Magnifique! Why purple reigns in perfect Provence
FOR many of us, lavender’s deep colour and its unforgettable fragrance encapsulate the heady joys of Provence. Who has not drooled over the iconic image of blossoming fields abutting the 12th Century Cistercian abbey of NotreDame de Senanque? If you want to see it for yourself, the village is close to Gordes in the Vaucluse area.
Lavender water, its soap and its essential oils evoke images of hot, lazy summer days. But although lavender is a €45 million industry, it is, sadly, an industry in danger.
There are several ways to ‘do’ the Lavender Route. You can hook up with a tour, travelling from the old Roman city of Orange or Montelimar and wind up six or seven days later in Grasse, the renowned perfume capital of the world.
Or you can meander at your leisure, stopping where you fancy, immersing yourself in the daily lives of those working in Haute Provence. Hire bikes or drive through some of the most magnificent scenery you are likely to discover anywhere in the world.
Fly to Marseilles. This papal city is always worth a few days of your time. Before you pick up your hire car, treat yourself to lunch at Maison Christian Etienne, situated in a 13thCentury building.
From Avignon, head through vineyards to Carpentras and on to Sault. All around Sault, the plateaux have been planted with lavender. In summer, it is a riot of purple-blue. In spring, it is tranquil and verdant. The town offers a bustling Wednesday morning market, a lovely Romanesque church, and deliciously tranquil lunch spots such as O Pichoun in Place de la Chateau, where we relaxed on a terrace.
The food, accompanied by a glass of Ventoux rosé, was more than acceptable, and the view was spectacular.
We also stopped for shopping in Un Air de Provence, where I bought perfumed soaps, patterned tablecloths and matching napkins for the garden, and bedcovers.
Slightly out of town on the road to Saint Trinit, we discovered the delightful Hostellerie du Val de Sault, with a pool and tennis courts. An overnight stay here is ideal for the activities on offer: horseriding, hiking, paragliding, mountain-climbing.
Our next stop was Forcalquier, passing through rolling fields of young lavender and others dashed scarlet with poppies.
Here we spotted for the first time why these Lavender Routes are in danger: drier seasons, shifts in nature’s timing and an insect that attacks the plant and kills it.
These leafhoppers don’t seem to bother the wild lavenders, only those monocultivated. So, further up around Digne-les-Bains, where wild lavenders proliferate, there appears to be no problem.
Imagine if these magnificent purple fields were to disappear. The farmers are anxiously trying out methods to repulse the pests. One solution is to plant lavender and wheat in the same field. As you travel, you see exquisite mosaics of purple and flaxen wheat in long rows alongside one another.
Passing through one sleepy hamlet, we pulled over at a renovated olive and walnut mill offering rooms to rent and local products. I bought three pots of honey, two of lavender and another of aromatic shrubs.
The villages along the way were classic Provence; stone-built with brightly painted shutters to guard against excessive heat. Surprisingly, it was several degrees hotter up here than at the coast.
We also made for the Auberge Charembeau, two miles outside Forcalquier. The 18th-Century farmhouse is set in 17 acres with a pool, and surrounded by walnut trees, fields of lavender and poppies, and there are views of the Luberon mountains.
I loved Forcalquier, with its narrow medieval streets. Its elegant 12th-Century cathedral boasts a carillon that chimes every Sunday morning. I also found a junk shop from which I could have furnished our entire farm.
Our next stop, Valensole, bills itself as lavender capital of the world. In every direction were vast expanses of robust plants.
Our onwards journey to Grasse was magical. In Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, perched at the western entrance to the breathtaking Gorges du Verdon, we found an excellent restaurant called La Ferme Cecile.
Jean Giono, one of my favourite writers, wrote: ‘Lavender is the soul of Provence.’
After several days immersed in such spellbinding scenery, inhaling high mountain beauty, my soul was revitalised.