John sports an attractive pair of superbly fitted designer overalls.

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<<< After reading the commentary in the green text above, hover your mouse over each photo for second or two to see the 'alternative' caption. (Don't click, or the caption will fade,)

Thus begins the essential pruning of sproutings at the base of the trees. The shoots would otherwise get in the way of the olive nets, so this is the first job to be done.

This is not trick photography.

...our ladies arrive at last...

...so we thoughtfully offer some 'local' village wine, sourced earlier for this occasion.

However...

...the look of joy on Tina's face suggests we should go and find some Gin & Tonic instead. And be quick about it.

And be quick about it

Our eight olive picking guests arrive tomorrow! Let's make a list of Things That Must Be Done.

Where do we start?

Kirsty and Tina carefully inspect for holes.

Hmmm...There are more than we thought.

They arrive in different groups at different times and It's too late to all eat out.

Anticipating this, Kirsty and Tina have prepared a welcoming vegetable curry, which people dip into as they arrive.

From left to right: Louise The Second, Tina, Chris , Alison, Pep and Susan The Second.

(We have two sets of guests, each with the same first name. One set or surnames also start with the same letter, so we can't have two Susan Cs, for example. To differentiate, we have given them Queenly Royal Tittles, according to their relative arrival times.)

Did someone say there was a fashion shoot in the olive grove?

Notice the attractive eyegear we supplied? Regular visitors to this website may recall John's painful accident last year when an insurgent olive twig ruthlessly stabbed him in the eyeball. He sustained retinal damage, had to visit the local Greek hospital (ooer!) and was prescribed antibiotics.

So, take note, you future olive pickers ... please wear the protective gear we supply!

Back in the UK, Chris is an enthusiastic farmer. The big grin on his face tells us he's loving it here in Crete.

It's not just the weather. Though with temperatures similar to a hot summers day back home, it helps a lot.

Pep! Stop texting your boyfriend and break out that flask of hot chocolate.

Joking apart, the laborious job of bagging up olives takes hardly any time at all with this number of people. (If it were just John and Marcus, they'd still be there now .)

Thanks folks. You DO make a big difference.

Bottom left, Ann is particularly enjoying the occasion.

(It's only half past nine.)

A new day dawns over the White Mountains of Crete and our Villa Asteria. This is the southernmost part of Europe and there is not a cloud in the sky.

At 9.00am, the temperature is 20 degrees C and this will later rise to a high of 25 degrees by mid afternoon.

(Meanwhile, 2000 miles away in northern Europe, heavy snow and extreme sub-zero temperatures are forecast.)

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Er ... OK Tina, you can disengage now.

Together, they pioneer a new concept: Carefully Picking Olives One By One From Each Branch.

Bemused, and very aware of the spikey disadvantages, Marcus, John and Chris agree that this method is probably a first for Crete.

Here we have a typical olive picker's feast: bread, tomato, feta, olives and cucumber.

Everyone tucks in with gusto.

This paramilitary style is the de-facto dress of choice for all males under the age of 70.

Hmmm, can you guess who that might be?

You will be impressed to learn that each full sack of olives weighs 40kg. Today we are taking 43 of the little blighters to the factory.

It takes two trips.

Chris and Alison prefer the relative safety of the hire car.

Marcus has already offered his services to the owners as a proof reader for the next big sign they decide to make.

The smell is ... amazing. Fragranttly green, more leafy than grassy. Slightly different to last year, perhaps a little more mellow - but that's the beauty of a single estate oil. Each year will be different, according to the growing conditions.

The past year, 2010, was very hot, and we did have a lot of rain spread over several weeks instead of a deluge as in previous years.

They didn't expect it to be quite so bright green!

(Marcus is behind the camera, and Andreas is polishing his lorry.)

Of course, it's a cloudless moonlit sky and there's a full spread of food. (Too much, we later discover, but Marcus and John made short work of the leftovers the following week.)

The entertainment has just arrived...

To a (mostly) hushed audience, Kostas sings three traditional Cretan songs of Love, Death and Glory.

His clear voice echoes over the olive grove. Moments later, the sound bounces back from the walls of the other villas, exactly as if there is another concert party happening 200 meters away.

It is an amazing, haunting experience; a unique performance that all will remember.

Sadly we say goodbye to Chris, Alison, Tina and Kirsty who fly back early tomorrow morning.

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When we get the photos, you will be able to CLICK HERE to view.

Pass them on quick, ladies!

We're at the glass blowing factory in Kokkino Chorio, and Susan The First is inspecting a rather ancient pressing device.

Behind are a gazillion empty glass bottles just waiting to be turned into amazing works of art.

Actually this is a really good place to come if you are hunting for unique presents. On a previous visit, Chris and Alison bought a lampshade which they carefully wrapped up and took home in a suitcase. Louise bought a glass gecko and a set of coasters. The shop is packed with handmade items to buy that you cannot find anywhere else.

Tip: We learned from our recent walk that where you find Plane trees (and Eucalyptus, too) you will find water. There are around 20 wells on this site, fed by an underground stream

Ann takes out the lower branches and shoots, so all the energy of the tree is diverted to the top half.

We'll look after all the tools now, thank you.

We''ve not seen much of this chap recently as he slipped a disc in his back while lifting the first olive sack last Sunday morning.

Pathetic excuse, just to avoid some hard work.

Tut. Last year he was hospitalised by an olive twig in the eyeball, this year it's a slipped disc. Let's hope these troubles don't come in threes, eh John?

Your eyes do not deceive you! Marcus really is bagging up at night while guzzling a glass of wine.

That's man-size multi-tasking.

Apart from the odd slipped disc, it has all gone according to plan.

Now, the hard work REALLY begins as we have half a tonne of olive oil to bottle up.

See you next year?