Читать книгу Walking in Tuscany. 43 walks including Val d'Orcia, San Gimignano and the Isle of Elba онлайн

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Clockwise from left: the curious fruit and blossom of the strawberry tree; cyclamen thrive in the woods; lavender and trefoil on Elba; fissured bark of the cork oak; olives ripening in autumn; delicate paper-like rock roses flower in spring

Also notable is the so-called strawberry tree, hung with delicate white bell-shaped flowers and, at the same time, clusters of lumpy orange-red fruit balls. The ripe fruit tastes like strawberry, although the second part of its Latin name Arbutus unedo means ‘eat one’, implying that one is enough! Sturdy bushes of tree heather bear tiny sweet-scented bell blooms in springtime: its branches are bound into bunches as brooms for city sweepers.

Majestic stands of pines thrive along the Tyrrhenian coast. The umbrella or stone pine, often bent into sculptured shapes by the wind, provides nutritious nuts, a key ingredient in pesto sauce. Similar maritime pines were planted to reclaim mosquito-ridden swamps and defeat malaria, as well as being an important source of turpentine and timber for boatbuilding.