When I was in France, I had never pictured myself being able to sit down at a window to simply look at trees. Maybe I was too young and impatient, lacking the maturity to enjoy a beautiful piece of nature.
However living in Japan changed my perspectives and I am now the one feeling sorry for the ones who do not take the time to admire the formidable Nature in Japan, especially when it is so remarkably well displayed: the window becomes part of the view, with the lacquered wood sometimes reflecting vividly the colours of the leaves.
The frame helps you distinguish the different nuances of the autumn colours, while the branches of the maple trees draw a horizontal pattern guiding your eyes from one side to the other like the strokes of a painting brush. When you are lucky, a breeze will will gently shake the fragile leaves, making the weaker ones fall on the ground that becomes a carpet of green, yellow and red.
It’s rare to find new simple pleasures in life but sipping a cup of green tea in a temple in Kyoto while enjoying a nice display of autumn leaves is now amongst the top items of my list.
