ROUND TRIP

Languedoc and Provence

In the search for the one characteristic scent of the south of France, one can only fail. There are simply too many scents to bewitch the senses and would even inspire the nose of a Grenouille.

Beginning with the sweet heaviness of overripe peaches and the fruity, soft flattery of green-yellow greengages. Then there are the intense herbaceous notes of thyme, rosemary and lavender. All the way to the salty fresh breezes of the French Mediterranean coast.

To follow these fragrances in their pure form is already a pleasure. But when all these evocations come to the table, they become a real pleasure: Nose and palate are equally enchanted, while the eyes are already greedily consuming the many delicacies. The hands do the rest and not only help with the choice of food, but also must hold out for the obligatory finger licking.

We travel from Uzès in the direction of Camargue. And although the landscape is dry in September, we are accompanied by warm winds that smell of grasses and flowers. Following the wild horses of the local marshlands, flamingos can also be seen in the distance, which are as pink in colour as the water of the surrounding salt flats. 

From salt to resin. From the sea to the mountain. Much higher and greener in the Alpes de Haute Provence is the Verdon Gorge. Here, hearty notes waft around our noses: regional sausage specialities, intensive cheeses, rustic vegetable varieties and homemade baked goods. And always a breath of refreshing mountain air joins in and rounds off the picture.

Along the coast our noses vent and we are ready for stops in Ramatuelle, Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Here the artificial smells reign supreme: the most diverse scented-water and grand dame notes of any kind mixed with the typical summer scent of sun creams.

On the way back to the mountains, more precisely to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, our stomachs make themselves exceptionally noticeable. And so, after a long day on the beach, we enjoy greasy, crispy fries and sweet lemonade. Simply heavenly. Who is surprised? It is said that about 90 percent of a good taste is not created on the tongue but in the nose.

France, September 2016. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.