Experience the "golden autumn" in the land of birch trees

"Golden autumn" in the land of birch.

Russia's "fallen summer"

For nearly 8 years in Russia, almost every autumn I feel lucky to enjoy the beautiful moments of this country. I prefer to call this season in Russia by the name “Falling Summer” rather than autumn. The phrase “Falling Summer” originated from the poet Bang Viet when he translated the poem “Babe Leto” by the famous poetess Olga Berggolts. “Babe Leto” (Summer of the Ladies) describes that beautiful golden autumn like the gentle beauty of a woman in her prime.

Olga Berggolts described “Summer Fall” with these gentle words: “There is a season in the magical light - The sunlight is soft, the sky is not dazzling”. Summer Fall usually lasts for a period of one to two weeks and makes people cherish it very much, before entering the long cold winter.

In those days, the whole city of Moscow seemed to light up in a myriad of red and yellow colors. I loved going to school early to see the snow still on the leaves, sparkling in the morning sun. The yellow and red leaves were like a thousand flowers blooming on the trees.

In the afternoon, in the forests of the parks around the capital Moscow, we will hear the rustling of leaves under our footsteps. There are afternoons sitting quietly listening to the guitar sounds of a young man in the golden forest on the banks of the Moskva River, we immerse ourselves in the beautiful picture of nature here.

Autumn in the Russian forest.

On short trips to the suburbs of the capital, we followed small, tree-lined roads, admiring the pretty houses with the brown color of wood and soil, the yellow and red of leaves, and the blue of the sky in the golden sunlight of autumn.

Wild Siberia

Autumn in Siberia brings the wild and vast beauty of nature. After a 6-hour flight from Moscow, I arrived in Irkutsk and was almost overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery of the vast and colorful taiga forests that appeared before my eyes.

Listvyanka village welcomed me with bright yellow sunshine. This is a small fishing village located peacefully on Lake Baikal, the source of the Angara River – the only river flowing from the deepest freshwater lake in the world .

The moment I saw the “Pearl of Siberia” in the bright autumn afternoon was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. The cable car took me to the Cherskogo Rock observation deck to see Lake Baikal and the Angara River from the top of the mountain.

I was stunned by the beauty that was spreading before my eyes. The taiga forest was changing leaves so the colors were a mix of green, yellow and red, in the distance was where the sky and water met. The scene was both gentle, peaceful and majestic.

On the observation deck, colorful fabric ribbons flutter in the wind, adding to the beauty of this natural masterpiece. This is a custom of the Buryat Shamanists, who hang fabric ribbons to show their respect and send prayers to the deceased.

By the lake in the forest in autumn.

As the afternoon gradually fell, I went to the small Baikal market located by the lake to enjoy smoked omul fish. This Baikal white fish dish was a Russian friend told me I must eat when I come to Listvyanka.

After finishing my meal, I bought another one to go to the sandbank, enjoying it while watching the sunset over the lake. At this moment, I understood why the autumn afternoon on Lake Baikal could captivate the hearts of so many people who set foot here.

Wanting to experience the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway, I decided to take the train from Irkutsk to Ulan-Ude. That was the stretch of road where I could see Lake Baikal and the Siberian taiga through the train window.

Looking at the vast forests out there, I understood why people call Siberia “the green lungs of the Earth”. Occasionally, the train passed small villages at the foot of the mountains, and I saw herds of cows and horses leisurely grazing in the afternoon light, my heart was filled with a sense of peace.

On that train journey east, I arrived in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic. This is a place quite different from other cities in Russia in that the majority of the local population is Buddhist, while in other places it is Orthodox. It is also a famous pilgrimage site for Buddhists.

For me, the golden autumn of Russia - the brilliant "fallen summer" - is also a season that reminds me to live in the present, to cherish every moment of life flowing through me. When enjoying the wonderful beauty of nature before my eyes, I know that I have loved Russia since long ago.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/trai-nghiem-mua-thu-vang-o-xu-so-bach-duong-3144021.html