Rosanna

Today we added another chapter to the olive oil obsession by visiting a local olive oil mill, Frantoio Gargiulo.

The terrain makes mechanical harvesting of the olives impossible so they have to resort to nets slung under the branches which are beaten with sticks to allow the drupes to drop.

A stroll through the lower terrace of the ancient olive trees, revealed other fruit trees such as persimmon, and oranges and lemons. To maximise fruit production through all the seasons, oranges and lemons are grown on the same tree, achieved by skilful grafting.

Our tour guide was Rosanna, the main picture with, another glimpse of this life in the Extras.
Note the oranges and lemons on the same tree, a practice completely new to me.
A view of the old mill.