Taking Olives to the Mill. . . .

An olive tree in front of a mas (farmhouse) near Grasse, France

The season to harvest olives and take them to the mill is nearing. It's something I always planned to do. After all, we lived on a parcel of land with more than 40 olive trees. Two majestic trees stood in front of the house, and the top windows looked right into those silver-gray leaves.

We hired a gardener to help us revive the trees. He wanted to cut back those two majestic trees, claiming it would enable us to harvest olives. We refused.

On small plots of land bordering winding roads between Valbonne, Opio and Grasse, plastic nets are spread on the ground to catch the small, dark olives as they fall. Most friends cured the olives in brine. For those who had the quantity of olives needed to be pressed to oil, the mill generally took a percentage of the oil as payment.

I always planned to gather olives and take them to the mill. But I never had the quantity needed (not to mention the nets or time). Now, more than 20 years have passed. . . . I no longer have 40 olive trees but a small olive tree growing in a pot.

The vendor thought the tree would produce in the next four years. . . .Certainly not enough for a bottle of oil but maybe a few olives I could serve guests.