Recoger las aceitunas.....picking the olives

As promised, a few pictures taken last week and today of us toiling in the olive groves.
We have been in this beautiful part of Spain for nearly two and a half years and never in a thousand years did we ever imagine that we would be taking part in this activity.

But it's the least we can do to try and pay back some of the fantastic friendship and hospitality that we have been shown by the wonderful people of Olvera.

This is us posing before the hard work started....hence the smiles.

And Calcetines came too of course. She loved it, playing and running around the campo.

Here, our lovely friend Antonio is preparing lunch of "Sopas Pega", a delicious dish of bread, pimiento (peppers), cebolla (onion), ajo (garlic), tomate and espárragos, fried in olive oil and water over an open fire. Absolutely delicious.

Arriving in the campo today and you can see we are still smiling. Although it's very hard work, it does feel good to be doing something productive and we only hope that we can contribute in a small way to the effort. We are intending to help out twice a week until the work is completed, which may run into March/April next year, so hopefully the spare tyre may be reduced quite a bit.

A demonstration (or perhaps not) in using the "varas", wooden or man made rods, used to knock the olives from the branches. One day we'll get the hang of it !!.

Anne pointing out that some have been missed while I'm on my knees sorting the olives from the leaves.

No doubt over the coming weeks and months more pics will follow.

Now, where's that Radox and those multi vitamins !!.