Eleven years ago I was commuting weekly between Skopelos and Thessaloniki. I travelled by boat from the island to Volos and then by intercity bus to Thessaloniki. The route travels along the Tembi Gorge, a heart-stoppingly beautiful steep-sided ravine between Mounts Olympus and Ossa. Eleven years ago the new road and rail tunnels were under construction so I had the joy of travelling along the side of the ravine and not beneath the mountain.
There were a couple of trees at the side of the road just a moment before the gorge began which fascinated me. Like the one above, which I photographed this evening in Bedford, their cores were entirely missing. They were like rigid cloaks but still supporting living branches.
When I saw the images of the rail disaster this morning I recognised the spot immediately. It's right beside my two magical trees.