a breathtaking transformation. From the northern river banks to the southern
limestone valleys, the landscapes of l'Hexagone ignite into shades of amber, burnt sienna, and brilliant gold.
When October settles over the valleys of France, the air turns fragrant with crushed skins, damp soil, and wood smoke. In Bordeaux, the
Côte-d'Or of Burgundy, and the sun-soaked terraces of the Rhône, tranquil hillside rows erupt into concentrated, rhythmic activity.
This is les vendanges: the annual grape harvest.
