Solitaire

Each year in July the lavender fields of Provence, southern France, burst into a perfumed, colourful bloom. The flowering plant (a member of the mint family) has been cultivated for centuries for its fragrant, cleansing and soothing properties. The Romans coined the name, which connotes washing, and today myriad cosmetic products are made from it – hence the moniker: blue gold. This manicured field is near Valensole, where order can be found amidst the chaos of buzzing bees and teeming tourists.