‘Cinnamon glazed apples with a sprinkle of thyme… that’s what September breakfasts are all about’
Last week, my hubby and I took a little trip to the countryside to spend the last days of summer there before the season starts slowly changing to autumn. Blessed with a heat wave, we had the most beautiful weather and therefore spent most of our time outdoors. We went to the sauna by the lake and swam on a daily basis and ate al fresco style, every evening. My parents were still there on summer holiday, so it was lovely to spend time with the family even though it was the first time there without our beloved Bella, which was quite emotional for me. We caught the most glorious sunsets, did some work on the garden and took in the warmth of the early September weather.
One of my favourite moments of the day was having breakfast by the water, just listening to the sound of the gentle waves as they hit the rocks on land. The water level was incredibly low this time, creating the most beautiful stubble shoreline.
There is an old shed and garden at walking distance from our cottage, so I often walk there to pick wildflowers, shoot photographs and this time the apples were blooming in the trees. Bella and I used to walk there most mornings and she would just sit on the side of the road watching what I was doing. I find this place to be the most beautiful during the morning, to catch that soft sensual light and soak in the peacefulness of it all. This morning I picked not only wildflowers but also a few apples that I thought I would caramelize in a bit of butter, thyme and cinnamon to go with some toast. I picked some lingonberries yesterday and mashed them up with a touch of honey that makes a great tangy base for my toast. The sweet apples (that smell heavenly) go on top of this along with a handful of blueberries. With a coffee at hand, I head downstairs to the foot of the pier.
Early September has the most beautiful nature; the sun sets much earlier but it can be really warm or really chilly. Nature has lots of hay-like growth and little by little the trees have a few splashes of yellow on the leaves. I’m still able to throw on an open back maxi and let it glide through the overgrown hay.