Well, another Christmas is behind us, although here in Spain the most important day for giving gifts is yet to come – on 6th January is the Three Kings Day (la Fiesta de los Reyes). The local children will be beside themselves with excitement at dusk on 5th January when the three kings (Melchor, Gazpar and Baltasar) appear simultaneously throughout the entire land and distribute gifts. Here at La Cazalla however, we like to give gifts to our guests all year round!
Did you know that Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world? Accordingly to worldatlas.com, Spain produces 5,276,899 metric tons of olive annually and about 75% of the total olive production is concentrated around the Andalusian region. Yup. We have a lot of olive trees here, and the sight of their straight lines of twisted trunks marching across the golden hillsides of southern Spain have inspired many an artist. Van Gogh said that the “rustle of the olive grove has something very secret in it, and immensely old. It is too beautiful for us to dare to paint it or to be able to imagine it.” A symbol of wisdom and peace, both beautiful and beneficial to health, the olive tree is an intrinsic ingredient of life in Andalucía.
November is harvest time at La Cazalla, including our home-grown pears, persimmons, quince and olives.