As you can see, the fields are pinstriped here in France. In England we have the pinstripe suit, but here in France it’s the fields that are pinstriped. And there are lots of them, fields that is, all over the place. Not that they look so pin stripy now since there has been a lot more growth since this photo was taken.

I finally found out what they were. What plant could be planted close together in one direction and far apart in the other? Why did they need a gap?

Well it appears that the gap may be to allow the sun to get in, because these are ‘turn to sun’ flowers (Turnesol in French); otherwise known as sunflowers.

Soon we should be surrounded with fields that look like this: Thousands of yellow heads all pointing the same way!

Now strangely, the farmers sometimes leave the flowers until they go black. They look horrible then. Others harvest them earlier (using a combine harvester, just like for wheat). Why this is I can only guess. I hope it is not just about EU subsidies!