They were all like this. Honestly, they really were that perfect, although in different colours. Carlson Orchards near Harvard Mass is the biggest operation of its kind in the state and the orchards are planted on a south facing hill that never gets frost. The apples are slightly unreal in their perfection.

It was a bright crisp day and we’d driven out in Harv in the bright sunshine. As soon as we got off the freeway the road began to wind through trees just beginning to change into their fall colours. The orchard was busy but not seething when we arrived and we bought a bag to fill. Some of us sampled quite a few as well. It was really nice to see so many different varieties after the usual fare that tend to do the rounds in the supermarkets; all of which are designed first and formost for their travelling qualities rather than their taste. I liked the Ginger Gold which had a distinctly gingery flavour – delicious.

The event (for Nieman Fellows and families) was arranged by a former Nieman now running an excellent international news site http://www.globalpost.com/ He invited us back to his splendid house for drinks and apple crisp and I was hugely gratified to find so much interest in Harv, parked modestly on the lawn.

Everyone wanted a guided tour and I was only too happy to oblige. Many of the Nieman Fellows are journalists from overseas and I could see their sudden realisation of the potential for embarking on road trips here. I unashamedly promoted the idea of life in a GMC and there was more than one person who was distinctly taken with the idea…