A deliciously different travelogue
In 2005, Cathy and Jason threw in successful careers as TV presenters and producers to become olive farmers in Italy. With their one year old daughter and Italian dictionary in tow, they found themselves in the middle of a European nowhere untouched by modernity.
They were on a steep learning curve in more-or-less everything – finding out how to prune an olive tree so that a sparrow can pass through its branches, learning what beauty products are de rigeur in the changing rooms of a local Italian football team, being trained, by a local Italian choir, how to sing in English but with an Italian accent – and learning the rigorous rules of when one is allowed to consume a cappuccino. Armed with their indefatigable love of food, they headed off many a potentially tricky situation by cooking their way out of it, a sure route to the heart of any Italian.
They discover that olive farming is dominated by the big boys and desperate to turn their new home into a way of making a living they cast around for ideas of how they can do so. A flash of inspiration led them to launch an 'Adopt-an-Olive-Tree' scheme. For a fee buyers could adopt a tree, receive produce from it and even go and visit it to give it a hug. The scheme became hugely popular with trees selling out way ahead of expectations. A contract with Selfridges followed and suddenly Cathy and Jason's dream is realised. Or nearly anyway. It's a hard slog and they meet every challenge with fortitude and humour but what they hadn't expected was that the biggest challenge would be the quiet of the countryside. Soon they find themselves hankering for the sounds and stench of the city and facing a difficult decision on what they should do next.

The Dolce Vita Diaries

Biographies & Memoirs

Rogers, Cathy

Gibb, Jason

Arts & Literature

The Friday Project

Set in the middle of a European nowhere untouched by modernity, this account follows two former television producers as they set out to become olive farmers with only their one-year-old daughter and an Italian dictionary in tow. From pruning an olive tree so that a sparrow can pass through its branches to singing with an Italian accent and learning when one is allowed to consume a cappuccino, this biography illustrates how this family negotiated a steep cultural learning curve. Their culinary adventures are related as they head off many a potentially tricky situation by cooking their way out of ita sure route to the heart of any Italian. As they discover the competitive world of olive farming, this narrative witnesses the birth of their Adopt-an-Olive-Tree” scheme, which proved successful beyond any and all expectations. Meeting every challenge with fortitude and humor, this book’s subjects also face the quiet of the countryside, finding themselves hankering for the sounds of the city and wondering what they should do next.

The Dolce Vita Diaries: Stories and Recipes from an Italian Olive Grove

Professionals & Academics

Harpercollins Pub, Ltd.

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Books by Gibb, Jason