MEDITERRANEAN JOURNEY

foreign [Music] [Music] this is the music of the Mediterranean as warm as the summer Skies of turkey where it originates we heard it on a journey through Mediterranean countries which provide us with many exciting and attractive things we eat every day our journey will take us through Spain France Sicily and Israel on the way to our final destination turkey this is the scenery typically beautiful in the apricot growing Coastal area of Spain we have come early in the fruit season because the apricot blooms first of all the fruits Liberty name apricot comes from Arabic and Greek words meaning early ripening the tree was first introduced into Europe from China its true home two thousand years ago in the time of Alexander the Great in the dusty dry Orchards where throats as well as roots need constant irrigation water and warmth are the two Commodities the trees must have in never-ending Supply but the rains in Spain fall red and man must use his Ingenuity to make the most use of the precious life-giving streets [Music] foreign [Music] what the farmer needs He makes himself all the children do in this instance we see twine being made for use on local farms now the result of careful labor is finally gathered apricots the mellow fruit of sunshine and now France to see a famous bridge and to hear its famous song yes this is the Bridget Avenue which stands not quite destroyed the mighty River Run some 40 miles from its Mediterranean Delta Avignon is a final medieval town which was once for a short period the home of the popes today it's Chief importance it is the center of a rich fruit growing distance one of its biggest industries is the Tourist Trail sightseeers come from all over the world to see the bridge remembered from the song of childhood or the castle of the popes but this is what we've come to see blossoms the growing fruit which Falls to our ears another old song an English one this time Cherry rice yes cherries from The Orchards around Avi another delicious gift of Mediterranean sunshine to please our palate [Music] the island of Sicily is our next call a journey which takes us to a land which has hardly changed its mode of life in all the centuries since the Roman Empire [Applause] we look in vain for landmarks of the modern world here we feel time has decided to stand still [Music] The Peasants set far greater store by Beauty than by hustle and progress Craftsman with a skill handed down from father to son patiently carved decorations of astounding detail on their primitive Hand cards cars and tractors might do the farm work quicker but what then would be left for the Mason to do look where you will the tempo of life is always geared to the unhurried pace of a quiet farming community it is the almonds of Sicily we have come to see Gray almonds cultivated amid scenery as Placid and Timeless as this but Serene and peaceful though we see it now there is always obviously the shadow of danger and disaster from the volcano Mount Etna and this is the blossom we have come to find the Almond Blossom adding its beauty to the Tranquil scenery [Music] in the Eastern Mediterranean area we visit Israel the home of Jaffa Origins oranges will grow in most Mediterranean countries but never more luscious than in Israel [Music] here on a coastal strip fringed by cypruses and Palms which act as wind breaks we find the Orange Groves which lie about 25 miles north and south of Japan the Harvest Time for Jeffers is from late November until April dull weather for us but blazing sunshine in Israel the oranges are not picked haphazardly but clip tops great care is taken to see that the little green stem end as it's called is not damaged or detached from the fruit this little disc which you will find on all oranges is a natural seal against Decay causing bacteria which if allowed to enter the fruit would infect and ruin the orange by the time it reached you in the shops foreign [Music] yes harvesting is warm work and when it's time for the break it's Grand to have refreshing oranges Within Reach of your hand a quiet chance and cheerful laughter make a welcome pause before the picking begins again at the packing station the Jeffers are sorted and graded before being washed thank you is around exports every year about six and a half million cases of monitors which case weighs about 90 pounds jappers go about three to the park so that we arrive at an approximate figure of 1 800 million oranges exported every year after washing the oranges pass over rollers which speed up the process of drying in pink sometimes they are given a thin film of natural wax to preserve the goodness inside finally the fruit is hand wrapped and packed into casings and it's hard to imagine any machine which could work faster than this girl our Mediterranean Journey ends now at Turkey in Istanbul Constantinople that was the Fable Dole capital of the Byzantine Empire Istanbul is the only city in the world that stands astride two continents Europe to the West Asia to the east it is the starting point of another surf forled mingled with the four-legged Travelers we get our chance to see Turkish people face to face a fierce proud race in whom Family Ties and love of children is strong looking out over the Black Sea we find that it is really blue the sun sparkles on the waves as our ship turns in for the shot we are at Garrison at last here is another aspect of the Turkish way of life under the shadow of the minarets behind the harbor where young and old work and play and live out their lives Garrison is the headquarters of an old and prosperous industry the center of an export trade fourth in importance in the Turkish economy can you guess what would you expect to find growing here that flourishes in the lanes of Britain the answer is hazelnuts Turkish foods in groves that blanket the coastline in Endless miles of green the month here is August the start of the harvest season the kernels of hazelnuts besides being tasted to chew are rich in food value with nearly 70 natural oil and the nuts of Garrison are among the very finest the women folk of Garrison have only recently ceased to bail their faces from public Gates a practice still continued in many country districts their husbands May dress according to Western veterans but many wives have very plain wardrobes walking through the town we see a famous traditional dish being sold Shish keep up a sizzling mixture of meats roasted on a revolving spit whenever they may the sun-loving Turkish people take their meals in the open hand the tables are set today for a Civic feast [Music] elsewhere too the feeling of fiesta is abroad towards the end of the day villagers gather on the cliff to Mark a happier season with a song and dance meet an ever-increasing World demand the filbert Growers are learning to modernize their methods of cultivation terracing the hilly slopes is a means of conserving space and scientific research has given the farmers chemical weapons with which to fight disease and pests but for Gathering the nuts there is no better or quicker means than the skill of the human hand [Music] as soon as they are picked the nuts are spread out in the sun so that the husks the stocky ends of the nuts spin wither and drop on leaving just the shell behind the Deep bed of nuts is constantly raked and winnowed by hand a job which continues all the time the nuts are picked once the nuts are husked they are collected together and given another drying in the Sun this is because rain and the natural moistness of the Black Sea climate May induce a mold which can spoil the entire crop the big problem in Garrison is to find enough space to spread the nuts somewhere there's got to be room for 35 000 tons of them so we see them everywhere by the shore on rooftops even in the streets themselves here is the first machine ever tried out in Turkey to do the job mechanically a method which may in time spread throughout the land the sweet little bits of turkey find their way to 23 different countries across the globe renewing as each new season starts a trade which was first begun more than six centuries ago and so our journey hope begins leaving the stately minarets fading slowly into the distance our destination now is England [Music] [Applause] [Music]