We’d never been to Provence before and didn’t know exactly what to expect. The one thing we did expect was the lavender, and it didn’t disappoint. Provence is the largest lavender growing region in the world producing about 50% of the nation’s crop. Never-ending fields of purple contrast with the golden wheat and green grape vines that blanket the hills. We found that some of the fields at higher elevations were not blooming yet, while those at real low elevations were already being harvested. After harvesting it’s off to the distilleries where we learned how they extract the essential oils. The oil then gets used to make your perfume smell better, cure your headache and spice up your dinner. I don't think there are many uses they haven’t thought of yet. Any flowers that are spared from the distillery then get used to decorate every shop, restaurant, and house in town.
