Solo Euro Trip for 52 Days (Southern France Chapter) ~ July 9, 2015 ~ Day 5: A Purple Ocean of Lavender in Southern France
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Today I joined a local tour, and the highlight was, of course, the lavender fields！At nine o’clock, I was waiting for the driver at the tourist center—there were about a dozen people waiting, probably all on different local tours. The driver was a little late, but after checking names, we got on the seven-seater van and set off. After driving for about two hours, the driver stopped by the roadside and gave us some time to buy fruit. There happened to be a huge field of sunflowers—my first time seeing such a vast expanse. They were even taller than me, with blooms as big as my head！But why were they facing downward instead of toward the sun? The driver-guide explained that this year’s weather has been extremely hot, coupled with severe drought and no rain for a long time, so the sunflowers have turned into “ground-facing flowers”! The sunlight was also too intense—I had to squint just to take photos！(My sunglasses had already been lost at Lyon train station…)
After another hour of driving, we passed through the ceramic town of Moustiers Ste Marie. The driver purposely stopped to let us take photos of the town from a distance. After visiting Lac de Ste Croix, we’d have lunch in the ceramic town. Soon after, we arrived at a viewpoint of Lac de Ste Croix—the emerald-green lake was absolutely gorgeous. Coming to southern France is all about seeing these natural wonders, making the long drive totally worth it！Then, after a short drive, we reached the dock of Lac de Ste Croix, where we could rent pedal boats to explore the Gorges du Verdon. It cost seven euros per person for one hour, and we were advised to turn back once we saw the waterfall—that timing worked out perfectly！
Back in the ceramic town for lunch, I had a burger and then strolled around. As the name suggests, the town is famous for its ceramics, and every piece is quite pricey. Photography is strictly prohibited in the shops！
We then drove toward the lavender fields. Along the way, we saw many lavender farms that had already been harvested. The driver took us to a less crowded field for photos. According to GPS, we were in Puimoisson.
When we got out of the car, he mentioned that there used to be a huge lavender field behind his van yesterday, but it had already been harvested. Fortunately, there was still a large area left for us to enjoy！It was like a purple ocean—up close, it looked like a sea urchin or wild purple weeds, but from afar, you could truly appreciate the beauty of the purple sea！Sometimes, viewing flowers is like observing people—you might miss something when you’re too close, but step back a little and you’ll notice their uniqueness！Just as I thought I’d taken enough photos, I realized the three aunties in the van were fully equipped with professional photography gear—long lenses, tripods and all. Compared to my entry-level DSLR, I felt a bit inferior！
After photographing the lavender, we drove to the L'Occitane Museum. On the way, we passed through Valensole, where the purple arcs of lavender on the hillsides were incredibly beautiful. At everyone’s request, the driver stopped again for more photos！Then it was a quick visit to the L'Occitane Museum before heading back！