354 SAN FRUTT UOSO. 



nal station has been built a little lower down. The ridge 

 slopes steeply down to the south. We followed it to 

 reach the old Abbe\- of San Fruttuoso wliich lies on the 

 shore m a secluded inlet. Tn order to imd our bearings 

 we consult the map. A group of rocks/the "pietre strette", 

 h'ing to the south-east, indicates the direction which wc 

 must take. Through tliese rocks runs the foot-path 

 which then divides. The turn to the left leads to Porto- 

 fino, that to the right goes down to San Fruttuoso. There 

 is a sign-post here, so that \oii cannot mistake the path. 

 Soon a few of the houses of San Fruttuoso appear, white 

 among the dark green foliage, down b\- the bosom of 

 the azure sea. This isohited spot is generalh- reached 

 from the sea: but to miss the approach b\' land is to 

 lose the most favourable impression ot the place. For the 

 path, as \'Ou descend from the heights, is incomparablv 

 beautiful and discloses a variet^■ of ravishing prospects. 

 Moreover one is surrounded all along by the most luxuri- 

 ant ''Macchia", and, early thougli it is in spring, we revel 

 in the exuberance of the Mediterranean vegetation. The 

 Arbutus (Fig. p. .^J) is particularly abundant on this slope 

 and reaches a considerable size. Next come the Ilex Oak 

 (Fig. p. 36.-!) and the evergreen Ruckthorn {Rliainiius Ala- 

 ieniiis. Fig. p, 367). The Tree Heath, now in full flower, 

 shows white, and exhales its pleasant perfume. The 

 Juniper (J'. Oxycedrus, Fig. p. 245) also grows plenti- 

 fully on this mountain side, not only in its shrubby form, 

 but sometimes rising abo^'e the other vegetation as a tree. 

 We are astonished to see it so linely developed. Broad 

 and branching from the base it resembles an Arbor \'itae. 



