Scents of summer

When I walked the trails at Pleasant Grove back in Virginia, the woods in the summertime had a particular smell, especially on hot days following rain. The air was heavy (because it was summer in Virginia) and it reminded me of the smell of a stale humidor, thick odor clinging to the earth like the smell of smoke emanating from damp wood. 

Recently I have been noticing a particular smell in the woods at the Citadelle and even elsewhere around town that I couldn't place. It's sort of a mild perfume smell, not unpleasant but it could be if it was much stronger. I've been looking as I walk, trying to figure out the source. There's some shrubs and roses flowing now, but they aren't particularly fragrant nor sufficiently abundant to account for the widespread scent. The place I notice it most is a wide stretch of treed green space called the esplanade that runs along the side of the Citadelle next to the old part of Lille. The tall trees are mostly one species and they've been trimming them lately leaving piles of limbs on the ground which gave me the chance to identify the trees from the foliage. They are Lindens, called Lime trees in Europe or Basswood in the United States. There are many species of the genus "tilia." 

I also discovered from the downed limbs that they are currently in bloom and those flowers are the source of the scent I've been experiencing. I thought that most trees were finished blooming by now but Lindens are just getting started. I had planted a Linden tree in our yard back in Virginia. It had been damaged in a storm but was recovering well by the time we left. I hope it still is. They are rather remarkable trees and a good source of pollen for bees. 

Lately we've been having a heat wave with temperatures in the 90s. That's not unusual for summer in the states, but it's warmer than normal for the north of France and it's particularly oppressive without air conditioning. I walk Bailey early in the morning and then we lay low for the day, emerging only for the evening walk after the sun has gone down. I'm getting less mileage in but I'm okay with that for this weather. 

Bailey on an evening walk on a rainy day.

Trees planted in giant pots are a common decoration for public spaces around town. That red is also the city's color.

Hanging out in the bedroom on a hot day.

These are beautiful, they don't even look real.

They look like they must be related to thistles.

Bailey wearing her lighted collar on a late walk.

The foliage of the Linden/Lime/Basswood tree. They are tall trees but they also produce a lot of secondary growth from the base, which makes each tree look like it's growing out of the center of a bush. The one I planted in Palmyra did this as well.

The heavily scented flowers.