I like plane trees because they remind me that I am on holiday in Europe. I used to call them ‘hand trees’ because they often look like a forearm and wrist thrusting up from the earth, with gnarled fingers at the top, especially in winter when the leaves are gone. We have five plane trees in the square outside our apartment windows.

Yesterday in Belesta we saw a plane tree that appeared to be devouring a metal traffic sign. It was monstrous. Imagine if you fell asleep leaning against this tree and woke up to find the tree had you.