"O olive tree, blessed be the earth that nourishes you and blessed be the water you drink from the clouds and thrice blessed He who sent you for the poor man's lamp and the saint's candle-light".
Folk song from Crete

“The whole Mediterranean, the sculpture, the palm, the gold beads, the bearded heroes, the wine, the ideas, the ships, the moonlight, the winged gorgons, the bronze men, the philosophers -all of it seems to rise in the sour, pungent taste of these black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water.”
Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990)

"I like them all, but especially the olive. For what it symbolizes, first of all, peace with its leaves and joy with its golden oil."

Aldous Huxley