* Between The Sea (the Med) and The Alps -- {Pronounce: ontruh la mair eh lay zalp}

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

On the road again

During the winter, we just happened to make a trip across France that included the same route we just took this past weekend.  As we'd taken a number of wintry scenic pictures on that first trip, we deliberately followed some of the same route this time to take a spring picture of a particular area.

Provence is really a very special area of France.  Among  its features is the possibility of growing lavender.  Our route took us right through Sault, considered the lavender capital of the world.  We normally don't see lavender fields on our travels; when we do, it's totally the wrong time of year.  So while one can find gorgeous pictures, we haven't actually seen them in full bloom ourselves.

However, an aspiring photographer will try to capture the best of what any individual moment might offer.  So when I realized I was seeing lavender fields under a blanket of snow, I thought it was worth a picture or two:

Lavender fields under snow
Lavender rows under snow

For fun, we found the same field on this trip thanks to camera GPS, but it's still too early to actually be in bloom.  It's still fun to compare the seasons, though.

Same field in spring
Same rows in spring

We happen to have gone through this same area three years ago just a week later, and we took pictures of some fields somewhere in the region that made the prettiest presentation (nothing with GPS at the time).  It was still too early for full bloom, although certainly a lot more than they are doing this year, and this field is really similar in appearance; but that would just be too much coincidence to really be the same place!

Lavender plants in early bloom

After we got back home, I discovered that some of my own lavenders were actually in full bloom.

Totally rustic

Bzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzz


While I do have some that haven't opened yet, and could be clones of the industrial variety (which have wimpier flowers that are supposedly more fragrant), I think whatever variety this one is has quite pretty flowers.  I do admit that my own setting is much more rustic, but that doesn't seem to bother the bees.




During the winter trip, I also took a picture of some dormant grape vines, although my primary emphasis was on the mountain in the background.

Winter grape vines

Here is what another field of grapevines about half an hour away from the winter ones look like in spring.  Some varieties do best on steep hillsides (I've mostly seen that in Germany), some are grown with long vines attached to wires, and some are just kept short almost like a bush.  Every variety apparently has its own form for best production.

Grape vines getting started on a new season

I hope you've enjoyed this little armchair travelogue.  I would have loved to taken you with me in person, but perhaps my photography and ability to travel the region myself have given you a little bit of a new experience.

1 comment:

  1. How fragrant are your lavender plants? It was a very pretty plant. One of these days you will hit that exact same place with the lavender in bloom and complete the picture.

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