One of the first things I noticed when I came to Athens was all the orange trees that line the streets. To be honest, they are pretty hard to miss because they are often planted in the middle of the pavements. The pavements in many residential streets in Athens are quite narrow, so the presence of the trees makes them pretty much non-functional. If you suck your breath in, its possible to slalom through the trees, but it’s generally easier to walk at the side of the road.
Despite the fact that the trees force me to walk in the road a lot of the time, I really like them. They give the streets more character.
Seeing all these orange trees every day is an interesting experience for me and is a constant reminder that I’m no longer stuck in the UK. The winters there are too harsh for growing orange trees in the streets.
Apparently, the orange trees lining the streets of Athens are Citrus aurantium. They’re native to Asia and have such a bitter taste they are not suitable for normal eating.
From what people tell me, when the fruit is gone and the boughs become full of flowers the trees make the streets smell wonderful. Unfortunately, I’ll be elsewhere in Europe when that happens. That’s a pity. Walking down orange-scented streets would be a memorable experience. I like Athens though, so I plan on coming back. I also want to explore more of Greece. Hopefully, when I do return I’ll time things a little better.
– – – – –
– – –
– – –
– – – – –
The flowers are just opening now. You can turn a corner and the smell just envelops you, divine! Thanks for giving us the name of it.
Hi Karen,
I’m jealous. The way things are looking at the moment, I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to Athens and experience the smell of orange blossom.
They also have Cirtus Aurantium orange trees in many Spanish cities but they seem to grow a little larger. I don’t know about the other cities but if you are ever in Seville at the right time of year, some of the bars sell an alcoholic drink that’s made from the oranges. A friend bought me a shot of it once and, from what I rememember, it was pretty nice. I think it’s a type of wine.
They are Seville Oranges also known as Bitter Oranges. They are the ones used for marmalade. In Greece they sometimes use the juice for meat dishes. They also use the small unripe fruit as a spoon sweet. The tree is called nerantzia in Greek. You are correct, they are from Asia as ALL citrus fruits are from China.
Hi Eleni,
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
You are right. They are Bitter Orange. I said citrus aurantium because it’s the botanical name. The peel provides a stimulant called synephrine that’s sometimes used in diet pills and other types of supplement. Most of my income comes from writing about supplements so I’ve had to write about bitter orange/citrus aurantium quite a lot during the past seven years.
They let the trees grow a little bigger in Seville. If you are in town at the right time of year, it’s possible to buy a local wine that’s made from the oranges. It’s quite nice. If you ever get the opportunity, you should try it 🙂