Diphylleia grayi

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Tunisia, May 2017—where sun-bleached buildings reached towards the sky and the warm, turquoise Mediterranean water stretched infinitely into the distance. Where rainbow displays of wildflowers freckled the olive groves at the bases of imposing mountains and where the desert sands blanketed our eyes and throats in an unforgiving marmalade haze. Where I put my ear to the heart of Carthage and could have sworn I felt life breathed back into the ancient city’s long-lost ruins. The memory smells like mint and sea salt, roasted vegetables and savory breads, fresh fish and sweet jasmine.