The whole place appears to have sprouted out of the ground in a forest clearing scattered with blazing colour: bruised pink hyacinths, magenta-tinged wild gladioli and orchids with petals the colour of oyster shells.

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On either side of the river, however, running down the valley, there is a narrow strip of wheat fields and poppy fields, and for several weeks in the spring the poppies bloom: lovely, open-petalled white, pink, red, and magenta blossoms, the darker colors indicating the ones with the most opium.

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The gloomy conditions were at least illuminated by the respective strips with Harlequins' light blue, magenta, chocolate and French grey quartered shirt for once outshone by Stade's pink and blue tie-dye effort.

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