Today we were another nice quiet walk in the Red River Valley. The guide could be sued under the Misrepresentation of Goods Act. It was down hill all the way, I grant you, but most of it was vertical including a lengthy climb down a rickety rusty steel ladder. There was a lot of grumbling. And it took two hours not one. We suggested that next time he timed a walk he should take his granny with him. The real problem was that, while the scenery was stunning, all most of us are going to remember is looking at our feet.
View on the walk
Wild iris. We also saw a bright yellow single rose, ornithogalums, cornflower. Not to mention vines, apricot trees and other fruit trees. These were growing in tiny valleys along the way. They sell a lot of dried apricots here along with dried plums ( rather a high proportion of stone), pistachios, pumpkin seeds, saffron. In the middle of nowhere there are tiny stalls selling these products.
After this, we were taken to a ceramics factory and given a demonstration, then the soft sell.
A typical large plate - about 30 inches across and costing hundreds of pounds. Then on to a turquoise shop where I did succumb.
The highlight of the day was lunch in a private house. Apparently the tour company supports girls to college and the family of one of them gave us lunch. The menu was
Soup of rice and yoghurt plus lots of spices, very good bread (I really like fresh Turkish bread - very moreish), wheat pasta with meat sauce, rice and a stew of meat and vegetables. The pudding which was a rectangle of sponge, loaded with poppy seed and soaked in syrup, topped with homemade pistachio icecream. All this sitting in a courtyard under an awning. We then went and viewed some frescoed chapels carved out of solid rock. Tomorrow we fly to Georgia - by way of Istanbul so it is going to take all day. I have decided I will improve the shining hour by writing some postcards.
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