Lovely Lavender

Here in Germany, things are starting to open up after some pretty strong COVID prevention measures. Several countries that border Germany have opened their borders, and my husband and I decided to take advantage of this opportunity by fulfilling one of my bucket list items—seeing the lavender fields of Provence, France. 

Lavender is one of my favorite flowers as it is beautiful, smells good, and as an essential oil, it is good for relaxation, burns, and so many other things. To see it bloom in such abundance was such an inspiration visually for me. Come along as I show you some of the stunning views of Provence, France, as well as a little inspiration from the French Alps.

We began our travels and worked our way through Switzerland, stopping in a tiny village just north of Lake Leman. We stayed at a hotel that was once used by the Templars and pilgrims as a resting place as they made their way to the Holy Land.

As I looked up at the beams, I marveled 
at the fact that pilgrims from the Middle
Ages looked up at the same beams.

The tiny village of La Chaux.

Once we entered the south of France, the lavender fields started popping up and a hint of their fragrance was in the air. It wasn't until our second day in France, that we saw the vastness that is the lavender fields of Provence, and because of COVID, the normal crowds at this time of year were non-existent. Seeing in person what I had only ever seen in pictures, was the highlight of all my adventures here in Europe.

While this flower was pretty, its scent was not!

Provence stole our hearts, not just with the beauty of the lavender, but with the quaint towns and villages that were so clean and picturesque.

This color blue was everywhere!

A lovely old door.

More Provence blue—and I really liked the name of this shop!

Not all the inspiration from Provence was on the outside—our Airbnb had these lovely tiles all throughout.

On our way home, we traveled to the lovely ski town of Chamonix, beneath the shadow of Mt. Blanc—the tallest mountain in the Alps. The town was lovely and provided some typical alpine inspiration on the buildings.

With travel limited these days, hopefully you have been inspired in some way by this little Provencal journey—I know I sure have! I am already picking out threads for a little lavender project in the future. 

Stay tuned!