Italy's olive tree catastrophe, easing into fall
I blinked…
…and August came and went. I do have a pretty good excuse though, as we spent a good chunk of the month preparing for, traveling to and then recovering from our trip to Puglia, Italy for a wedding. While I am pretty much loathe to leave the garden for more than a day in August, our 9 day trip was incredible and a good reminder that there is a big world happening outside of our little New England town. The people, culture and landscape of Puglia are totally unique ~ it was a very different experience compared to our prior travels to Tuscany.
August in southern Italy is HOT! Low to mid-90’s every day with about 0% humidity. We’re talking blast furnace hot at times. No surprise that the landscape is dominated by agave, cacti, palm and olive trees. Puglia is in the ‘heel of the boot’ and is surrounded by the Adriatic sea on the east and the Ionian sea on the west. So the sea breezes were a welcome relief.
Happily, the 3 day wedding event at Masseria Potenti was flawless and the weather warm but breezy and comfortable. The food and festivities ~ well, they were EPIC!
adjusting to the italian lifestyle
Also happily, our VRBO in nearby San Pietro in Bevagna accommodated our 3 couples masterfully, with air conditioning, and beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces. All this in a private, walled grove of shade trees. Interestingly, the entire San Pietro area relies on communal water spigots for their drinking water. The water in our rental home was fine for showering, but not for drinking. So, every day, we queued at the ‘safe’ water source across the street to fill our water jugs. This was just one ‘lifestyle adjustment’ we needed to make. Don’t get me going on the Italian coffee pots!!!
But, we adjusted quickly and feasted on fresh figs picked from trees a few steps out the back door. We grilled freshly caught octopus and fresh chickens and an Apulian meat dish called ‘bombette’ on an outdoor stone fireplace. Dozens of the most incredible olives were consumed. Along with many bottles of local beer and wine!
can i get a roundabout?
We toured ancient towns and palazzos and navigated a thousand roundabouts and insanely complicated/narrow and/or steep village streets in our rental cars. For the most part, we got around pretty well…not counting the few times we found ourselves going the wrong way on tiny one way streets that resulted in 20 point turns to get ourselves going in the right direction! Mi dispiace ~ sono straniero!
We walked stunning beaches so packed with (deeply tanned) Italian vacationers that it was a challenge to put foot to sand. The crystal clear Ionian Sea was like bath water. It was magical.
Here’s the not so magical part
Tragically, about one third (21 million) of Puglia’s olive trees are dying. A slow death. And there’s nothing to be done. It’s excruciating to see acre after acre of dying and dead trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. It’s an agricultural and economic catastrophe. Especially for the families who have made their living for generations selling olives and olive oil for world consumption. Their entire livelihoods are being threatened. The losses are in the billions. And growing.
What happened?
It has been determined that around 2010, an exotic plant from Costa Rica was introduced to the Gallipoli region in Puglia. The plant (or plants) carried a spittlebug that transmits a deadly bacteria, Xylella fastidiosa. Fast forward 13 years and the spittlebugs and bacteria have decimated millions of Puglia’s olive trees. Frantic measures are being taken to control the spread, but the risk to olive trees (and other plants) throughout Italy, Spain and Greece is grave. The staggering effects of the loss of this crop can not be underestimated. Puglia is already an economically challenged area, and this tragedy only makes things worse.
Add this to the ‘problem of non-native plants’ list! è un vero disastro!!
Home sweet home
After 9 days, we were happy to return home to the good ‘ol US of A. My lush green garden was such a contrast to the dry Puglia landscape. While the garden is gently easing into fall, it is still the source of immense pleasure to our family. We appreciate how fortunate we are to have had the opportunity to travel abroad, and are even more appreciative to call this great country ‘Home’.
Ciao!