The mountains are covered in a dense forest of plane, sweet chestnut, walnut, oak and holly. There are more than 2,000 species of indigenous plants, including ferns, moss and clematis. You cannot walk far without hearing the sound of running water. The air is fresh even in August. Rhododendrons and camellias look happier than anywhere in mainland Europe.
Roses thrive untroubled by blackfly or mildew.
At Damouchari in mid-May, a magnolia grandiflora was in flower, three months out of season. But the best plant of all was the plane tree in the main square in Tsagarada, one of the most extraordinary plants anywhere in the world. It is said to be 1,500 years old and has a trunk more than 25ft in diameter, far wider than the largest English oak. One of its branches is propped up on a stone plinth, as though it is leaning against a bar. Contrary to the usual laws of botany, two other branches join together 20ft above the trunk to form a single, seamless arm.