Crops

 

The arable land use is really interesting as we travel through different countries.  We were surprised in Italy how each tiny bit of land in a backyard was used to the enth, with gardens and chook houses and general feed the family stuff.  Then in Switzerland there were little chalets and plots that apparently were rented out by the owner to people who wanted to have small growing sections. The chalets contain all the tools etc and you come out to your ‘garden’ and tend it for a while…..

We could not say we saw the same enthusiasm for growing stuff in the Czech Republic as they lived in apartment blocks that went kilometre after kilometre and the only difference in the apartments, was the colour of the building.  I think this more than likely reflects the poverty of the country and also the political upheaval they have experienced in the last 30+ years. 

We started to notice the yellow field when we once again crossed into Austria as we made our way out the bottom end and toward Germany.  Cathy was supposed to Google what the crop was and we have hassled her for days about it, only to be told today by Jan, that it is a crop that is used to make Canola Oil.  Now that we are in France, we have noticed large tracts of land used for cropping and farming, which you don’t really expect to find in Europe as I had expected it to be packed to the gunnels with people (where do they fit them all???)  In the Lake Constantine area, there were heaps of grapes and fruit trees, which is close to the Black Forest (or lack thereof) so it must be really fertile land.