Several hundred feet above sea level and two kilometres inland from Aegina’s coast lies a truly magical pace. Accessible by foot or 4x4, a dirt road ascends into the bowl of a hot plain ringed by stark hills. Millenia ago this was an area of volcanic activity that has left an imprint on the landscape still visible today in the form of igneous rock deposits. Contrasting greatly with the surrounding Limestone, these deposits have been quarried for centuries, shaped into millstones and shipped around Greece.

But it is not only the geology that is interesting. Here lies what is left of an incredibly old olive grove. Known to locals but thankfully off the tourist trail, it remains tranquil and completely unspoiled. The area feels spiritual, exuding an aura of timelessness and peace. Many of the trees are hundreds of years old.

However there is one that has been scientifically calculated as being 2700 years old. Think about that for a moment; this tree was already a few hundred years old by the time Greece entered its ‘Classical’ age. Put another way, it had been growing for more than 700 years by the time the Romans invaded England. Looking like something from a movie set, this ancient leviathan’s years on this planet are reflected in a gnarled and twisted exterior, while a huge root system has spread out above ground.

We spent a little while sat in the tree’s shade soaking up the ambience. Apart from a small old church a few yards away, we didn’t notice another building in the vicinity, it was a few more kilometres before we came to a tiny hamlet high above the grove. 2700 years is a good age for an olive tree, although I have read of one that is around 5000 years old on the island of Naxos. This is something I would consider a privilege to be in the company of - even for just a short time. So I am considering drawing up plans for a trip to the Cyclades, allowing me to make a ‘pilgrimage’ to a tree almost twice as old as the one I sat under in this special place.

Images were taken using a Leica Q2 camera.