I don't remember when I fell in love with lavender. Is it when I saw her and smelled her, or when I read Peter Mayle's books about the charms of living in Provence.
I started dreaming of a trip to the south of France. Not with a trip, as it is not easy to find, and besides, I wanted to enjoy the beauty of the landscapes in peace. This year I made my dream come true and I can recommend the way it happened to everyone.
Day 1.
As I didn't have much time and the car journey seemed too tiring, I flew Air France to Marseille with a change in Paris. Incredible, but despite the delay of the plane from Warsaw (I had only 45 minutes to change), the plane to Marseilles was waiting. Only 90 minutes more flight and I'm in Provence. I visit it in a rented car. The route was marked by local roads, through the most beautiful lavender areas.
The first day of the plan is a visit to Mason St. Joseph near Valensole. The nuns produce lavender, essential oils and lavender honey here (it has a unique taste and is worth buying there). The lavender harvest was ending in the fields below. I planned the night on an agritourism farm among lavender fields, but they are no longer purple. It worried me a bit. Was I going for nothing? I was comforted by an after-dinner dessert at nearby Valensole - lavender ice cream - yummy.
Agritourism accommodation costs on average 50-60 Euro for a double room with breakfast. You can find cheaper for around 40 Euro. The rooms are very clean, nice, with bathrooms. There is often a small swimming pool next to the farms.
After hours. 2.30 p.m. to approx. 4 p.m. hard to eat. Most restaurants in the province are closed during the siesta.
Useful addresses:
French Tourist Information Center [email protected]
Sylvian Morin: [email protected]
Day 2.
The area around Valensole is a lavender basin. Immediately after breakfast (with lavender honey) I leave the Le Lou Sigalou farm (sigalou is a cicada - a symbol of Provence) and head towards Avignon. On the route, I can see the lavender harvest. I must admit that this is a shock to me. Huge harvesters leave the field, leaving behind half-ton bales of cut lavender. And I am so gentle with mine
I'm going to Manosque. On the way, a visit to the natural cosmetics factory l'Occitane and a visit to the company store. It is very nice to hear that ecology is a priority here. The factory itself blends wonderfully into the landscape. For me, he is a role model.
The next stop is just behind the Mane in the Salago museum (Upper Provence). There are carefully recreated gardens around the castle, which has been managed by the commune for several years; from medieval to modern. Here, the heat is already taking its toll, so I am glad to cool down in the castle, where an exhibition has been prepared showing the stages of lavender production: from growing through the distillation process to finished products.
The higher I am, the more lavender smells. Overnight at the family farm Le Moulin Brun (so-called Gîtest de France, 2 ears) in Aubenas les Alpes.
The farm is beautifully situated in a vast valley, where even a mobile phone has to rest (no coverage), around a field of lavender and herbs . A room in a former loft - beautiful. The host, a friendly young man, talks passionately about lavender cultivation and agritourism in Provence, and shows a distillery.
Day 3
First stop at Château de la Gabelle. We admire the castle surrounded by lavender. Beautiful guest rooms. The owner is a lavender producer - she sends bouquets to the USA and Asia. Invites you to the farm buildings where there are tons of lavender dried.
The road continues to Salut-en-Provence on a lavender farm. The owner, a botanist by education, takes pride in showing you around the fields. It has 200 species of lavender. I have the opportunity to see how much they differ, for example in smell. It turns out that only about 5% of the crops are real, the most valuable lavender used in the perfume industry. This one is cut by hand. The other crops are lavandin. This is what is grown outside of Provence.
I meet Sylvain Morin, president of the Lavender Trail association, established to protect the interests of lavender producers and promote the region. You can count on his help in organizing a similar trip.
The way back to Marseilles leads through charming towns, for example Roussillon; a city shimmering with all shades of ocher, or Aix en Provence; the city of Cezanne. The road still runs among the purple fields, but there are already vineyards and olive groves, but this is a completely different story.