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Up the Olive Tree

From The Reading

Up the Olive Tree is a highly-entertaining account of fifty-nine-year-old Venetia Sherson’s experience working as a WWOOFer in Italy. She is asked to undertake everything from mustering sheep to picking olives, but it is vivid portraits of the people she works for and alongside that leaves the most lasting impression. These are some pictures from her adventure.

Picnic with in the fields. Venetia and fellow WWOOFer Gustav enjoy a break from olive picking.

Venetia and Riccio prepare for the market.

The interns at Spannochia. Venetia is on the left. The other WWOOFer Soliz, is second from the right.

Sweet treat. Home-made gelato.

Feeding the hens. The evil rooster is on the right.

Kiwi connection: Kirsten Lockie, who hails from the Wairarapa with her partner Pascal Goldschmidt

The good oil: The first drops of oil from Catalina's crop trickle from the press.

The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.