We finally got to tick another box off our very long list of ‘must see’ places to visit in the South of France, last weekend.

We drove up the winding mountain roads through Parc National Regional du Verdon and at the top we came upon the most spectacular views imaginable over Gorges du Verdon,

“Bienvenue au Paradis!” (Welcome to Paradise!) shouted one happy young man to his friends. He was right. There is no photograph that ever could do it justice. (Ozark, eat your heart out.)

With its unique turquoise waters, it is the largest lake canyon in Europe. Swimmers, kayaks and sailing boats dotted its unique turquoise waters and the village of Lac de Sainte-Croix nestled along the shore.

We continued along for another few minutes, catching snapshots of even more spectacular views than the last. We stopped off at a little café in the square of the picturesque commune of Riez, then drove out the other side and arrived in lavender land.

Firstly, as you can probably imagine, the smell is heavenly, and secondly, the sound of a gentle breeze and millions of bees busily buzzing around the lavender would send you into a state of instant calm and relaxation. (So glad I wasn’t the designated driver – Zzzz!) We took out our picnic and with our hearts full to bursting we happily sat and absorbed every ounce of nature at its absolute finest.

The lavender is in full bloom for a very limited time each year, so for anyone thinking about taking the trip, this weekend or possibly the next is the time to do it. The roads were reasonably quiet and there were plenty of places to safely pull over to the side of the road.

Rosie x