Ode to the Olive

     Today's ride would take us away from our masseria, through olive groves, and into the city of Ostuni.

Putting Olives on All Ten Fingers

      I recall, as a teenager, putting black olives on all ten fingers and popping them in my mouth. Everyone did it. I promptly got sick. I haven't been able to eat olives since. However, times have changed over the years, and better tasting olives have to be out there. This trip just may inspire me to try them.
      Along the route today we were shown a spot where the olive trees are over 1000 years old. Scientists used carbon dating to figure out the age of the trees. These trees are still producing fruit. The trunk of an olive tree is nature's finest sculpture. Like snowflakes, no two trunks are alike. The beauty of the trunks lie in the variety of twists, splits, hollows, bulges, and whimsical shapes that the trunks have. I could not help but think of the words of Saint Francis of Assisi " The flowers and fruit that in thee grow, let them His glory also show."

        Next, we would stop at an olive oil museum. I know some of you are thinking, "seriously?" Olives and their oil have been used for thousands of years. Besides food, olives have been used for currency, and their oil is not only edible, but useful in burning in lamps, and in making soaps. This museum started out in the 1200s as a monastery.  In the 1600s, the monks left, and their quarters were turned into a olive pressing building. Oil was pressed there until WWII. The nearby San Lorenzo church is still in use. After a quick, and much needed, snack, we left for another masseria for lunch.

Olive presses used after the first pressing.

These cool little baskets open up like pillows and the olive bits from the first pressing are put inside and then placed in sets of 4 or 5 baskets on top of each other and then put in the presses in the picture above.

Extra virgin oil is from the olive's first pressing.

This is an old filtering system where the oil was poured over cotton, and allowed to drip through leaving any solids.

San Lorenzo Church

It Takes a Special Kind of Woman

         It was a hot day, and the sun was a bit on the mean side. Our lunch destination was Masseria Il Frantoio. This estate is a family-run Masseria. The owners, Armando, and his wife, Rosalba, were born in villages not far away. After seeing the world for ten years, they came home for a visit, and found a " For Sale" sign on this property. They have been there for the last 22 years. It is run like a bed and breakfast, except, Rosalba also makes lunch and dinner. While we never met Rosalba, I get the idea that she is the most patient woman on the planet, and a bit headstrong if she is married to Armando!
          Armando likes to show his place off. He even had a short 10-minute video made of the place. His over-the-top tour, complete with jokes, was a bit much. The tour ended in their gift shop where he offered wine made on the premise, or at least close by. This tour did not exactly go down well with a bunch of hot, tired, sweaty cyclists, who just wanted lunch in a cool room. We did get lunch, and Rosalba's cooking did not disappoint. This was the best Italian food I have ever had!
          The following photos are of the masseria.

 

 

       After lunch we would head off to the town of Ostuni to stay for the next two nights.

It Takes Two Very Awesome Guides

        Asthma runs in my family, but I was not diagnosed with it until my late 40's, and am still learning what my various triggers are to an attack.  It seems the combination of heat and humidity is one of them. Living in bone dry Utah, humidity is not something I am used to. My major attack occurred on the road, while I was riding solo. (We have directions on how to travel so we don't have to stay with each other.)  Luigi, Gigi to us, was the guide riding with us that day and stayed with me until transport could be found to get me to the olive museum. He was very patient and kind.  I would then meet our other guide, Fabio, who would drive me the rest of the route.  I did have my rescue inhaler, but riding hopped up on albuterol is not a good idea, and this attack was taking a long time to breathe through.  There was even talk about taking me to the hospital. Fabio also has asthma, and was very understanding of the situation.  I owe my life to these wonderful gentlemen, and much thanks to my patient fellow travelers.