Mario Thanavaro, the founder and first abbot of Santacittarama, came to visit while Ajahn Sumedho was here and some of us went for a trip to nearby Fara Sabina, a charming and ancient hilltop town, and to Canneto, which boasts what is reputed to be the largest olive tree in Europe and is estimated to be 2,400 (!) years old. It’s remarkable to think that a tree so close to the monastery has been growing since shortly after the time of the Buddha, and that a tree and a religious tradition have survived while so many individuals, cultures and empires have come and gone. Just as the olive tree, despite its advanced age, continues to bear fruit, so does the Buddha-sasana (dispensation of the Buddha) continue to grow and offer spiritual nourishment