Article printed August 9 2001

ANIS ROZALINA RAMLI enthuses about her eight-day France study tour that took in the enchanting lavender fields of Provence. The tour was created and run by specialist tour company Aroma Tours.

IN LAVENDER HEARTLAND

Of all the essential oils, none is more easily appreciated or more popular then lavender oil.

Known as the "first-aid kit in a bottle", it has fascinated many with its sweet fragrance and amazing therapeutic properties.

So it was with much excitement and anticipation that I visited France to know more about this enchanting essential oil and to see first-hand the land of the lavender, Provence.

My eight-day trip started with a three-hour breathtaking journey from Lyon, passing quaint French towns and fields of bright red poppies and swaying poplars, and finally to our destination nestled in the bosom of the towering mountains in the Drome Valley in a quaint little quiet town.

Our group of 15 had a nice mix of nationalities, coming from South Africa, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Greece, Australia, England and the United States.

Most are involved with aromatherapy in some way or another, whether as a producer, a user, an educator, a practitioner, or an entrepreneur.

Our week started with an insightful and inspiring two-day course on aromatherapy – the French way.

We didn’t have time to be bored during the seminar as Dr Daniel Penoel, a world-renowned French aromatherapist and medical doctor, was a very engaging teacher.

He taught us a whole new meaning to the word "aromatherapy", providing us with information on his latest research into essential oils and the scientific proof to support the effectiveness of essential oils in therapy.

He re-introduced us the powers of the tea tree oil as a potent bactericide, the eucalyptus oil as an effective respiratory healer, and the humble peppermint oil as a quick-acting pain reliever.

The days following the seminar were spent visiting distilleries and romping about in fields that were growing wild with herbal plants. Here, we finally saw, smelled and touched herbal flowers and plants such as echinacea, clary sage, melissa, thyme and lavender, plants we only previously saw in pictures or in books.

It wasn’t unusual for us to be driving happily along only to stop suddenly near a field where Jim, our tour director, would herd us into the brush towards a tree or a plant, explaining to us its healing properties. Once, we stopped for juniper berries, another time it was for lavandin (a cross between true lavender and spike lavender).

An aromatherapy retreat such as this would not be complete without a visit to the distillery. There, we met a famous master distiller in the region who had been in the business for many years. Looking rugged in his Levi’s and chequered shirt and his bushy moustache, he took us along winding roads to his distillery.

As we approached the large steel mill, the fragrant scent of melissa, which was being distilled at the time, wafted up in warm welcome. Its heavy perfume filled the entire distillery and clung to our clothes and hair long after we left the factory.

Meals in France are an elaborate affair, sometimes lasting many hours. We were wined and dined daily in the French manner to four or five-course dinners and lunches.

Sometimes,  we’d dine alfresco out by the patio, where we feasted not only on the fine French cuisine, but also on the beautiful Drome Valley landscape around us.

Shopping in France is certainly an experience because of the communication problem. Having heard from many people that it’s best to communicate in French, I learnt a few phrases that I thought would come in handy during my shopping spree.

It turned out that those "few phrases" were not enough. One time, I ended up using body language and sign language to find out from the grocer whether his peaches were sweet. I must have looked pretty silly, but the peaches were worth it.

The French markets we visited were colourful and full of festive feel. The goods on sale included French nougat, lavender buds sold by the weight or in packs, fragrant soaps in all kinds of scents, fresh fruits, every imaginable type of cheese, lavender honey, and French-style fabric for table-cloths.

The high point of the trip came on the last day, the tour van pulled up by the side of the roads and we all gleefully jumped out, running into the vast expanse of purple that was the lavender field.

What was breathtaking about this particular field for during the eight days we were here, we had certainly seen many fields of lavender in difference shades of purple was that it lay like a lilac carpet before a magnificent ancient chateau perched on the hilltop above.

It was certainly a sight to behold and no photographs, no matter how digitally-enhanced, could compare to the beauty of actually being there, walking along the rows and rows of fragrant lavender brushing against your knees.

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