Last Saturday we did our annual olive harvest party at Xavier & Valerie's:
But first, how about that lemon tree! Estelle took that photo!
We should also note that last wkend Estelle got to take home her class mascot, a stuffed bear called "Biscotte". Biscotte got to harvest olives too.
Here, my old boss from 10 years ago, Philippe, shows Estelle how to work the elecric gaule. Xavier invested in this tool a few years back and it certainly has expedited the whole experience.
Estelle waits with Biscotte and her peigne (comb) to attack some of the lower branches on the trees below on this terrace.
Laying net = the first step in the whole process. It is a fine art, and very specific because catching the olives as they fall, and then being able to peel away/lift up the nets depending on how they are overlayed on each other is crucial.
Above: Jean-Pierre sends Estelle up the embankment to place a "sardine" (like a tent stake).
Waiting with the peigne! Below: using the Gaule - wooden bamboo stick that you tap tap tap to knock down the olives. These gaules belonged to Xavier's father's father. Behind Estelle are Michelle and Antonia.
Above: a small take from a few branches. Below: the wind machine. Once the olives have been taken from the nets and put into the crates, we haul the crates up the hill to this machine and dump them in. The machine blows air thru the olives as they fall, thus blowing out the leaves. Two of us kneel down at the chute and pull out any heavy things that don't get blown away - like stones and twigs.
Below: the best moment: Eating lunch outside in the sun on the terrace at the upper villa. You see Zet, Xavier's mom on the left. She made the polenta, which is wrapped up like a sausage in a tea towel. We had it with "daube" - traditional Nicois stewed beef with carrots. Succulent. One year the daube was made with wild boar that Xavier had shot as it was eating his tomatoes. But it's illegal so we have to keep that on the QT.
Here's Michel lowering the metal trap stop on the wind machine because the crate below was full.
Estelle and Jean-Pierre and Philippe pull out the big branches before we all do the tricky manoeuver to lift this net and tip all those kilos of olives into a crate to haul up the hill.
Here's Estelle with some of the finished sorted crates. What you can see is that they are stacked two on top of each other. The pressure is always on for Xavier because he makes an appointment at the moulin (Olive press place) in Italy months in advance and you can't change it. So on Tuesday, no matter what, he loads his truck high and drives to Italy with the olives and they are pressed into oil and bottled before his eyes. So he always wants to have all 25 trees done.
A fun moment in Papito, Xavier's fishing boat parked near the olive trees.
At 4:30 Thomas and Lena arrived to fetch us.
Xavier had 3 days with 3 different teams. We were Day 2, on the team with his childhood friends of Philippe (my old boss from 2001 and how I originally met Xavier), Jean-Pierre and Michel. Somehow Xavier, the man himself, escaped my camera, as did Quentin, Xavier's son and my student for 10 years, who is now off at Merchant Marine school but was home for the holiday wkend.
Back at home: breakfast with Biscotte:
Grocery shopping with Biscotte:
Coloring with Biscotte:
We feel so incredibly lucky to be able to participate in that olive harvest each year because it is authentic and private and not something trucked up for a tourist experience. I remember 10 years ago I had no clue as to what the heck was going on. Now I'm an expert - though I still get barked at about laying net wrong. Reminds me a lot of my dad!
Below: Advent Calendar #2: from Estelle's "Pom d'Api" magazine, the little donkey goes from window to window each night. You tear off the window and on the other side is a picture of something he is bringing to Jesus. Today (Dec. 1st) item was clover. You put it in his basket on his back. The magazine has a story, one page per day, to accompany each window and explain what happens. There's even a Star of Bethlehem that moves along with him, to guide him. Great!
Below: #3 - Vermont Christmas Company's version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" - each window has a different verse on the inside cover and a charming little image to go along with the verse. Thanks Martha & Chris!
A little Jingle Bells to get things rockin'..... Funny, Estelle burst out into singing "Rudolph" tonight, which surprised all of us that she would remember so many of the words since last year. So I plucked it out by ear and then we wrote out the music for her. She is practicing the first two lines - stayed tuned for a video of THAT!
Below: Calendar #5's book component: Eric Carle's "Dream Snow". Thanks Darlene/Wes/Wayne/Cole & Heather! Such a great story to go with a VERY cleverly made Pop-Up Advent calendar which you'll be seeing in our next installment, along with #6, both of which escaped the photo shoot today. They're not in the Advent Calender Union.
Meanwhile, a few videos from yesterday which showcase our new favorite buddy:
