Saturday 1 December 2012

Walking into December


Walking behind this couple today, I reflected that we might look like this in 5 years time if fate is kind to us.  I wouldn't mind, I'm almost ready to give up the fight and resort to an elasticated waistband and grey ankle socks with everything.  After all, who's watching?




After driving our daughter to the airport for her Christmas "treat" - a trip to England to see her old pals - Husband and I set off on our favourite walk.  The route never gets monotonous. Last month, the fields were still brown and frazzled, last week they were busy with tractors ploughing and bee hives being unloaded and this week, everyone is out picking olives.  It's been so windy this weekend that most of the olives are on the ground so the familiar sound of long sticks beating the top branches was absent today. 




The 2.5 hour round trip takes us down backroads and pathways through to Etrim, a carpet-making village, which is busy with tourists during the summer but quiet and peaceful at this time of year. 
It's our only local walk to include a tea-house and as we stopped for a breather we were joined by Mehmet Top who insisted on buying our teas.  Mehmet makes baskets, traditionally used for olive picking but he says he now makes them just to keep himself busy.  



Etrim is also one of the few places with a village fountain, so we don't have to carry water with us for Jake.  He tried to share it with the locals but eventually they chased him off and he had to wait his turn.



25 comments:

  1. What a lovely post, it made me feel that I was almost there walking with you, sharing the landscape and your musings. 'Giving up the fight' just before Christmas festivities sounds an excellent idea - there's always New Year resolutions if you change your mind! But you must have made a typing error: 'in 5 years'? Surely you meant '25 years'!
    It's snowing thickly here in France - no chance of a walk but a giant wood pile waiting to be brought inside.

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    1. We are still enjoying good temperatures of about 20 degrees in the daytime but it's blowing a gale.

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  2. Thanks for taking us with you on your walk through such beautiful scenery. You make me feel lazy, so as the sun is actually shining today, I think I must drag DH out for a walk when I get back from church. :-)

    I love the photo of the tree with the trellised trunk. Is it an olive?

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    1. One of the very few things I miss from the UK is a walk to church, especially at advent.

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  3. I too love that tree! How amazing is that? I can't imagine how it got like this - I've looked and looked and even called my husband over to look. He thinks it's the roots.

    And a lovely, lovely walk. I'd love to give up the fight but won't just yet, though I do have grey ankle socks (unmatched!) on under my boots...
    Axxx

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    1. It's def. the trunk - there are quite a few old olive trees around here like this. Locals call them "knitted" trees.

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  4. . . the weather is perfect for walking and jobs; have to agree about having to accept that things ain't what they used to be - around the waist, in the back etc. People say that there are compensations for getting older . . they lie!

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    1. You'd think with all this waking I'd be a thin as a rake - hubby is but I'm struggling to get my winter trousers done up.

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  5. Strange tree. Looks like something out of Brothers Grimm tale. Where are the fairies? ;-)

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    1. I always secretly look for the fairies when I walk past.

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  6. Very lovely post and the photos were so beautiful. Your walk sure beats the heck out of passing construction sites! Keep on truckin'.

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    1. It's nice walk because we get to pass the time of day with lots of our distant neighbours.

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  7. Beautiful walk! And such lovely weather for walking - despite the constantly forecast rain.

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    1. Even between the rain showers today the sun was shining. Aren't we lucky .

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  8. I have never seen a tree like that. How wonderful!

    Pearl

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    1. I'll post some more photos of these strange trunks.

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  9. I love the sound of where you live. It sounds too good to be true. Yes and that amazing tree along with Mehmet Top making his baskets ... fabulous.

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  10. What a nice area for a stroll.....wish we had your weather here.
    That photo with the goats look like they are posing for the picture, so cute....hehehe.
    Never seen a tree trunk like that, it looks amazingly very interesting.
    Mehmet Top makes awesome baskets....do you have any of his????
    I see Jake taking a refreshment break......he looks like a Bearded Collie I had before????
    Thanks for sharing a moment in your daily adventures....wonderful post.

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  11. lovely post; your part of the world looks ideal to me - my hope and dream to move that part of the world, at least for some part of the year, in 10 years time ! hope you daughter enjoys England - we just had our first little snowfall in Surrey : )

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  12. Can't reply individually again:
    Claudia - When we returned to live in Turkey I promised myself I would not get involved in politics and try and live a "Polyanna" existence in the country - It's working so far!

    Erica - Jake is a stray so we will never know what breed he is but he looks like a cross between a Bearded Collie and a Wheaten Terrier. He has more of a Beardies's temperament though. I don't have any of Mehmet Top's baskets yet.

    Özlem - I hope you get to vısıt this part of the world, I"d love to show you around. It was snowing in Sussex this morning too.

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  13. Dear BtoB, is that tree with all the recesses in it an olive tree????? Thanks for taking us on this walk down a Turkish road and introducing us to someone who can craft such beautiful baskets. Peace.

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  14. Love to hear about how some things just don't change. Looks like a lovely walk....somehow at this time of year, these are the things that become most important. Love the photos - the tree is pretty spectacular, but I also like the basket making.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Anita. The contrast between town and country in South West Turkey is vast.

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  15. knees are getting so seized up that virtual walks like this are a delight.

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  16. Can’t believe that 6 months after this we were with you both re-living our Famous Five adventures. Happy memories xx

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