Today we returned to Sault to get a closer look at the lavender fields. The fields are so numerous that if you roll down the window of the car, lavender-scented air blows in. It’s heavenly. We had a great time climbing in and out of the car to get some great shots, along with picking some straggling lavender blooms from a field that had already been harvested.

My favorite shot of our entire trip so far, Lavender Kiss, was taken with the aid of our tripod and some well-timed wind.

We stopped in town to grab some sandwiches and buy lavender products from the local farmers’ cooperative. Our whole car smells like lavender now.

We pushed on for a quick stop in Aix to visit an English bookstore there, and then on to the port city of Marseilles. We went with some hesitation as Marseilles has a reputation for lots of thieves and petty crime and we’re still a bit scarred from our Barcelona visit, but didn’t want to miss out on seeing it. It is the unofficial capital of the South of France and has a character completely separate from the mother country. It’s unique.

We spent some time touring the old port, climbing up onto an old fort that guarded the harbor and provided great views out to sea and to the Chateau d’If, made most famous by Alexander Dumas (the Count of Monte Cristo was held at the prison at Chateau d’If).

We then climbed up above the city to the stunning Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde for one spectacular sunset before stopping in Aix for dinner along the Cours Mirabeau on the way home.