Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #239738 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 188 pages

Synopsis
An enchanting true story of one man's 20 year odyssey on the beautiful Greek island of Zakynthos. Dennis Potter was the first to enjoy early tales of life at the olive press, which he found 'diverting and properly flavoured with yoghurt and honey'. 'The house is in a wild place and stands on its own - like its owner' is the introduction Rodney Shields is given to the remote house on the beautiful Greek island of Zakynthos, which is to become his obsession for the next twenty years. The universal dream of finding an island paradise and making it reality is explored with wit and detail, and sometimes high drama. Rodney sets out with a vision: to find a property on the Greek island which he and his family have come to love. During his search he builds lasting friendships with islanders, becomes involved in the often tricky minutiae of Greek marital relations, until finding the ideal property - and meeting its formidable owner, Margarita. This is followed by complicated negotiations in Greek property law - the outcome of which are frequently reliant on a carrier bag full of almonds. All set amid the brilliant blue Ionian sea and olive groves which have enticed travellers for centuries. Having secured the property - or at least part of it - the drama continues over the next twenty years; rendering the place habitable by the use of mules, achieving a natural source of water without interference from snakes. Finally Rodney and his family can enjoy the simple pleasure of their island paradise amid old and new friends alike - until the dream is threatened by an approaching island fire.

Customer Reviews

Mildly interesting but not well written
As someone who has been visiting Zakynthos for a number of years, I was expecting much more from this book. To be honest I was more than a little disappointed. Yes there are a small no of memorable characters, but there is really no real sense of Zakynthos, no place names to provide context or invoke memories of places you've been to. It is only too obvious that the author is not a writer. There is really no continuity throughout the book and the jumping around in the timeline is somewhat confusing in trying to relate to the progress of the project.
The Olive press could really be anywhere....

A family's 20 year project to create a place in the sun
If you have ever dreamt of living in a house surrounded by olive trees on a slope running down to the Ionian Sea, or simply would enjoy the vicarious pleasure of a beautifully crafted literary excursion to Zakynthos, - read `Margarita's Olive Press'.

Margarita, the owner of the olive press, sells off parts of the property as Shields' negotiating skills are tested almost to the limit. The story tells how each practical hurdle is overcome - no road access? no water or electricity? or after winter storms, no roof? - no problem. Each obstacle is tackled with a stoicism and ingenuity which puts most `Grand Design' projects in the shade. Materials have to be carried by mule down from the nearest track, or by impressed members of Shields' family.

Once the essential requirements for survival are put together, an easy style of living is established in harmony with the land and the sea. There are delightful accounts of a growing network of Greek builders, friends and acquaintances. Through good fortune, an early contact in a taverna with Dionysus, the former registrar for the northern part of the island, develops into an enduring friendship. The need for a lawyer leads to Lambis, who becomes Shields' guide not only through the labyrinthine mysteries of Greek property transactions, but also to the rich history of the land.

The story is one of indomitable optimism and an irreversible love affair with Greek life in a remote corner of this beautiful island.

A great holiday read
Margarita's Olive Press proved to be the ideal holiday companion whilst visiting the Ionian islands. The author suffers all the trials & tribulations of dealing with a property acquisition from a typical Greek family. He conveys extremely well the mentality of Margarita & her desire to ensure that the Englishman will not pay too little for her family heritage.The working relationship of all the people involved in the project is conveyed beautifully albeit tempered with the frustrations of language barriers & a desire on the Greeks part to compound rather than to solve problems. There is joy as each part comes together tinged with sadness along the way. There is compassion, pride,and tragedy without which no book on Greece would be complete. Altogether a fabulous account of triumph over the odds .