Best time for Provence?

[Lowner]

My wife is downstairs with the holiday brochures spread across our front room. She is interested in Provence and as a photographer I'd like to catch the Lavender in full flower. Any ideas when we should be most likely to achieve that?

The icing on the cake would be to be able to find Sunflowers in bloom as well. Is this possible.

Any hints as to locations would be deeply apreciated. I'll obviously do some research before we go, but personal recommendation is better all round.

[Pommekitty]

Usually you'll catch the lavender in full flower between the end of May and the end of August. The safest bet would be going at the end of July and the beginning of August. But be aware that these months are the busiest for the tourism industry. There'll be a lot of people in the south of France.

I always say that September is the best month to visit France. Less tourists, usually the weather is very nice and the late afternoon light is incredible. But, if catching the lavender and sunflowers is really important to you, that wouldn't be the best time to go.

Are you interested in some other areas too? or is your wife only interested in visiting Provence?

[Lowner]

Pommekitty,

Many thaks for the advice. We did a quick trip to the upper Loire Valley not too long ago, and have relations in the Auxerre area so have driven through bits of the country to them and to Magny Cours. But this time my wife has found a trip which includes the Eurostar and then a train from Paris. We are both a bit fed up with the standard flying nightmare, treating us like cattle, etc., so thought it sounded interesting.

But any advice on other photogenic areas would be great.

[Pommekitty]

Hmm, it all depends on what kind of scenery you prefer and if you're also interested in visiting historical sites etc. If you tell me more about your tastes I might be able to recommend a specific area.

I lived in the south west of France (Bordeaux area) until recently and there you'll find the sea, dunes, vineyards, pines, green fields etc. Bordeaux itself is a gorgeous city. It got accepted into the UNESCO list recently. The region is mostly flat unless you go further south toward the Spanish border: there you'll find some beautiful hills and mountains too.

I now live in the north east of France and I love it. There are small moutains (compared to the Alps they could be called hills actually!), lots of green and not a traffic jam in sight. It's paradise for me. A bit to the west of where I am but still in the same "département", there are some remains from antiquity too (including the second largest amphitheater in europe if I remember correctly). You'll also find celtic relics etc. On the other side of the mountains you have the Alsace region with its vineyards and colorful houses, its medieval castles too.

Here are some pictures I took in the Vosges region (some were taken in Alsace too):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pommekitty/sets/72157610683668890/
Best watched as a diaporama. I have more, too, especially now that I have a dsrl.

I can dig out some pictures from the Bordeaux area too if you'd like.

These are the two regions I know best but there are others. There's something to suit everyone in France, I think. I personally prefer mountains over the sea so I'm very happy where I am now.

If you're taking the train, you can go pretty much everywhere from Paris. But it'll be a very long trip to Provence. Plane service in France isn't bad actually. At least, the Strasbourg/Bordeaux line is great.

[Mike]

July is generally the best time. Before that you risk not seeing the lavander in bloom and they harvest at the end of July/beginning of August. Some places of interest are Sault - one of the main lavander regions and the Abbeye de Senanque which is a famous and iconic shot to take with the lavander in bloom.

This was in June last year (I was lucky as June is too early for the main lavander regions):

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/3002874710_abda536536.jpg?v=0

It is a beautiful area to visit and I have been going every year for the last 6 years or so to the Vaucluse region near Mont Ventoux.

More shots from Provence here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegphotography/sets/72157608932767919/

[Lowner]

Mike,

Thanks, that's useful information.

Entirely independantly, my wife had been thinking that the end of July would be a good time. I know at least one photograhy holiday company that always sticks to the same period.

And I'm already into thinking "Field of Lavender, Lone tree" and "Flowing lines of Lavender leading the eye to.........." and a host more! You know, the typical hackneyed old stuff.

[IainUK]

We went in August last year and pretty much all of the lavender and the sunflowers had gone...Gutted! :)

[Lowner]

Ian,

What a shame! We seem to always visit France too early or too late for the Sunflower fields.

My wife has just read that in around late July and early August the Provence Lavender is picked!

[sandro9mm]

I just got back from Provence :) no flowers for now... just beautiful mountains :)

[skywalkerbeth]

I will be in Provence on July 18 for about a week, then on to Paris!

In Paris (north) on July 18 the sunrise/sunset is:

Twi: 5:24
Sunrise: 6:05
Sunset: 21:47
Twi: 22:27


and on the 25th:


Twi: 5:34
Sunrise: 6:13
Sunset: 21:39
Twi: 22:18

Given the above times (which are not exact), what would be a good morning time to arrive and get good shots of the Lavender in Sault/Abbaye de Senanque, etc etc. Obviously too soon after sunrise would be too dark yet. Would 8 AM be perhaps too light/sun too high, do you think?

Same question for sunset, and, since I don't want to be shooting into the sun, which way is west at the Abbaye? (i.e. should I try for morning, or afternoon photos?)

Many thanks!

[Pommekitty]

I will be in Provence on July 18 for about a week, then on to Paris!

In Paris (north) on July 18 the sunrise/sunset is:

Twi: 5:24
Sunrise: 6:05
Sunset: 21:47
Twi: 22:27


and on the 25th:


Twi: 5:34
Sunrise: 6:13
Sunset: 21:39
Twi: 22:18

Given the above times (which are not exact), what would be a good morning time to arrive and get good shots of the Lavender in Sault/Abbaye de Senanque, etc etc. Obviously too soon after sunrise would be too dark yet. Would 8 AM be perhaps too light/sun too high, do you think?

Same question for sunset, and, since I don't want to be shooting into the sun, which way is west at the Abbaye? (i.e. should I try for morning, or afternoon photos?)

Many thanks!

In the morning, anything before 10 or 11 am should be fine. The light really starts to get harsh at around 11 o'clock and remains this way until about 6pm (the worst time for pictures being between 12 and 3pm at this time of year). You should be fine at 8am. 7:30 would be good too.

And for sunsets, it depends what you want to photograph. Do you want a scenery with a nice light or do you want to focus on the sunset itself? If you're not pressed for time, I'd recommend to arrive at about 8pm with a packed dinner and to enjoy the scenery. That's precisely what I did last evening, although I wasn't in Provence but further north. I ended up staying until 10pm and had a wonderful time.

I do not know the Abbaye though, so can't tell you which way is west.

[Mike]

I agree with the above, early in the morning or late in the evening are the best times and the sun does get very harsh and very hot from mid morning until 6pm. I can't remember where the sun is for the Abbeye as I didn't spend long there - I had parents in tow and they were getting impatient!

[Lowner]

We got back last night from Avignon. "Interesting" train trip, with the TGV Avignon-Lille delayed by a suicide and missing our Eurostar connection. Our thanks to Eurostar staff who rose to the occasion for six very late and very confused travellers.

Sadly most of the Lavender has already been cut and the Sunflowers are already dropping their heads. There is a little still around, if you are prepared to spend time searching it out. Friends in the Loire Valley further north tell me the Sunflowers there are not yet in flower. The Lavender in particular seems to have a very short "season" which is also very weather dependant, this year being about a month early.

[IainUK]

what a shame - I share your pain from my trip last year :( We almost took the Eurostar direct to Avignon. It was only because it was my wife's birthday that we went via Paris. In future I'd want to go direct to Avignon as the transfer is a real pain across Paris. We almost missed our connection due to traffic and the terrible arrangements at Gare du Nord.....

[Lowner]

Ian,

Lille Europe is very good, nice and simple which I like. But somehow however we managed to get on the train after ours at Avignon, which was first into Avignon, but some hour later into Lille? No, we did not understand it and neither did the Eurostar staff.

[skywalkerbeth]

We got back last night from Avignon. "Interesting" train trip, with the TGV Avignon-Lille delayed by a suicide and missing our Eurostar connection. Our thanks to Eurostar staff who rose to the occasion for six very late and very confused travellers.

Sadly most of the Lavender has already been cut and the Sunflowers are already dropping their heads. There is a little still around, if you are prepared to spend time searching it out. Friends in the Loire Valley further north tell me the Sunflowers there are not yet in flower. The Lavender in particular seems to have a very short "season" which is also very weather dependant, this year being about a month early.


Hi

I am back and have to sort photos now!

I agree, the sunflowers we saw were mostly droopy. Not all of them, but I'd say we were ten days too late.

The lavender was similarly not peak - not all bad, but not peak. We left Provence on July 25, after a week and I'd also say we were ten days too late.

Anyone else have better experiences?