A celebration of trees: July: Around the world in 10 trees

As I was travelling for much of July, I thought I’d use the theme of travel for my July celebration of trees and bring you a selection of the many arboreal wonders and delights I’ve photographed during my travels, not only in July but over the past decade in various countries around the world.

The Altar of Zeus, at Pergamon in Turkey, October 2008

The actual Altar is now in a museum in Berlin (and is magnificent) but the site is still superb and, when I visited, those trees provided much-needed shelter from the torrential downpour of a passing storm.

Tree and temples, Cambodia, January 2013

The trees are almost as ubiquitous as the temples in the Angkor Wat World Heritage complex near Siem Reap but, unfortunately, they are frequently very destructive of the temple buildings and statuary.

A dirt road in rural Cambodia, June 2013 (below, left)

The tall leafy trees provided much-needed shade on either side of this meandering dusty road in the countryside outside Siem Reap.

In the Serengeti, Tanzania, August 2014 (above, right)

The Serengeti, where the trees are few and far between but the animals are many and all around.

Real Jardίn Botánico, Madrid, June 2014

After being mesmerised by the stunning artworks in the Prado, what could be more refreshing to the senses than a seat and a stroll through Nature’s creations in the adjacent botanical gardens.

Meknes, Morocco, June 2014

Nature’s patterns in the trunk and fronds of these palm trees are set off beautifully by the man-made colours and patterns of the tiles that adorn this gateway in the Moroccan city of Meknes.

Sahara desert, Morocco, June 2014

Sunrise, palm tree, Sahara desert, Morocco … it doesn’t get much more magical, especially after I’d ridden a camel for an hour to get to the tent in the desert camp where I slept the night before.

Maasai village, Tanzania, August 2014

The baobab trees are statuesque in Tanzania. This one sits at the centre of the Maasai village where I was privileged to spend two days and a night, and much of the daily life of the tribe seemed to revolve around this magnificent tree.

Bowler, Wisconsin, USA, July 2015

The covered bridge, the bubbling brook, the umbrageous and verdant trees … a delightful scene in rural Wisconsin, spoiled only slightly by the voracious mosquitoes.

Granada, Nicaragua, July 2015

For some reason that I never discovered many of the trees in Granada, Nicaragua, are clipped into rectangular shapes. I like it!