Sahagun: Taking it easily

September 8, 2013

Another easy day of cycling through this very productive land. All the wheat has been harvested and Ken says that by the look of the stubble it has been an extremely good crop, the straw has mostly all been bailed and is safely stored away. The sun flower crops are no longer a brilliant yellow but their seeds are just beginning to dry out so they must be a fair way away from harvest. We have seen a few fields of lucerne, corn, potatoes and even one of peas today. There are no grazing animals outside but Ken while on a tractor hunt this morning was shown how the farmer dealt with his dairy herd, masses of fluffed up straw and housing of course. In the fields you often see big piles of the used straw ready to be spread. In much of this area there is irrigation and the effect on the poor little rivers is very obvious. There are a few rivers with good looking water but the smaller ones are a stagnant mess. The crops that grow without irrigation are wheat, barley and sun flowers. Having walked through the area about 8 years ago the big difference is the number of wind generators, then there were very few, now every ridge is a mass of them though they seldom feature in our pictures. I have very mixed feelings. Yes they are ‘green’ but in these numbers to me they take away from the beauty of a pristine landscape.

We call in at every little village and have a coffee and very pleasurable sociability with other pilgrims. Sahagun where we have stopped is a biggish little town and once more we are in a Hostal (this time we have an en suite that pleases Ken) and with the prospect once more of a big and delicious dinner. I think if this goes on I will be putting on weight rather than losing it, perhaps we need to double our mileage to balance things out.

Sun flowers with a way to go before harvest

Piles of straw and cow dung ready to be spread in a harvested wheat field

Ken approves of this farmer who uses his 60year old Deutz to care for his herd

This little church at San Nicholasdel Real Camino is about the same size as St Marys or St Peters but certainly a contrasting style

This gives you an idea of its size. The tiny village is much smaller than either Pokeno or Bombay and the church was full, mainly of men, this morning

Ken didnt know these existed. It is a Lanz Iberica probably from the fifties, a single cylider two stroke semi diesel with a self starter, rear hydraulics, belt pulley and PTO (k) looks a wreck to me(T)

Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 2,345 km (1,456 miles)

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