Los Arcos

Saturday, April 30th, 2022

Los Arcos

I had a very nice last day in Los Arcos. My morning was occupied with grocery shopping. I stopped by a local tienda and bought some bagels and cheese for a few meals. I also bought a floral plant for the owner of the pensione where I have been staying. I wanted to thank her for the two meals she made me. She also did my laundry a few times. 

Mila has offered to take me on a sightseeing tour at 5pm. She is very sweet and kind.

We drove to the local villages and churches. I found out that I’m not in the greatest shape for walking around. I walk slowly and am out of breath within a very short distance. 

Interesting facts I learned this evening;

1. The surrounding fields are barley not wheat.

2. Yellow flowered fields in my pictures are called colza. I had previously learned they were rapeseed. I think the colza is made into canola oil.

3. The cool looking trees are called platanero and they are of the Arce family of trees.

4. The area around Los Arcos is famous for the white asparagus. We passed many fields where the asparagus was covered.
Fun fact: White asparagus is green asparagus that never sees the light of day. Farmers work in the very early morning before daylight to care for the plants. 

5. Mila took me to a town that had a lavadero still in tact. A lavadero is a central washbasin in the town where the women used to go to wash their clothes by hand. Basically an early do it yourself laundromat. Except without any electricity and the only way to clean your clothes was by hand in a GIGANTIC shallow tub. 

I packed my backpack tonight for the first time in almost two weeks.

Los Arcos plaza

Lavadero