Our Colombian friend, Amparo Rueda, visited us this summer in Languedoc on her way to Lyon where she attended a professional convention. She brought her lifelong dream to see the lavender fields of Provence and to attend, in mid August, in Sault, the festival that celebrates this beautifully scented jewel of nature. As we approached Sault, the fields went from the dull colour of the recent harvest to the glorious lavender of the plants in bloom, the delicious perfume intensifying around some of the road bends.
Lavender fields | Timothy Fallen-Bailey 2014
We stayed in nearby Rustrel at La Cour Carrée, a delightful B & B operated by a trio of very friendly expats, Shelagh and Mike from the UK and Laurie from the US. Our rooms were beyond comfortable and the house was tastefully decorated with an incredible collection of Chinese objets d’art. Our friendly hosts made sure that our stay holiday a most delightful one.
The festival is an annual event during which visitors can watch local lavender producers harvesting their crops (there is a field of lavender in the very centre of the festival) and, if interested, can even have a go! As you wonder through the stands, delicious lavender flavoured confections are waiting to be discovered. We tasted them all from the lavender macarons and meringue kisses, through the lavender ice cream and lavender lemonade. Yum!