Très recherchée par les abeilles qui la butinent avec bonheur, appréciée dès l'Antiquité pour ses vertus cosmétiques et même médicales, transformée en or par les maîtres-parfumeurs de Grasse au 18ème siècle qui en extrayaient son huile, la lavande a de tout temps su séduire.

Et de mi-juin à mi-août, ce petit arbrisseau de la famille de Lamiacées, qui aime les sols calcaires secs et le soleil à profusion, est en pleine fleur. Un joli spectacle bleu et une onde parfumée tout l'été en Drôme où les champs s'étendent à perte de vue. Un thème qui a donné des idées aux Drômois qui ont créé une route de la Lavande suggérant plein d'activités, de randonnées et de petits plaisirs autour de la fleur miraculeuse.  

Déjà essayé le  spa lavande en plein air ? Rendez-vous à la Ferme de Beaume Rousse à Cobonne, pour davantage d'informations, voir ici 

Photo: sur la route de la Lavande

Pour découvrir tous les charmes de la Drôme, cliquer ici
Pour voir la Drôme en images, cliquer ici 

To get happily lost: this is what the four «Labyrinthes de Hauterives» offer, with an overall length of 7km. Created with perennial plants, these routes represent an opportunity, as playful as it is unique, to discover a small corner of paradise. Preceding in ascending order of difficulty, that is to say, first of all the wisteria labyrinth on bamboo arches. A short but very winding journey without a dead end, «an image of life and there is only one way to get to the end», as its designer likes to point out. A meditation which, when flowers are blooming, will be accompanied by delights for the eyes and senses. Then, things get complicated with the lavender labyrinth, a 1.5 km route with only one exit. When flowers are blooming, pay attention to the bees that will make sure you do not cheat by spanning the hedges (no stings to complain of yet!). And finally, the last two labyrinths of 3.5 km for the «cypress» and 2.9 km for the «arbour», with several exits for those threatened by claustrophobia. In addition, discover sandstone mosaics created by archaeologist and mosaic worker Alain Orcel, displayed in an ancient hayloft with splendid original wood beams.

Informations:

Les labyrinthes de Hauterives (locate)
Saint Germain
F – 26390 Hauterives
Open from May 1st to August 31st and during september week-ends (11h-19h)
Tel + 33 (0) 475 68 96 27
Photo: Labyrinthes de Hauterives

Listed in 1969 by the minister of that time André Malraux against the opinion of most the Ministry for the Art’s officials, the “Ideal Palace” still represents the realisation of a dream. Rural postman, self-taught builder and a visionary sculptor, Ferdinand Cheval built the disconcerting Palace between 1879 and 1912 where all the styles from all the countries and from all the times meet. The admiration of Picasso or Breton for Ferdinand Cheval knew no bounds. A dream which begins one day of april 1879 when he was making his round: his foot hit a molasse stone worked by water and hardened by the strength of time.

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Whether wearable or unwearable, musketeer boots, microscopic Chinese shoes or elegant French ones, the shoes exhibited in this ancient convent of the Visitation tread 4 million years of human history across 5 continents.  A huge collection, so very playful and at the same time instructive, to tour alone or with a guide. Among the range presented, Paco Rabanne's creation is shown in black wax cloth with chrome metal tubing forming the heel and an elevated sole. A 1996 spring-summer model !

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