Best week for fall colors in south of France

[bruce g. collier]

<p>Hello,<br /><br />I've searched the archives but didn't come up with anything. Apologies if this has been answered before.<br /><br />What is the best week, or date range, in which to witness fall colors in the south of France, and specifically, in the Languedoc-Roussillon areas? Looking for when the plane trees are at their reddest.<br /><br />We are chartering a boat in the Canal di Midi in the fall of 2011, but our dates are flexible. If it's not too late, I'd optimize for the best fall colors (photography). <br /><br />Thanks in advance, Bruce<br /><b>Signature URL removed. Not allowed per photo.net Terms of Use.</b></p>

[walter_degroot]

<p>judging by my experiences with "leaf peeping" in NE NJ and PA<br>

I would say ask someone to tell you at the first moment they turn, jump on a plane and plan to stay a few weesk,.<br>

the "<br />pepers "that call every year always say next week! and then we get a storm and they are all gone.<br>

they are close to 80. I doubt they will eve get here in time.</p>

 

[david_henderson]

<p>As you're no doubt working out, the south of France is not a particularly common fall colour destination. If you have doubts on that score, try on Flickr - which I've done this morning using terms like "automne, Languedoc", "Canal de Midi"- and you'll see that there's little to compare with say New England and Colorado. Nevertheless I have made a fall colour trip to Southern France, albeit to Provence, and there the fruit trees and vineyards can colour up very nicely and the poplars turn bright yellow. I was due to return just a few weeks ago, but since this coincided with the French trying to run their country without using petrol, we went instead to Scotland.<br>

My timing was- and would be again, the very beginning of November. I'd expect that Provence and Languedoc Roussillon would have broadly similar timings. But as ever you have to go expecting that some years are better than others, and some years later than others. </p>

[berg_na]

<p>I visited the Tarn region (a bit more inland) late last September and did not find any 'fall colors' then, but your planned trip sounds very nice indeed.<br>

PS: I wasn't able to update the caption to the attached photo, but the Pont Vieux is to the left of the frame.</p><div></div>

[alexander_hare]

<p><img src="http://www.alexharephotography.com/landscape-gallery/view/avignon-france/" alt="" />Hi Bruce, I've been through the canal du midi on my father's boat-he wrote a series of features in Practical Boat Owner (I think) about it which may also be of interest-if you want to review them for local info let me know.<br>

Turning to your photo question, I think you'll need to be there quite late in November. But I warn you, it's a very unpredictable region-I've ben twice to photograph the lavender and missed it-either too early or too late; it's so variable! In any event, you could do a lot worse that shoot the Pont D Avignon at dawn and dusk...</p>

<p>Alex Hare</p>

[friedemann_pistorius]

<p>I've been to southern France, i.e. Provence many times. Best date range for fall colors is definitely the last one or two weeks of October and the first week of November. If you happen to have good weather (it usually is dry and sunny at this time of the year) you'll see SPECTACULAR fall colors.</p><div></div>