Harvesting Olives and Enjoying Friendship

Have you ever found yourself in an olive grove? Have you enjoyed admiring the grey taupe hues of the leaves? I recently enjoyed such an experience with a friend.

Back in Sicily, some of my friends grow olive trees to produce the olive oil solely for their family’s consumption. When it is time to harvest the olives and then take them to be milled, it becomes a time of sharing work and fruit of labor with family and friends.

Last week, I joined a friend, Robi, in her final olive harvesting hand picking olives from the last of her trees remaining to be harvested.

Standing under an olive tree, with its enveloping beauty, transmits a sense of peace and calm. Sharing hand picking the olives with Robi was such an enjoyable experience.

After picking the olives and enjoying a seafood lunch together, it was time to head to the olive mill. The olives then went through the process of being separated from the last leaves, washed and cold pressed. It is so exciting to watch the process and wait for the the final step when the golden “nectar” flows into your container.

What a unique experience it is to taste the olive oil right there and then with its unique unbeatable freshness.

What an enjoyable experience shared with a friend and to then see and taste that liquid gold!