By Sylvia Arad | Submitted On Might 07, 2010
To undertaking to Provence in July is always to be dropped inside of a purple coloured sea. Oceans of lavender just about everywhere - in patches, in waves, in best rows, subject just after field - the hillsides in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence are daubed in blue, mauve, grey and violet by wonderful swathes of lavender in bloom. This is often harvest time in Provence's lavender regions - the tractors are rolling, the distilleries steaming and lavender festivals are in complete swing.
Lavender, the emblem of Provence, is increasing below for good. Its official cultivation however is rather new, and has provided increase to lavandin; a hybrid Model applied extra for industrial applications.
"Fine" or accurate lavender is grown for its crucial oils. To qualify to the hugely coveted AOC (Appellation of Managed Origin) - France's optimum stamp of acceptance - the lavender will have to fulfill very strict criteria, its manufacturing limited to 284 villages and cultivated in regions over 800 m inside the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Drome and Vaucluse. Utilized for perfumes, in aromatherapy and medicinally, it have to also meet up with olfactory assessments, and Specific harvesting and distillation procedures.
Beneath the blazing Sunshine, this sensitive plant is harvested by hand by family members steeped in its traditions, who definitely have cultivated it for generations. It can be then dried for times right before remaining distilled. The distillation system is made of passing steam in the dried bouquets, which are collected in bunches in a still to extract their essential oils. Various techniques are used based on the lavender's use. To provide 1 Liter of essential oil, 287 lb. of fine lavender is used; for perfumes, the process is even more elaborate taking on 2200 lbs. of lavender to generate three gallons of complete pure oil.
Provence Lavender Region Delivers Wonderful Climbing Vacations and Biking Routes
Lavender conjures up breathtaking vistas of blue fields, punctuated by red poppies, a patchwork of gold grain and occasional strands of oak and pine which stretch into the hallucinatory blue horizon. This location is usually a biking and climbing paradise - biking routes abound for website visitors who desire to enterprise off- the-beaten-path over the "Route de Lavande" and mountaineering holidays about the "Grande Randonne" trails are an adventurer's aspiration. The imposing Luberon Mountains and Vaucluse basic serve as the backdrop to the magnificent panoramas of historic villages perched on hillsides; While using the scents of rosemary, thyme, savory instead of minimum, lavender.
The "Route de Lavande" qualified prospects site visitors via swathes of fragrant fields, gardens, distilleries, museums and villages. The many festivals, the most important hosted by Sault, show lavender floats and shows and supply not just bouquets and sachets, but every kind of lavender-associated products - creamy honey, scented candles and in many cases aprons. Dining places offer you lavender impressed menus and spas provide thermal baths and Prestige Lavender Fields massages with lavender oil.