Looks like the Greeks appreciate their trees, judging by the way they are left alone to grow through walls and architecture... and I really appreciate that. You don't see it so much, here in the US, although when I was in college the Safeway grocery store I went to was built in a square around a 200-year old oak tree they'd let stand.
Your January looks a lot more welcoming than ours...
I'm thinking that shade is pretty important here :-)
(so it might be a concession to practicality more than tree huggingness)
Good point. Shade matters a lot in Mediterranean climates.