If it’s lavender season in the South of France, then you go. There are a couple of places to see the lavender but the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is the classic view of the purple Provence postcards that are so often referenced. Situated at the bottom of a hillside, our first glimpse of the fields were from up top — and not exciting. I was expecting a grandiose show-stopping view and the quintessential rows were barely photogenic or even purple for that matter. But at ground level, the fields were breathtaking. They were dramatic. A vision I was sure was unique to only the South of France.
The road we took to get to the fields was a gorgeous (but nausea-inducing) ride and we had to tackle the same route back. It was pretty much a one lane road that curved around the hills of Provence and we were going into every turn pretty much blind to what was around the corner. You could tell who was a local and who was a visitor just based on their roadside manner, reminding me a lot of the road to Hana in Maui. I guess you have to suffer a little in order to see and appreciate the unparalleled beauty you pass by. Only instead of secret waterfalls and pools appearing out of nowhere, we saw entire villages and towns built directly into neighboring mountain facades.
The most impressive view was of the town of Gordes. We followed the cars that looked like they were headed that way to get a closer look. It was a gorgeous, hillier version of the other towns that shared the similar aesthetic and the shops and boutiques had every kind of lavender product available. We certainly found the best smelling place on Earth.