A brief visit to Gordes in search of the local lavender fields

On a recent visit to southern France, I took the opportunity to pay a visit to the lavender fields, which this part of France has become renowned for. Unfortunately I arrived perhaps a week early and the fields were just beginning to show a hint of blue. 

However, my disappointment was soon forgotten when I came across the picturesque small town of Gordes, where I was happy to spend the afternoon wandering through the narrow streets.

Gordes - a stunning town, clinging to the side of a steep hillside in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France.

The streets of the town are steep and winding - full of restaurants, cáfes and tiny shops selling a myriad of souvenirs and artwork.

At the time of my visit the temperature was into the mid 30C's and many of the private houses were shuttered against the heat.(

For a selection of limited edition prints for sale please check out my website at Ron Whitby Photography

Sounds of Bora Bora

 

Almost everyone has seen the picture postcard views of this world famous atoll, but one of the more unusual aspects of any trip to Bora Bora, in fact to the South Pacific islands in general, is the local’s enthusiasm for traditional Polynesian music.

Every evening, the sound of ukuleles being played, often accompanied by singing, can be heard drifting on the breeze from the open doors and windows of the islander’s homes or more hauntingly, drifting across the lagoon from the utter darkness of the beaches. Depending on wind strength and direction the melodies can often be clearly heard at the luxury 5-star resort hotels situated on the Motus strung out like a necklace of pearls around the main island.

At the end of my last visit, as I waited for my flight from Tahiti to LA, the familiar sound of singing and the strumming of a ukulele came drifting through the terminal building at Faa’a Airport, just outside Papeete. The source, I was soon to discover, was the airport’s bank, which had just closed for the day. Inside, the manager was seated on the counter playing a ukulele, while his assistants were singing and swaying to the rhythm. Not something you expect to find in European or US banks.

Take the Coast Road From Nerja to Almunecar

 

Heading east from the town of Nerja, the old road, the N-340, follows the coast, clinging to the mountains as they plunge towards the Mediterranean.  Around every bend new vista of the sparkling sea appears several hundred feet below, where waves gently lap against hidden and secluded beaches.

 

Looking inland and upwards, there are occasional glimpses of the Autopista del Mediterraneo, theA7/E15, as it soars across valleys on viaducts supported by massive concrete legs, before plunging into the darkness of tunnels hewn out of the living rock.

  

Dotted all along the coast can be seen the remains of 17th and 18th century watch towers which were used to warn of invading Moors and marauding pirates. Though the vast majority now lie in ruins some have been restored and turned into private homes.

  

All along the coast, from Nerja in the province of Malaga to Almunecar in Granada, there are almost countless photographic opportunities.

Springtime in the hills around Frigiliana

In springtime the fields and roadside verges of Andalucia are covered in masses of multi-coloured flowers. The scent can be overpowering as you drive around the narrow country roads, taking care to avoid the herds of goats that the goatherd moves from field to field in search of fresh green shoots.