Three weeks ago I was in Taiwan for the annual Cycle Show. In the five days I was away Autumn burst upon Belgium.

Before I left there were tentative changes, the non-native cherry trees and the horse chestnuts had provided a hint of what was to come, but the continued warm weather kept the native trees enjoying an extended growing season.

Not now. The oaks, beech and field maple took two days of cold and decided now was the time. In five days the leave turned and the landscape has become vibrant with yellows, oranges and golds to give me a backdrop to my first mountain bike rides for some time, an excuse to catch up on some of the tracks and trails that I haven’t ridden for months.

And it isn’t just the trees. The hedgerows are rich with berries that won’t last long when the migrating birds arrive. And in the fields we have some unusual colour. The green manure is planted after other crops have been harvested and comes into flower in autumn, adding some spots of different colour to the landscape.

We are promised a short, sharp Autumn this year as the cold is sweeping in from the East. Therefore I intend to enjoy every moment!