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Why Crete? |
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Click map to enlarge |
Crete is a land apart. The largest and most southerly of the Greek
islands, it has more days of sunshine and some breathtaking landscapes.
Cretan olive trees, whether located on the slopes of the White mountains,
or the plains of Lassithi, produce some of the best oil on the planet.
With over 30 million of them, there’s lots of fierce rivalry
on this subject. Cretans are a proud bunch. They‘ve had lots
of practice; the ancient Minoans began harvesting olive oil in 3,500
BC. What they didn’t use in palaces like Knossos, they shipped
all over the Med in marvellous terracotta jars, or amphorae. |
Click to find out more...
Getting to Greece...
Where to stay... |
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Why Corfu? |
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Corfu, loved by
Brits since Durrell wrote ‘My Family and Other Animals,’
is arguably the most lush and beautiful island in the Ionian Sea.
Corfiots claim there are some 4 million olive trees here, some
of them thousands of years old. The trunks of these mythical trees
are all unique; twisted and gnarled into shapes which have inspired
writers and artists for centuries. Some of the groves surround
Corfu’s pretty mountain villages. Others lead straight down
the gin clear sea, immortalised in Homer‘s Iliad. Read
how to get to Greece... |
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| We became worried when we watched lots of old olive
trees being cut down by gangs and sold for charcoal. Read
about this in our media diary. Others are sadly cleared by
illegal fires and sold off for tourist developments. We’re
hoping that this will stop, and that the groves will be left intact
to do what they do best - produce olives.
Find out more... |
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