Thursday 07/08/25
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| We're loving our weekly shop at the nearby village market. The fruit and veg is amazing - how can you not love a heart-shaped tomato? |
We've really enjoyed watching the lavender fields bloom, literally, from stubby rows when we arrived in the area to fragrant bursts of the most brilliant colour when out walking. We're lucky enough to have quite a few well hidden gems in the mountains behind the house, so they are well off the tourist trails and we have felt that we have had them all to ourselves.
Alas, the time has come for them to be harvested and, one by one, the fields were shorn by a strange combination between a combine harvester and a hair-clipper.
Thankfully one can still find beauty in the zen-like combed fields that are left behind. Until next year's season.
Apparently the price of lavender has declined dramatically in recent time so we are likely to see fewer and fewer of these fields in the future.
This morning we took another drive to the top of Mt Lure and walked the trail around the summit. We thought the views to the south that we saw last time were good, but once we got up to the northern face of the ridge, we got the most spectacular views out towards the Alps. It feels like you are on top of the world!
Unfortunately the views were slightly marred by the presence of smoke in the air, a sign of the serious fires that are raging to the south-west of us.
There are many hiking trails in this area so it will be a long time before we can get to them all - this mountain-top is very special indeed.
We really have to keep pinching ourselves to believe we are able to live in such a beautiful area.
Bonus pic: We found this gem in the garden.
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| This is a Carlina acanthifolia, a protected Alpine flower. The petals are still like the bristles of a scrubbing brush. |
