The thing that really struck me about the farmhouses were the olive trees that surrounded them. Many of them were planted when the houses were built in the 17th and 18th century and still live on today. My boyfriend Francesco is from this part of the world and whilst I was out in the fields taking photos he decided to spontaneously hug a giant olive tree as though he was hugging the roots of his very existence.
Francesco isn't a small guy, almost 2metres tall and he couldn't come close to wrapping his arms around the tree completely. As he hugged the three he asked the tree in Italian 'how old are you'?
It got me thinking. What has this tree seen? It has seen centuries of life, of riches and poverty and of back breaking work. It has seen glorious seasons, one year after another. It has seem the farmer's son who played beneath it's branches grow old and die and the same farmer's daughter become an old woman.
The tree has seen war and peace, living and dying, happiness and sadness, music and silence. But the big question I wanted to ask the tree is what do you think of what you see around you today? Of the concrete and glass that is making it's way down hills morphing from the towns towards you? Of the farmer who abandoned you in the fields and left his land for a new life in the city? Of the world that no longer treasures agriculture, nature and it's life giving fruit?
I guess only the tree will know the answers to these questions. It has outlived so many generations and it will probably outlive this one. Whilst we kill ourselves living life in the big city, striving to go that somewhere to achieve that something the tree knows better. It has seen it all before and I hope it will go on to see many more generations. Intelligent generations who learn to live in a more sustainable way than the current one!!
