Every November the whole village stops for the harvest. Here is what it looks like from our kitchen.
The nets go down under the trees in the first week of November, and for ten days nobody in Valderrobres talks about anything else. Our two hundred trees are mostly empeltre, the local olive: small, dark and mild.
From the tree to the mill
We pick by hand and by rake, and the olives go to the co-operative mill the same afternoon. The first oil comes out green and cloudy, with a bite at the back of the throat that fades after a few weeks.
How to join in
Guests who stay during the harvest can spend a morning with Joaquín under the trees. Wear old clothes, bring gloves and expect a very long lunch.
