Return to Valensole

Nearly ten years ago, I traveled to the Provence region of France, visiting towns like Gordes and Rousillon, while also spending time on the Valensole plateau, which is famous for its lavender fields. Unfortunately, I timed the trip a week or two too late, and the fields had mostly been harvested. We got to see one or two fields, plus some beautiful sunflower fields, but I always felt like I had missed out. This year, I decided to return.

We flew into Nice, and spent a few days on the coast, including visiting La Ciotat and Cassis. We then headed inland to Uzes, a commune in the Gard department, before heading east to Valensole for three nights.

We arrived during the height of the canicule — a record heat wave that saw France record some of its highest temperatures. In Provence, the daily highs were around 95f/35c. Despite the heat, we explored the area around Valensole and found dozens of lavender fields that were in full bloom. Some were very popular with other tourists — others we had to ourselves. I tried to find one that had rows running east-west, so that I could photograph it at sunset. I found one such field buried in the hills, far down a gravel road. We never saw another person there.

On our last day, the heat built throughout the day, and the early evening brought thunderstorms. As we neared sunset, the light was changing by the minute, with light rain and massive cloud formations passing through. We jumped in the car and drove to the field I had scouted earlier. I set up in a light rain, watching the wind push the rain away, with a rainbow forming behind me.

As the sun began to set, the sky lit up in color with an explosion of pink and orange. The light after a storm passes is always some of the best light you can find. I photographed the lavender field, but in many ways the sky stole the show. Here’s the photo: