Wednesday 21 March 2007

Almost Nice: Le Moulin A Huile Michel

We're still in Opio, the village where I live. This here's our olive mill and it's been in use since 1848 as you'll see if you enlarge the photo. The building is attractive enough from the front but the really great thing about it is that it is a working mill which means that if you collect up your olives, usually before Christmas, and take them to the mill they'll give you freshly pressed olive oil in return. It won't necessarily be from just your olives but olive oil is olive oil. You can also watch the process which is gaggingly smelly.
Turning olives into oil is pretty much a winter activity so the rest of the year the family run a successful shop selling their olives, their oil and objects made out of olive wood. It's a great place...
A part of me thinks: Gosh this sounds so touristy or guide book-y but I buy my olives here. Touristy or not it's part of my life.

7 comments:

isa said...

Beautiful photo when enlarged!

I'll take that olive oil any day - whether it comes from my olives or the neighbor's - regional is the key.
Lucky you!

Jilly said...

I love your Almost Nice series, Angela. And I love olive oil. Love photo of what is a beautiful place. J x

Dsole said...

Olive oil, in my father's little village they made it too. And i am so used to it that i really don't know how could I cook without it!
Hope you're doing fine :)

phlegmfatale said...

I don't think that's touristy - I think it's a charming part of the fabric of your life. I'm surprised to hear the olive oil making process is smelly - I would have expected it to smell fragrant and lovely!

Mountaincat said...

Interesting. What they use for power when building was built and now ?

Kalyan Panja said...

Nice shot & also nice knowing the prparation of olive oil.

tut-tut said...

Do you bring you own olives to be pressed? That would be something!