In the shade of the olive trees...
Tractor ride in the shade of the olive trees in search of "My Grandfather's Gold".
For many, the Pic Saint-Loup evokes good wines, preserved landscapes and this small mountain of 658m which rises up to the horizon and makes the happiness of the hikers. There are also other riches here that man has known how to exploit for decades: the olive! We take you for a walk like no other to the Domaine de l'Oulivie...
With spring-like weather forecast in the middle of October, you can't miss the opportunity to go for a family outing this weekend! Too early to go mushroom picking in the Cévennes, we would like to go for an original walk which would allow the children as well as ourselves to spend a fun and enriching moment: it is all found with a tractor ride at the Domaine de l'Oulivie!
"My grandfather's gold", the name of the walk appeals to us!
When we arrive, we quickly understand that the Vialla family has been growing olives for generations, as Pierre, who will be our guide this morning, reminds us. Once in the trailer, we start the tour with a stop at a permaculture garden.
This practice is above all a philosophy that places nature, species and people at the heart of all attention. We remember that each species of plant is essential to the other, that each one has its importance in an ecosystem where biodiversity and the earth can flourish. A bit like in a family after all...
Further on, Pierre explains to us with passion his work as a farmer, of which he is proud and which requires a certain humility when one manages a farm of this size with 30ha of olive trees. The pruning technique, which shapes the tree and the landscape, the maturity of the olives and the harvesting period, which begins in September with the "Lucques", are part of a perpetual cycle that gives rhythm to the life of the estate.
(This tour must be booked by telephone and is not available all year round:
Information on 04 67 07 07 80)
Impossible to miss, we go to meet the animals of the domain which enthuse our 2 years old daughter: hens, horses, ponies, goats... each have their role here. As we leave, we can't resist the urge to taste the gourmet plates that we are looking forward to and that will conclude this excellent half-day of discovery of this emblem of our Mediterranean civilizations, the olive.
As you go deeper into the rows, you realise that after the harvest, a lot of work goes into sorting and processing the olives of the three varieties present, which can be used for the table or transformed into oil.
De-bittering, rinsing, salting - a whole process that takes place in the workshop where machines assist man. Several of these machines can be seen at the end of the walk, right next to the small museum which traces the history of this farm which has had several lives since 1957...
"Each oil has its own identity...
As we approach the end of the loop, we are struck by the quietness of the place and the beauty of the landscapes, with the Pic Saint-Loup in the background watching over this culture which fits perfectly into its environment.
The long-awaited gourmet moment comes next with the tasting of the oils which delights our boy, already a gourmet! Each oil has its own identity and a unique taste which lets us imagine the potential marriages that we could make in the plate... the olive oil with basil seduces us at once and we already know that our mixed salads will not have the same flavour as before!
