The Road Less Traveled: Provence in Bloom, France

Since we arrived in Spain almost a year ago now, I have been waiting to travel to the Provence region of southern France to see the lavender fields in bloom. Since Chris was away for the summer, I was thrilled when some of my best friends from the States decided to come visit me in late June, just in time for the peak of lavender season. The four of us rented a car and drove from Barcelona five hours east to explore Provence in full bloom. There are two main areas that are best to see the lavender in Provence:the surrounding valley of the beautiful Sault plateau, and the Valensole Plateau. We stopped in Valensole along our drive to the coastal town of Saint-Tropez where we spent the second part of our trip. Of the all the lavender fields we explored during our journey, Valensole offers some of the most stunning views. With soft rolling hills, historic French farm houses, and grey blue mountains rising on the skyline, you feel as if you have stepped into a whimsical painting where time stands still.

We stayed in a quaint little French countryside chateau about a 10 minutes drive from Gordes. Our hosts were an adorable Dutch/French couple who have lived in the area most of their lives, the countryside drew them in over 20 years ago and they haven't left since. You can't blame them as the area is drenched with the smell of sweet lavender, bright green vineyards line the winding roads, and the simple lifestyle of residents just seems so perfect. We loved exploring the nearby towns of Gordes, St. Remy de Provence, Louramin, and Ansouis. Each tiny town offers countless treasures to be discovered in its unique art galleries, bakeries, cafes, and quaint shops strewn along the quiet streets

Along with lavender, sunflowers are in full bloom from mid June to early August, and blanket the countryside with warm yellow tones. If you're lucky you'll stumble on one alongside by side a lavender field, which will make for some pretty incredible photo opportunities! The sunflower fields are not as concentrated as the lavender fields, you will simply come across them as you drive along the back country roads.

Another incredible location to tour the lavender fields is the stunning Sault plateau. Sault itself is an adorable little village perched on top of a high ridge overlooking the valley below with lavender fields stretching out to the south and west. The village itself is tranquil with little shops and cafes selling everything from lavender honey to soap, with a beautifully restored church and amazing views of the golden wheat fields, lavender fields, and vineyards below.

We wanted to capture the lavender fields at their best at both sunset and sunrise for some incredible golden light shots. We woke up early our last day in Provence for a sunrise shoot and were not disappointed. Above are some of my favorite shots from our early morning adventure to one of the beautiful spots we discovered along the road to the Sault plateau.