Baby steps in the dirt

On the weekend we spent a gorgeous late afternoon in Senol's Uncle's garden over on the Asian side of Istanbul. Yashar and his cousin got to feel the dirt on their feet for the first time! They were captivated.

The garden was growing beautifully - a fig tree with the promise of delicious fruit to come and this walnut tree - I had no idea that this is what they looked like.


Another Uncle and a cousin arrived carrying a large sheet, with purple juice dripping from the bottom. They plonked it on the table, grinning and ready to accept the forthcoming compliments and gasps of delight. What had they delivered? Kilos of mulberries!

It took us a while to figure this out as the varieties are different here to the darker mulberries I have seen before. Here the white and purpley/red varieties are common. In fact I think it is pretty rare to find mulberries available in Australia. Here they are abundant, splatting on the ground as you walk past the trees! Apparently the white variety's leaves are the favourite for silk worms.

The evening light faded as we had lots of laughs, playing with Yashar and his cousins and enjoying the mulberries and a cool drink.