There is so much to learn, but I’m really enjoying the process! Last Sunday, finally dry with lovely spells of sunshine during an otherwise very wet autumn, we have taken out the nets the previous owner has left behind and for the first time ever took down the ripe olives from our few trees. We only have 9 trees, some of them very heavy with fruit, some had barely any, so we only ended up with 12kg of olives, which all fitted in a big Esselunga bag. That same afternoon we took it down to a local frantoio in Torre, which was closed, but two lovely blokes who were there said we could drop them off and come pick up our oil 2 days later.

Sergio and Lara, who have around 100 trees had a really impressive harvest.

On Tuesday afternoon, having picked up Izzie and Ilan from school we stopped at the frantoio. It was open and busy and the smell in there was astonishing! I wish it could be bottled and preserved! It was like a freshly cut grass, but oily, olive like super fresh scent. Lovely community feel in there too, people come over with their harvest, all chat and look inside, in spite of the sign Ingresso Vietato.

So, we brought home a small can of fresh, cloudy olive oil, some of which was made with our olives. It cost 6 euro to have it made. I baked a small sourdough with pecans to go with it and it was an absolute treat.

We keep learning new things. My project for next spring is a small veggie garden under the olive trees, which will have to be well planned, as we need to flatten out some of the big slope we have. Then I will give all the olive trees a decent cut, I hope if we look after them, they will be more productive.

Tons of happiness nevertheless.