Petal power in Turkey

Go Feedback: Karen Ward of RTE's 'Health Squad' samples a holistic holiday with a difference

AS A HOLISTIC therapist I’m a great advocate of healthy pursuits and new experiences, so I love holidays that offer a chance to sample both. Now I’m in my mid-40s I’m done with the lying on the beach all week, so when I heard about a trip to Turkey featuring an organic-rose-petal harvest I thought, That’s definitely for me.

Margaret Scully, the trip organiser, dreamed of sharing the treasures of this beautiful country with other like-minded adventurers. An evocative ad she put in The Irish Timesconjured up images of exotic aromas, stunning scenery and lots of pampering, including daily yoga, a Turkish bath and massage on arrival, plus gorgeous organic food at every meal.

My husband was busy and I fancied a solo treat, so with excitement and a smattering of nervousness I arrived at Dublin airport to meet my fellow travellers. We ranged from our early 30s to our mid 60s, from history buffs to foodies to chill-out merchants and spiritual pilgrims.

We would be based in the Ephesian town of Selçuk, choosing between a two-star hotel with a roof-garden restaurant and a rented house with a Turkish steam room; both had swimming pools. Despite being at the centre of some of the most important sights in Turkey, Selçuk is relatively quiet, with no big hotels. The temperature in late May was that of a hot summer’s day in Ireland, with a midday peak of 25 degrees.

The focus of our trip was the opportunity to pluck rose petals at dawn. For three weeks every May or June the rose fields of Isparta come to flower. The farmers must harvest the moist petals before the sun rises and the dew dries.

We woke with trepidation and travelled to farms in valleys suffused with the scent of roses. For us this was a lark, but we were conscious that it was local families’ livelihood, and we wondered whether we would get in the way or be of real assistance.

Split into pairs, we were collected by our farmer hosts, mostly women, who gave us a short demonstration of what to do.

The women, who wore beautiful baggy clothes with matching scarves and aprons, were shy but welcoming – and very curious about their temporary foreign workers.

I’ll never forget the magical view of the valley, the aroma of fresh roses, the gentle laughter of the women and the feel of rose oil on my fingers as I drank in every drop of this holistic experience.

After three hours of fairly physical work we had just one or two sacks of petals each. It takes half a sack to make five millitres of essential oil, so we fully appreciated the extent of the harvest and the need for all hands on deck.

We devoured a picnic breakfast as the men arrived with donkeys and little tractors to take the sacks to the valley’s processing barn, where large vats and distillation equipment would turn the moist petals into precious attar. The process takes a full day, plus bottling and labelling, to produce the essential oils, creams, soaps and jams for export around the world.

Most of us know of rose’s romantic aroma, but the healing properties are also said to be immense, from lowering blood pressure to regulating hormonal imbalances.

Back in Selçuk we shopped and visited the beach and hot springs, both 20 minutes away by bus.

I returned home after a week, revelling in a wealth of new sensual experiences – and feeling much healthier to boot. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Margaret Scully’s next rose harvest tour runs from May 22nd to 31st (margaretscully.com)

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