Saturday 26 September 2015

Vine Harvest Festival


I have just spent a very pleasant morning in Mumcular at a festival of regional crafts, food and drink and a celebration of Mother Nature's benevolence to make us forget about the deluge she doused us with on Tuesday. On this warm sunny Saturday, it's hard to imagine the torrential rain 4 days ago.
I didn't have my photo taken at the Bağbozumu Hatırası stand above but was happy to snap away as others did.  Hatıra is a memento or a reminder and the festival organisers' aim is to keep these local crafts current and not let them be consigned to a distant memory.  The best way to encourage these activities is to give them a commercial outlet and encourage the next generation to learn from their elders. Most visitors landing at Bodrum airport head straight to the Bodrum peninsula and bypass all the villages and countryside on the way, thus missing out on the local heritage.  Steps are being discussed to divert some of these tourists inland.


I leant to spin 30 years ago, I was itching to try again. 

It's a subject close to my heart as I organised trips to these villages starting back in 1984 and all my clients really appreciated the chance to visit a local houses and sample home cooking and to watch wool being spun and dyed in preparation for carpet weaving.  It certainly influenced me as I decided to sell up in Bodrum and move out to the Karaova plains myself.

Sylvie, owner of Sylvie's Goats, producers of organic cheese. 

The festival continues tomorrow, Sunday, with talks, a cookery contest and a film.  If you are reading this within driving distance of Mumcular, I suggest you drop in to sample local wines, cheeses, pastries, syrups, honey, olive oil and preserves and if you are reading abroad, pop a hatıra in your diary to visit Mumcular/Karaova when you plan your next trip to Bodrum.

12 comments:

  1. . . it would be nice to see some of this enthusiasm rub off locally here - I could go on about the efforts, but it gets boring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We do seem to have an extremely enthusiastic group of movers and doers in this area.

      Delete
  2. B to B, I would so, so love to attend the festival and I'd come with lots of money to spend on the wonderful Turkish crafts. I could rave on about how much I love them. I'm putting a hatıra on my calendar now. (So glad the torrent did not interfere.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know Turkey. Very good at sweeping up and carrying on

      Delete
  3. Fabulous festival, so glad you shared - and will do at my end - it is in my calendar, you never know I may be able to come by, and will certainly encourage all to come! Hope it continues and goes strong every year, harika. Ozlem x

    ReplyDelete
  4. If I were nearer, I would definitley drop by: this is just the kind of thing I love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would be great to have a bloggers table.

      Delete
  5. I love the spinners...actually, I love all of it. Jx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks like a festival that's right up our street! :) Can see why you enjoyed it and why it's close to your heart. Hope they can continue to put the festival on the map and get those people inland. Think next time we go to Bodrum, we might hire a car so we can explore more places like this.

    ReplyDelete