The Colors of Burgundy

12th century church overlooking the vineyard.

Today is PMN Fam Pics Day and the chosen theme is GREEN. Outdoor lovers as we are, the first thing which came into mind to interprete this month's theme is nature! I have loads of pictures displaying green sceneries of different paysages and I thought, why not show you the colors of Burgundy - the region famous for wine, escargot (snails) and Dijon mustard - where I live.

Dijon is the capital of the Burgundy region. The good thing about living in this town is that, we get the advantage of a city while keeping close distance to nature. After a stressful week, it's so easy to unwind and breath fresh air in the nearby wine country which is Burgundy.

Like most of the hike/stroll areas in France, a walk in this breathtaking decor also starts with the direction sign. The yellow and red stripes signify a trail or circuit which could be completed in several days to discover a region. One sole yellow stripe signifies easy and short hike do-able within a day. Longer and more difficult hikes are designated by white and red stripes which not only trails France, but most of the European countries as well. They normally accompany itinerary hikers on their adventures. More on hiker's direction sign here.

The extraordinary part of doing a leisure hike in this wine country is that you could come across old villages and old churches dating back to the XII century (a wine press in one of the cellars dates back to the Charlemagne days!) and end the day with a wine tasting in one of the hundred wine cellars around the area. A festive ambiance is a guarantee during harvest season around August to September. Wine bottles on a barrel are typical displays outside a wine store or a wine cellar where wine tasters/buyers are of course, welcome.

This GREEN carpet is not forever tho. It only stays from Spring to Summer season. Just before the harvest, these green leaves will slowly turn into red, giving another magical atmosphere in the valley. This announces the coming of Autumn. Photographers - professionals and neophytes alike, gather in this area during this season, not only to witness the harvest, but also to catch this beautiful transformation. But like a superstar who gives in to several encores before leaving the grand scene, these leaves turn into golden yellow before they totally wither and fall - to give way to the Winter season.

Note: Dijon is the capital of Côte d'Or, a province of the Burgundy (Bourgogne) region. Côte d'Or which literally means Golden Coast gets its name from the golden yellow color of the wine valley during Autumn. Or so they say. Imagine a valley of these leaves kissed by the sun's rays - you get captivated while you capture its beauty.