Autumn in Turkey is like living in a Mr Kipling advert! You remember the ones, when Bramley apple pies were the epitome of a season of mellow fruitfulness. Turkey in autumn is like that, it’s like the long distant, probably rose coloured, memories I have of autumn in Wales.
It is gathering of fruits and falls of yellow and red leaves, woodsmoke and early morning mists, layers of mountains fading into the distance, clear blue skies and cold starry nights.
The days are still warm, the sun still tans and the air invigorates and come the early sunset we are all looking forward to evenings around the fire, throwing walnut shells into the ashes and enjoying a real “season”. I think that is one of the things I like about Turkey, it really has seasons and it changes with them and each season brings things to learn and treasure.
Right now the olive harvest is the main pre-occupation of the village. Villagers set out for the Zetanyagi with trailers of olives and return with lime green cans of cold pressed olive oil. In the tea houses the price of olives is the main topic of discussion, currently it is hovering around 3.5 ytl a kilo but store them until June and you will get 5 or 6 ytl a kilo. Much consideration is given to this potentially lucrative undertaking!
Everyone is involved in the olive harvest and good weather over the last ten days has made it a happy family affair and pleasant days in the fields. There is no sense of urgency and panic yet about it and methodically the villagers are working around the valley.
Yesterday we went to Sirince, a place I normally avoid like the plague because last time I went it was crammed with tour buses and herds of day trippers were clogging the narrow streets and bulk buying “traditional” Turkish wares from picturesque old people. It felt like Disneyland Turkey. But yesterday, in the peace of autumn it was lovely. You could really admire the houses and the views and the renovations and the ambience. It was nice and reminded me not to write a place off because my first visit may have been at the wrong time of year!
posted 05-12-2006 | 20:41:39 | Entry number: 11