Provence Confidential | Behind the scenes in Provence

Pretty in Pink

The only European nesting grounds of the pink flamingo which is located in the Camargue welcomes over 10 000 couples each year. A guide from the Bureau des Guides Naturalistes (www.guide-nature.fr) leads groups of 15 people along the salt lagunes to the outskirts of what is known as “flamingo island”. It’s a fascinating 2.5 hour walk (4 km) at sunset as the guide unveils the nesting habits of these colourful birds. Pack mosquito repellent and good binoculars for great views on newborns whose plumage remains grey. The guide will have a telescope and if you want close-up shots of the birds pack a powerful zoom. The guided visits run from April through September when the colonies fly to Mauritania and beyond for the winter months.

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Lavender Festival

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On Sunday July 18th 2010 the village of Valensole will be celebrating the harvest of this years lavender crop. The parade will be followed by distilling demonstrations using antique copper stills. It's a festive and fragrant occasion to discover the virtues of this aromatic plant that thrives in Provence. If you want to purchase some local produce be sure to stop in at J.P. Angelvin on the D6 between Manosque and the village of Valensole to purchase some soaps or sachets. (http://lavandesangelvin.site.voila.fr) If you like lavender honey go to Les Ruchers du Soleil and buy some of local beekeeper Olivier Payan's award winning honey. Be sure to book a table at Le Grand Café telephone: 04 92 74 80 20 (www.valensole-grandcafe.fr) where the plat du jour (daily special) is always excellent and reasonably priced. Short helicopter tours are available starting at 35 euros per person call 06 12 12 49 45. Within the next week all the lavender will have been cut, dried and distilled so head to Valensole before the end of July if you want to be able to take pictures like the one above which I took yesterday.

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