A helicopter ride over the lavender fields in the South of France
I was looking through my photo archives and realized that I never blogged about my trip to the lavender fields in the South of France early in the summer. I developed a love for lavender as a small girl. My father grew it in his very sunny garden in Nutley, New Jersey. We watched the blossoms carefully and harvested them when their fragrance was at its peak. The stems were lined up and tied into neat little bundles, which my father proudly hung upside in our kitchen to dry. The bundles were given away as gifts and also made into fabulously fragrant sachets that we tucked into bureaus and closets. Of course, when I had a garden of my own, lavender was one of the first things I planted.
The South of France is famous for its lavender fields and the town of Grasse is the capital of the French perfume industry. One of the large perfume houses established there is Mane, one of the worldwide leaders in the fragrance and flavor design industry with locations worldwide. Michel Mane, president of Mane USA was kind enough to give us a guided tour of this spectacular area. Please enjoy these photos taken with my Canon G10 and Panasonic LX3.
1 The highlight of my summer trip to the South of France was the helicopter ride to view the lavender fields north-west of Grasse - the perfume capital of the world.
2 Taking off from Antibes - Jean Pigozzi, Kevin Sharkey, and I flew first to Grasse to pick up our host, Michel Mane.
3 The views of the coast were phenomenal - we got bird's eye views of all the great homes on the coast.
4 The rocky Côte d'Azur
5 The azure water
6 The mansions and villas
7 A large establishment
8 Some of the properties are amazingly large for a place like this, where real estate is at a premium.
9 Antibes from the air
10 Many great yachts were anchored in the harbors.
11 This villa has a Jacques Wirtz garden landscape recently installed.
12 You can see just some of the symmetry.
13 This funny looking boat was designed by Philippe Patrick Starck.
14 A very odd design
15 The port of Antibes
16 An amusement park on the outskirts of Nice
17 Marina Baie des Anges is a famous apartment complex in Nice - very 'modern' and huge.
18 A closer view - It looks like ruins of pyramids from the air.
19 The crowded marinas
20 Flying north to Grasse, the landscape becomes more hilly.
21 We landed in Grasse at the Mane distillery for perfumes.
22 The factory in Grasse, where the highly automated fragrance and flavor blending and encapsulating activities occur.
23 So many wonderful scents for the perfumes of the world
24 We took off again to the lavender fields.
25 We saw all kinds of sights, including stone quarries.
26 This is a limestone quarry.
27 Barren mountain tops
28 The mountains started getting higher.
29 And the landscape became more barren.
30 There are small farms nestled in the stony hills and mountains.
31 So beautiful
32 The trip was about an hour, but we covered so much terrain.
33 It would have taken hours to go so far by car.
34 Huge cliffs
35 We flew over forests and fields.
36 Grassy hay fields, wheat fields, and and dairy farms.
37 More rugged landscapes
38 Limestone cliffs and canyons
39 Here is a murky river cutting through this canyon of limestone.
40 So unbelievably gorgeous!
41 The winds were quite brisk at this altitude.
42 You can definitely see the remoteness of the place.
43 The nature is so unique and the landscape so diverse.
44 All of a sudden a great lake of bright turquoise blue materialized.
45 This huge lake is used for irrigation as well as recreation.
46 The pale lavender fields were the first sign we were approaching the lavender center of France.
47 Hundreds of fields and thousands of acres!
48 Every purple block is blooming lavender.
49 Lavender is a fragrant perennial herb used for fragrances.
50 These are plowed fields and harvested lavender plants.
51 The lavender plants are fantastic.
52 Such straight rows
53 Every acre is used so well.
54 The yellow is blooming mustard plants.
55 Every acre has thousands of plants.
56 Mr. Paul - a French lavender grower and Michel Mane - our host
57 This lavender is about to be harvested.
58 Lavender grows in neat mounds.
59 On the ground the plants look very different than from above.
60 Recently harvested lavender stalks
61 Ready to be harvested
62 A closer view
63 This lavender is growing in close proximity to golden wheat.
64 A blur of sunflowers from the car window
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Oh my, Martha. . . .these photos are stunning! I love the views of the lovely cote d'azur and the lavender fields in full bloom are breathtaking.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | September 11th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Dear Martha,
Beautiful and breathtaking photos. Love South of France, it always reminds me of Lebanon.
Martha, I will be honored if you and Kevin visit us in Lebanon.
Below is a link featuring the nature and beauty of lebanon I am sure you will love it.
http://www.lgic.org/en/lebanon_photos.php
God Bless
Rowaida Flayhan
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | September 11th, 2009 at 3:53 am
Loved the pictures. Must have been an amazing sight to behold in person. Just curious to what is the green plant that is growing between the rows of lavender? Is it grass? Couldn't make it out from the picture.
Posted by: Donna | September 11th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Your blog is educational to the extent that the average person is dumbfounded to find that the world for the most part is functioning. Picking up the newspaper the headlines make you think the world is going to hell in a hand basket. You bring the beauty of the world to someone like me stuck in a dead end job. There are far more people living close to nature I think then those unfortunately drawn to decaying urban centers that suck the life out of the inhabitants.
your blog is so uplifting thank you for sharing the beauty of lavender Nice ain't so bad either.
Posted by: HBE | September 11th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Absolutely beautiful. I grow lavender for my cookeez, but it's just a few small bushes-nothing compared to even 1 row in Grasse.
Thank you for sharing. I would love to see the Flavor Fragrance manufacturing too, how amazing to smell so many wonderful fragrances in one place-fragrance is my passion.
Posted by: Tammy | September 11th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I watched your show. I love your wedding topics and those designer clothes you featured are just amazing!
Posted by: Global city condo | September 11th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thanks for sharing all your exciting trips with your fans. Enjoying your photos on your website is certainly the only way I will be able to see the rest of this amazing world. Only the wealthy could afford such trips.
Posted by: Sharon Hines | September 11th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Hi Martha, wow, really enjoyed reading about your escapades, really makes me want to get out a bit more!! Loved reading through your site theres so much to look at, no doubt i`ll be back later for more of the same!! The pictures are great!!
Steve!
Posted by: Steve | September 11th, 2009 at 9:54 am
-- 9/11/09 Bonjour & merci beaucoup, Martha! I studied French in h.s. & college. Can you help me get a job in France? YNP offered me summer job but former employers wouldn't provide easy reference. None! I sent ltrs. & resumes to N.Y. wineries/vineyards. I'd love to live in remote French countryside. J'adore le soleil. Au revoir! --
Posted by: Mina Isham | September 11th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Wish I could view the photos. But without thumbnail previews I'm not waisting my time to click through 64 photos. The rest of us work as hard as you do and our time is precious. Bye for now. Hope you change the layout of this soon.
Posted by: chad | September 11th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Martha - thank you so much for posting these photos - just beautiful. Today was the perfect day to be reminded of all the beauty in the world, as we sadly recognise the anniversary of such a tragic day in our country.
Posted by: mary c barber | September 11th, 2009 at 11:06 am
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Martha & the Giant Seagull in the Sky (photo 44),
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Oh My God, and I do mean God!! Such is the Earth in THIS tiny corner of our living space! I bow to the Heavens on this one!!
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I envisioned being right there flying with you, bump by bump, shocking sight by color, by sound, by scent. I truly think I would have fainted.
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A symphony of gratitude to you for these photos shot OF and WITH 'amazing grace.'
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Andrea
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Posted by: http://andyjspencer.blogspot.com/ | September 11th, 2009 at 11:21 am
This is for Chad - We are working on getting the thumbnail previews back, however, have you noticed how fast the photos change when you click?
Posted by: Martha Stewart | September 11th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Hi Martha,
I’m glad you realized you never blogged about your trip to the lavender fields! I would hate to have missed out on seeing these photos. I even felt like I was up in the helicopter but I have to admit, that is as close as I will get to getting into one. Cluck-cluck! It seemed you could reach out and touch some of those mountains and then you mentioned brisk winds. I think I need a seat belt on my computer chair when I view some of your pictures. When I leaned in for a closer look today, I felt like I was flying. No kidding!
>>
I don’t think the day will come when we’ve seen the most beautiful of your photos because you always come along with more. What could be more beautiful than that turquoise lake on one side, lavender fields on the other and both against a blue, blue sky! It takes my breath away.
>>
Thanks so much for letting us see how wonderful the South of France is. I am glad that you are so adventurous and willing to share! Trish
Posted by: Trish | September 11th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Absolutely gorgeous photos thanks for sharing your busy life with us.
Off topic: Have you been having issues with your tweets showing up? I've missed the last three tweets that you've posted starting at the six hour mark and I've been following you since before you had 600 followers!
Posted by: Sonya W. | September 11th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
How incredible the photo's are, my favourite ones are no:59,62,63. 64 reminds me so much of South Africa where fields and fields of Sunflowers are grown. Lavender fields have been one of my greatest wishes to see in France, we have lavender field in South Africa BUT the true sense of seeing Lavenders in its glory has to be going to France. Martha you are an incredible icon and I love reading your blogs and also being a member of your website. Thank you for your inspiration.
Posted by: Delia | September 11th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Fabulous pictures Martha - once again, thank you for taking us all to places most of us will never have an opportunity to visit!
Posted by: Donna Olson | September 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I love your "field trips"! You teach and bring us right along with you,it is the best part of all the older shows as well.
Posted by: Linda Adragna | September 11th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Martha,
thank you sharing your beautiful helicopter photos. I was wondering if you know how do the farmers harvest lavender on such a large industrial scale. Do they have some type of harvesters to do the job?
Thanks again,
Jana
Posted by: Jana Lunger | September 11th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Wow! Absolutely breathtaking!
Posted by: Brian | September 11th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Hi Martha, What a superb blog. These photos of the beautiful south countryside of France are absolutely stunning. I sure wish my Mother was alive to see this wonderful blog. Lavender was her absolute favorite scent in soap, perfume, etc. She would have just oh'd and ah'd at this photo gallery and would have wished she could have been there to enjoy her favorite scent. You sure do share fantastic photos with us and I love every one of them. Have a wonderful weekend. I can't wait for the beginning of the new season of The Martha Show on Monday. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | September 11th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
How incredible! Truly a treat for the eyes and the nose (I'm sure!). This would be an amazing journey for an alternative holiday, rather than the typical beach visit.
Posted by: Kat | September 11th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I really enjoyed a view of what lies between the Cote D'Azure and the fields. Never did I think of such remote mountains within the relatively tiny country of France. I'm very glad you decided to post. What a great thing to be able to page through the photos so quickly!
Have you ever visited Sequim, Washington during lavender season? It is beautiful also, and the towns on the Olympic Peninsula have retained their quaint country charm. I think you would enjoy the journey. It is conveniently located very close to the stunning San Juan Islands!
Posted by: Zona Wilson | September 11th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Dear Martha:
These photos are so lovely! And, the wonderful smell of lavender came back to me as I read your post and looked through your photos.
I really enjoyed this post, for I've always wanted to go on a helicopter ride and I've always wanted to go to France!
You've provided me the "best of both worlds" with these wonderful photos. Thank you so much!
Looking forward to the new season of your show!!!
Love,
Taryn
Posted by: Taryn Law | September 11th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Another beautiful journey through your eyes, Martha. Thank you.
Posted by: Jerri | September 11th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Martha,
Thanks for sharing! These are some of the most amazing views of the South of France. Being an artist, I especially liked the view of the lavender fields. The landscape is liked one giant canvas painted with purple fields, mixed with yellow wheat crops. Very cool!
Posted by: karen | September 11th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Oh wow, how incredible. Fantastic photographs, Martha!
You've been a teacher of mine for the past 2 years and I greatly appreciate your show, travels, insights, and of course, Martha Stewart's Cooking School. I'm a 23 year old male and firmly believe it's my generations go-to when it comes to the instructional kitchen necessity. Keep inspiring us all!
p.s. Saw you from a distance in Bendel's earlier this week- you looked georgous.
Cheers!
Posted by: Grant H | September 11th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Thank you, Martha and staff. the pictures are beautiful. Our world thru your eyes. Great job. And Hooo ray for lavendar. It is such a proud plant. Because of it unique Ball that it creates as it grows.it produces such a wow factor. Agree? Low maintenance is also what I love.
Regards,
CBB
HAPPY FALL TO ALL -
Posted by: CB Ballard | September 11th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
The helicopter trip photos are wonderful. I just copied them to a painter friend who loves colorful landscapes and will enjoy them even more, it that's possible.
Posted by: bellerose | September 11th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
So Beautiful!!!..lavendar is my favorite colour and flower...pictures are so awesome!
Posted by: Bridget Blair | September 12th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I love the look of lavender, and I love the smell of lavender, but if you can look at it in France, from an helicopter, then even better!!
Posted by: French bedroom furniture | September 12th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Oh thank you Martha, how beautiful the fields are. I too grew up loving lavendar; milled soaps and sachets. I also grow it in my yard and still harvest it. Much thanks for your beautiful pictures.
Posted by: Pam from Indiana | September 12th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Absolutely gorgeous!
I tried to grow lavender down here in Florida~
Needless to say...I ended up buying fresh cuts from a professional grower : )
It was lovely to see your pictures.
Posted by: Debra | September 12th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Thank you for sharing your trip to France. The country is so very lovely. I shall never get to go there and so loved seeing France through your eyes. I loved, loved the lavender fields. How wonderful it must have smelled! Just Lovely!
Posted by: Katherine Smith | September 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Such a beautiful array of photos! I have had two tours to Europe and lived there six years, this makes me want to pack and go again! Thank you for sharing these breath taking photos with us.You are my hero!
Posted by: Mary | September 13th, 2009 at 9:14 am
the south of france is our favorite place in the world and we were inspired by the lavender fields as well. coming home, we planted copious varieties in our garden and love these low maintenance, drought tolerant and fragrant darlings!
Posted by: KMS | September 13th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Thank you for sharing that with us Martha. We can almost smell the relaxing aroma of the lavender in your pictures. It is such a beautiful place (well ... I was born and raised on the French Riviera). The modern and luxurious apartment complex outside Nice is named "Marina Baie des Anges" and is indeed very famous.
Posted by: Sandra (L'esprit Sud Magazine) | September 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Great pictures Martha. I was happy to see some for Grasse and the Provence region. I just wrote about Grasse during the Tour de France as it was a stop on the route. The pyramid like buildings are actually nicknamed "the pyramids" it was the end town on stage 3 in the town of La Grande Motte. Looking forward to the new season. I hope you share more of your trip to France on the show as well.
Posted by: Claudine | September 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I love your show. However, I live on Marco Island, Florida and instead of seeing you on Marco Cable at 10 a.m. they've changed your time to 4a.m. on Fox channel 4. Sorry, but 4 a.m. is too early for me. Is there anything you can do?
Posted by: MaryAnn | September 14th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I loved these photos. "Ready to be harvested" -- a phenomenal shot. Wonderful!
Posted by: Jane | September 14th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Dear Martha,
My husband and I are planning a trip to the South of France next May. We are so excited to be traveling back to France. We have been bitten by the traveling bug since our 25 Anniversary two years ago. The South of France is next years destination.
Posted by: Nancy | September 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
I'm posting a bit delayed from the original edition of this blog...I posted yesterday on the 'Part II' lavender blog and had to backtrack today to take in your first cache of southern France's goodness. I, like many, am VERY grateful that you remembered!
~
Those patchy purple-ey fields! - how absolutely beautiful! My earlier post talked about how when the sun shone on a large lavender plant in my garden, it exuded it's fragrant lavender goodness into the surrounding air, and despite it being located in a hothot location, the imminent sweat on my brow was always worth it, just to take in the heady aroma AND nature, with all the bee-activity goings on. Oh, it does my heart good! I can't even imagine what FIELDS of this aroma would be like!...Heaven, right here on earth, I'd say...
~
Thanks as always for taking us along, Martha, on this lavender-fields-forever field trip!
~
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | September 15th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Hi Martha
I have never been to France. Thank you for the lovely tour over the Lavender Fields. I grow a little lavender in Eastern Canada,enough for potporri bags for closets, etc. as this is a more colder region, it has to be protected to survive the cold winter.
Great photos.
Posted by: Thelma | September 16th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
The pictures were beautiful. That's the closest I'll ever get to France. Thanks for the ride!!:)
Posted by: Cary E. Dehne | September 21st, 2009 at 4:59 pm
great photos/descriptions. i feel like i was there with you! thanks! never really thought about lavender but now i have a new found appreciation.
Posted by: Tim | September 24th, 2009 at 7:36 pm