Bicycle tour Eichberg 11.10.2006

At today´s bright autumnal weather I ride from Bad Tatzmannsdorf via Oberschuetzen, Pinkafeld, Grafenschachen and Lafnitz to Eichberg, both directions about 50 km.

A visit to a pumpkin farmer. I am welcomed by a collection of different pumpkins ...

 ... and a welcome comission is awaiting me ...

By chance, the pumpkin crop is on its way today.

Only the seeds are used, so the bulk of the fruits are discarded back to the field.

Before, the pumpkins have been freed from the tendrils and arranged in rows.

The crop machine ...

 ... takes them with its sharp spears and works them up.

Some of them fail to be taken on, they have to be thrown on the machine by hand.

The real cause of my journey, however, is to see Austria´s biggest pumpkin of the year 2006, (new Austrian record and range 7 in the European contest): a giant exemplar of 372,2 kg !!!

Riding home, the sun is sinking and sends her latest rays to a corn field ...

 ... with ripe cobs.

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