This time of year in Provence is particularly extraordinary. It’s lavender season, which is a brief and beautiful moment in time. Usually, it begins in mid-June and harvest is mostly complete by the end of July. Last year with heat wave after heat wave, it bloomed early and was over fast. This year, it had barely started when I arrived and is in full swing now.
I’ve been out to all the traditional spots waiting patiently for the full colour to arrive, and it finally has. And now I can’t seem to stop myself from taking endless pictures and generally having a silly grin on every time I see a field. I am not certain, but it seems to smell better this year, maybe lavender doesn’t like it too hot, and the weather is perfect for it this year. The colours also seem more vibrant. Perhaps I am just making all this up, but whatever it is, I am enjoying it.
I’ve been lucky this year and have been out on several bike rides with friends already, as it’s a bit more comfortable exploring further reaches when you have someone with you. The other day, John and I went into the Drôme to the area where I often go. But we climbed a new col to me, which meant it would be a three-col day. A lot of elevation for a short distance, but it was spectacular. I knew there might be some lavender, but corner after corner, a new patch would appear in front of our eyes. Deep purple, and the scent glorious. It was never over-powering and somewhat ephemeral, just like the season itself.
Today we went up into the high plateau above Sault starting up the Col de Macuègne to the Col de l’Homme Mort and back through Aurel. It was also the first day of the canicule, the first heatwave of the summer, so we started early, as we knew we would be stopping frequently for photos. While there were some beautiful spots and is a truly spectacular place, the lavender earlier in the week took my breath away. No worries, I will make a few more trips back to some of those magical spots to soak up every last second of the season before it’s all harvested. Such fleeting moments of beauty are perhaps what make it all the more profound, and I feel so lucky to be here to take it all in once again.
