A hot summer’s afternoon, a grove of ripe fig trees, and a nearby cascade of wild jasmine.

There’s a rocky trail from our house to the next village, and on a hot day it’s a treat for the senses all the way.  A dip in the path brings you to a shady grove of ripe fig trees, where you fall under the intoxicating spell of the whole tree – the figs, the bark, and the leaves – combining fruity, woody, and green notes, then balanced by the white flowers of a nearby wild jasmine.

If the best taste in the world is a ripe, sun-warmed fig picked straight off the tree, this must be one of the best fragrances; it’s the smell of being on holiday.