Road trip in Europe 2017. Lavender of France.
Before going to the lavender fields, I read a lot about her, and looked at dozens of photos. At that moment, I completely forgot about advertising, and the selection of special photographs. Everything is so beautifully painted and displayed. Welcome tourists from all over the world! In reality, everything is completely different.
I drove the main lavender growing route from Valence to Avignon. Unfortunately, I did not see any signs about where lavender grows. Some residents pointed me in the direction, but at the same time, some said that it was still early, and others that the lavender had already been cut. Yes, lavender blooms differently in different places. Scattering lavender fields for tens of kilometers. Traveled over a hundred miles. Met the first fields in the Montelimar area. After the ad, I didn't expect to see lavender like that.
I did not see that bright color of lavender blossom, as in advertising photographs, because I did not go to special places where tourists are taken. I thought that she was not yet ripe for collection. On each branch of lavender, out of about twenty flowers, only one or two blossomed. I saw ordinary fields interspersed with fields of wheat and sunflowers. The temperature reached +30 degrees. For some reason I thought that I arrived too early on 07/17/2017. Traveled through the fields of Valensole.
It was about 20:00, and I decided to spend the night right among the lavender. There were no people at all. Scary. (Immediately my fear reminded me of a reckless overnight stay in the forest at the foot of Mount Etna in Sicily in 2014). I parked the car at the curb, which on the roads of Europe is very small for a free exit. This is space in Russia with parking lots. Park your car where you want. That's why our roads are deteriorating so quickly.
I cleared a place for a sleeping bag from stones. He spread it between the rows of lavender, and climbed into it. The night was very dark and quiet. The moon lingered somewhere. There were stars, but very few. I couldn't sleep for a long time. Changed my mind different. Including why we live in this world, and why we spend our lives on various everyday small things, not appreciating it. I fell asleep imperceptibly under the smell of lavender. Who else slept like this?
In the morning I was awakened by a harvester who came to mow lavender. How to mow? She hasn't bloomed yet, has she? The combine operator told me that it was just right. If one or two flowers have blossomed on a branch, then it has already matured, and for tourists there are special places where lavender is in full bloom, but it is no longer suitable for collection. Here are the subtleties. I photographed the entire chain of lavender harvesting and storage. I visited the place of storage in the form of rolls, and where there is only a lavender inflorescence.
Surprised a lot. Many rolls have been lying around for a long time, and began to crumble. The inflorescence is poured directly onto a mowed field of wheat in the form of mounds. The wind blows the part in different directions. This is what I couldn't understand. Why is the collected lavender in different forms lying around on the sites in such an unprofessional manner, and why is it not taken to processing plants? Apparently, I do not understand something, but I see.
I drove through the lavender fields to the very mountain range that separates France and Italy. Everywhere everything is the same. Where the lavender has already been cut, and where it is still waiting for its harvester. I saw overgrown fields of lavender, and very young ones. I saw real lavender, not promotional. In a word, I now know a lot about lavender, but not everything. It's time for me to go to the northern part of Italy, otherwise I was already decently fried in France, but this is already in the next story.
Here I slept between rows of lavender. Harsh, but the smell is great.
Like we have a weed between lavender.
I didn't see the respect for lavender.
This is the land here.
Demonstrative harvesting of lavender.
Collecting lavender. Look carefully at the photos. Filmed everything in detail.
Everything is the same as ours. On the way, the wind scatters some of the lavender.
This is a collected lavender.
Young lavender.
