An Olive Tour de Provence, France By Linda Mira-Bateman Eastern Hill Enterprises
In October 2001 we set out to revisit favourite haunts in the UK, France, and Italy. In 1996, our original visit, we were ‘PO’ - that is ‘Pre Olive’. Now our eyes, ears, and certainly, our taste buds are tuned to the olive. The journey has a new perspective and the landscape, from our viewpoint, has changed. We start our journey in the UK, touring Scotland and the south of England. Here the olive is discreetly present. Butter is the predominant accompaniment to bread, and, as the more avant garde restaurants are out of our budget, we do not sight an olive on the menu for our entire three-week stay. There is not an olive tree to be seen!
The Olive Tree in the Hotel Courtyard	However, the worthy olive still makes its presence felt. The media featured an article on the opening of a second Olivier & Co.â store in London. Olivier & Co. â has a chain of 28 stores, including outlets in New York, Tokyo, and Sydney. The article encourages patrons to select oils to meet specific culinary needs. At the other end of the spectrum a full-page advertisement in the Sunday press extols the virtues of a ‘Mediterranean’ diet, promoting the taking of olive oil capsules to improve health. In France we make our base in Fontvielle, just south of Avignon in Provence. This is serious olive country. Our hotel is charming. La Regalido is a converted olive oil mill (Moulin a Huile d’olive) . The patron of the hotel is passionate about olives, stating that to own olive trees is ‘to own gold’. In the foyer, olive products, including oil from the local mill, olive oil soaps, toiletries, and olive-themed homewares are available. Olive oil soap is provided in rooms that overlook the hotel courtyard, which has, proudly at its centre, an olive tree. The hotel rooms are named from local plants so, of course, there was the Chambre ‘d’olivier’.

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