Question Author
Day one of work started at 8 am after a generous breakfast of local delicacies. We were then issued with “cestini”, little baskets which where tied around the waist, several large plastic crates and three traditional olive-harvest ladders. Then we headed to the first area to be harvested and work commenced; no knocking or combing the olives off the trees into nets allowed, only hand harvesting into the cestini to protect the precious fruits. Fortunately, the trees were not too tall and the work among the grey-green foliage was extremely pleasurable amidst the chatter of our Continental colleagues and the company of the resident terriers. – And the idyllic views! Following a break for elevenses, a leisurely lunch was served on a long table in front of the house for although we were in November the weather was surprisingly mild. Work ended at about 4pm when all the equipment was taken back to base. The olives were transferred within 24 hours of being picked to be cold pressed in a traditional mill using a large stone wheel to crush the fruit. An evening visit to the mill was organised to allow us to witness this process.
At the end of the week we returned home feeling totally refreshed with a litre of fragrant organic olive oil and the option to return for a one-week self-catering stay the following year.