Autumn's Golden Touch

Nestled in the heart of Berlin is the 520 acres of Tiergarten. Originally founded as a hunting ground in 1527, the park has seen itself rise and fall before becoming the enchanting place that it is today. The park itself is divided into several sections due to the roads which run through it. At the heart of those roads is the Victory Column, a 67 metre high column commemorating victory in the Prussian-Danish war. The column is topped with a viewing platform and a bronze sculpture of Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.

Despite the constant flow of traffic, there is a peace and serenity to the large park. Numerous ponds dot the park as do memorials and monuments to times which must be remembered. Bridges span the ponds and paths wind through the trees.

With the leaves turning red and gold, Autumn has well and truly set in. You step off of Tiergartenstraße and into the welcoming embrace of the trees. Their canopies close over you, taking you from the concrete world and transporting you into one that is filled with nature. Leaves crunch beneath your feet and you breath in the scent of a world that's falling asleep.

Autumn has a scent all of its own. Dewy in the mornings followed by a deep mossy scent that pervades from the depths of the earth. Fallen branches become homes to mushrooms while fallen leaves become playgrounds for children. Nature's own firework display is a joy to see and a pleasure to travel through. Knowing that it happens every year brings pleasure to those who love the season and is a promise that the world will come back to life once winter has passed through.

White signs written in the Fraktur font mark the name of each pathway. Wrought iron benches with rolled backs line keep watch like sentries and give you the opportunity to sit and rest.

Which is exactly what you decide to do. You relax onto the cool seat and take in the world around you. There are very few people around leaving you to enjoy the park in peace. Trees are gathered around you with their branches arched above your head. Leaves that had once been green are now gold and red and ready to become one with the earth.

You breathe in the cooling air, grateful that the harshness of summer has finally slipped away and that the chillier evenings are finally upon you. Through the trees you can just see the sun making its way down to the horizon, its rays painting the sky with magnificent washes of gold and and purple. The clouds catch the last few hours of the sun and have soaked up the brilliant colours. The world has become a work of art with colours beyond your wildest imagination. You never thought that you would see such a sight, especially in the heart of a city.

A breeze nips at your fingers and you push your hands into the pocket of your coat. Leaves have gathered beneath the bench and you idly push at them with your feet. They catch the gentle wind and spiral out onto the path. Even the path is barely visible beneath the ever growing autumnal carpet.

The evenings may be cool but the days are gloriously warm. During those hours, the sun gives a golden hue to the world. Everywhere feels as though it has the same atmosphere as an aged photograph. For a few weeks, at least, the world feels perfect.

You finally decide to keep walking. Leaves flurry before you as you catch them with the toes of your boots and the nip in the air brings colour to your cheeks. You step onto a small bridge. The wood creaks beneath your feet and you pause to lean on the railings and look at the water below.

The water is mostly still with only the occasional bubble popping to the surface or ripples as fish move around. Golden leaves dot the surface, dancing from one spot to another. From above, a handful depart the branches and rain down onto the water. A few are caught in the breeze and join the drifts of leaves that are piling up against the trunks of trees.

The sun is sinking ever lower and, with it, the temperature drops a little more. You hunker down into your coat as you step off the path and into the trees. Twigs snap beneath your feet and you can hear the rustle of small animals burrowing their way through the undergrowth. Ferns and moss-covered boulders line a path that was created not by stone and cement but by the inquisitive. Canopies of leaves block the sky and leave only slivers to be spied through the sections that are bare. Beneath Mother Nature's skyscrapers you feel tiny and almost insignificant.

Despite that, you couldn't think of a more beautiful place to be at such a stunning time of the year. You feel blessed to be witnessing autumn in all of its glory. Standing for a moment at the heart of the cathedral of trees, you take a deep breath of the crisp air and close your eyes. Around you the park is coming to life as the rest of the city begins to settle in to sleep. Birds are roosting and other animals wind their way through the trees. Above you, the breeze picks up once more and rustles what remain of the leaves.

You know that soon you will have to return to your hotel. But the memories of your moments among the leaves will remain with you forever.

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