Lavender Fields Forever: Rachael’s Trip to Provence

Speaker 1

[00.00.00]

All of a sudden when you kind of come over the hill side, it it was just it was like probably hectares. It was just field after field after field after field, like as far as your eye could see of lavender. It was incredible. There was no road nearby. You could not drive by this. It was just. We were so lucky.

Speaker 2

[00.00.19]

Hello and welcome to one off Travel Stories. I'm your host, Andrew Tawaststjerna. Journal here. Each episode I chat with someone about one of their favorite travel stories, that one story they've told countless times to friends and family around the dinner table. On this episode, we're joined by Rachel Rogers. Rachel is the founder of For Your Story Vacations, a boutique travel agency specializing in curated European experiences. Prior to starting the agency, she was actually an actor, and while she traveled around for gigs, she realized she had a passion for travel as well as for acting, and she wanted to figure out how she could sort of combine these two passions. And she actually found a job as a tour guide in Paris, and that led to her eventually starting the travel agency. Uh, but there's a bunch of there's a bunch of travel that happened in between the two. And today she's going to tell us about a trip she took to Provence in France that had kind of a spectacular moment to it, but I won't spoil it. I'll let her tell us more. Hey Rachel, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 1

[00.01.34]

Thanks so much. Happy to be here.

Speaker 2

[00.01.36]

Yeah, happy to have you. I'd like to ask, um, since I'm usually talking to travelers, uh, where are you? Where are you calling in from?

Speaker 1

[00.01.44]

Um, I'm currently in Galway, Ireland. So in the west of the Republic of Ireland.

Speaker 2

[00.01.48]

Oh, super. Super. That's amazing. Is it? Um. Is this. Actually, I know you've been moving around a lot. So is this, like, home base for you at the moment? At

Speaker 1

[00.01.58]

the moment, it's home base. Yes. My husband's actually from Galway. So. So my husband's from Ireland. Um, so it's it feels even more, a little bit more of a home base at the moment. Just because this is, like, his local. Um,

Speaker 2

[00.02.10]

okay, so he's home and it's your home base. That's awesome. How long have you guys been there?

Speaker 1

[00.02.16]

Um, we're here just for two months. So it's. Yeah. So it's lovely. It's a little bit longer than our normal.

Speaker 2

[00.02.22]

Yeah. So I and I, I practice a little because I've been reading, uh, a little bit up on your, on your business and, you know, checking out your Instagram and stuff. So, um, yeah. Like, maybe because it's so unique, you've been kind of moving around Europe, from what I understand it, for like a decade or something like that. So yeah, maybe I'd love to get a little bit of background on on how that all started.

Speaker 1

[00.02.46]

Yeah. So okay, so I was we were both living in New York City and um, I have a BFA in theater performance. So I had moved out to New York City and had been doing theater for the last seven years, uh, touring, um, did some children's musicals around the United States and lots of different shows in the city. So that was really fun. Um, but I was kind of looking for a change. I really had kind of stopped focusing on getting up early in the morning for auditions, and I kept looking for cheap flights to, like, head somewhere else. And this wasn't a time when there were still all those really good, cheap flights. Um, I feel like post-Covid those days, it's a little painful now, the flight prices. But, um, so I, I, I was just eager to, like, look for a new sort of work that I could do that would incorporate a theatrical side while also allowing, you know, talking about travel and, you know, just something that's completely different. And so I started looking up, um, tour guide jobs in Europe. And I came across Fat Tire Bike Tours in Paris, and they're in lots of different cities around Europe. But, um, I so I reached out to them and they asked me to send in a video about myself. So I did, and then they called me up and did a phone interview. And at the end of it, they were like, great, we'd love you to come in for a second interview. Um, in Paris, um, in January. And this was November. So I just decided to, um, like, sell everything and, um, just I booked a one way ticket to Paris, which is kind of crazy with an interview because I was like, well, I can just come back and sublet something in New York, like, it's not a big deal. Sure. And, um, so that's kind of how it started. I like, catapulted me, uh, to that. So I started I was a historical bike tour guide in Paris, and I was going around giving tours a very sad and all the different neighborhoods. It was like the best job I ever had. You just get to drink wine and be with happy people on vacation that are excited to be riding around Paris in a romantic city, and you're exercising so you're in the best shape of your life, but you're drinking wine at lunch and your job is totally okay with it. They're like, yes, drink with the clients. Um, and ride a bike was a little dangerous, maybe, but like, we weren't drinking that much, but, um,

Speaker 2

[00.04.48]

it was fun. France. Yeah.

Speaker 1

[00.04.49]

So. Yeah. France. Yeah. When? In France. So. Yeah. So that's kind of how, um, I started. Um, traveling. And then when we came back, um, we had two weddings a week apart. I'm from Kansas City, Missouri. So we did one wedding in Kansas City, Missouri, and then we did another seven days later in Ireland because my husband has 39 first cousins. So as an Irish Catholic person, like, you know, the whole how many people would be left out like that's just absurd. All his aunts and uncles. So we did two weddings a week apart, and we helped a lot of people like head on over and like helped with those things. And then after we came back from our wedding, um, that's when I decided to launch my business. And my husband, um, is an advertising copywriter. And he was like, I can do this remotely. So he launched his own business. And then we were like, why are we in the city when we can do this from anywhere? Like if we're both working for ourselves and we're, like, working remotely, we don't have to just stay in Queens. And we love New York, like, I love New York. But, you know, we had like a solid seven years there to get to explore it. So that's, um, November 2016. That's when we left the city. And we just one suitcase each. And we've been traveling since then.

Speaker 2

[00.05.56]

Okay. So, um, yeah, there's a few awesome points here. One, if anyone's listening about like and thinking about their career. I love the point about like, okay, I've been in theater, I love travel, how do I combine these? And you landed on, you know, being a historical tour guide, which does kind of combine them. You know, you've got to be, you know, on it, uh, in front of, in front of people. Um, you

Speaker 1

[00.06.19]

have to make history interesting. Like, I loved getting teenagers. It was so much fun to be like, this is where Marie Antoinette was, like, decapitated. You know, it's really fun. You can get dramatic.

Speaker 2

[00.06.30]

Um, and, and that sort of kicked off. I mean, had you had you traveled much before that, uh, time in Paris?

Speaker 1

[00.06.38]

I had like what I did a month and a half backpacking with my mother, who was so good to do that. She was 68 and she was like, yeah, I'll go backpacking around Europe with you. And so we did that for a month and a half, and that was amazing. And I'd previously done like a lot of, like cool trips, um, in high school. But I mean, no, nothing to the extent of what we had been doing. You know, it was short, like two week trips, one week trips, you know, so still very fortunate to have traveled what I had previously, but nothing to the extent of I'm sure there's a lot of people who by the age of 20 had like gone all over Europe or something, you know,

Speaker 2

[00.07.12]

maybe. Yeah, but that sounds lovely. Um, so then jumping ahead when you guys move back and decide to sort of work on the road. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about because I know you, um, for the story vacations and what you, what you ended up landing on, which feels like kind of a the next step or from, from, uh, was it fat tire bike tours like taking that and making it something more, more real.

Speaker 1

[00.07.35]

Yeah. Yeah. So I think the thing that I sell a lot because I. Have you been to Paris before or, you know, it's a big city. Um, there's like 20 neighborhoods, in Paris. And so it's really easy to just end up booking your Airbnb or your hotel in a very bad arrondissement, like, you know, central Paris is lovely, and there's lots of areas outside of central Paris that are also lovely. But there's also some like neighborhoods you don't want to end up in. They're not going to have your boulangerie and the patisserie and the charming little bistro, like, you know, you're going to be like, this looks dodgy. Um, so I just had so many, like, guests that I was, you know, taking care of, you know, on my, you know, six hour bike tour. They were saying like, oh, we've eaten the worst food. And actually somebody scammed us in the metro train station. And oh, and then I got robbed and somebody came up to me and, um, they said they were, you know, they were deaf, and they asked me to give them money, but somebody behind me, like, took my wallet out. You know, I just I heard every story and it was it made me sad because these were people who who it was their dream to come to Paris. Maybe it was their one time they're going to get to go, you know, and they didn't pre-book their Eiffel Tower tickets and they stood in line for four hours or, you know, you're just you're wasting your time. You're not eating good food. You're overspending. And I think it just like tainted their entire experience. And so that's kind of what inspired me that I was like, people don't need. Um, the next Expedia like flight hotel combo travel agent. They need a travel planner. They need somebody who is going to give you the nitty gritty details of, like, being in neighborhoods that you'd feel comfortable walking alone as a solo female traveler at 3 a.m., you know, that have the things you're interested in doing and seeing, you know, I just think going down because a lot of times people do these big details. I got my flight, I got my hotel, but they don't think about the small details, which actually are the biggest ones of your trip because they're what leave the impression on you. You know, everyone's going to come up with funny stories. Wild stuff happens when you travel. Nothing's going to be perfect. But, um, I just saw that there was a real need there to have something that was much more than the traditional travel agent.

Speaker 2

[00.09.34]

Right? Yeah. That's amazing. I, uh, um, well, I got I went to school, uh, outside of Paris, so I know it pretty well. Um, wow. And, uh, so I can sort of jive with with what you're saying. I've, uh, I've been been around the malls, um, and. Yeah, there's, there's, uh, depending on where you are. Definitely a difference. Yeah. So so I take it then like, by this point, have you done or hosted or LED, if you will, trips all over Europe. How does it how does it look today?

Speaker 1

[00.10.07]

Well, you know what's so funny as I haven't I haven't personally hosted and it's something I'm going to do this year that I'm like just getting ready to launch. I'm going to start doing some, um, personal LED tours around Tusk. I don't know why I haven't. How silly of me. Um, I think I just have been in my business for so long, and now I actually have a team helping me that I feel like I have time to leave my laptop, which is like a great thing. So. But no, I'm going to though. Andrew, I'm so glad you asked.

Speaker 2

[00.10.35]

Yeah, I know, I just kind of assumed you were, uh, you were hopping in for some of these, right? Um, if you're helping organize. But, um. No, that's that's amazing. Kind of a kind of a really interesting story going from from New York to living. Living nomadic and spending time in Europe. Um, yeah. I think a lot of people dream about talk about doing that stuff. And now I've met a few people who have kind of made it real. So always fun to hear. Um, with that, though, let's, um, you know, this this podcast, I really try to focus on, like, one really interesting, um, impactful travel story. I like that your company is also called for the story vacations. You know, kind of on the same thread as what I've, um, I've been after was, you know, travel stories, uh, tend to be. I mean, they're just memories at a point of time where, you know, folks, folks, uh, tend to, like, really remember them because it was, you know, at least a very happy moment or intense moment or something. You know, as you said, people go to Paris, for instance, and they've been dreaming, dreaming about it for years. So like, that time will just imprint on their mind anyway. Um, yeah. Let's jump into yours. So, um. Yeah, give give us a little bit of background on, uh, what year is it? Where were you traveling? What were you doing there? That kind of stuff.

Speaker 1

[00.11.58]

So it was, um, 2018, the summer of 2018, and we had been on the road for a couple of years at that point. Um, actually, I'm sorry, it was 2017, so, um, we'd been on the road for a bit at that point, and I knew that I wanted to spend a good amount of time in Provence and Provence, while not the same, like distance and maybe, um, scale as Tuscany, things are much closer together. There's still so much to see and do, and I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to really take in Provence and the entire region. So we decided to do three months in Provence. Um, so, um, it was June, and um, then we essentially stayed June, July, August. So kind of getting to go through. And I wanted to make sure, you know, we got to be there, um, you know, seeing all the vineyards getting to, you know, go like the, the Gorge de Verdon, essentially, it's like the Grand Canyon of France, uh, getting to go kayaking, just getting to do a lot of the things that I think a lot of people don't associate necessarily with France, but also doing all the markets and the antiques, all these things. So, um, I was like, I want to be there in like, it's prime time. So we did June, July and August. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.13.09]

That's a yeah. That sounds that sounds incredible. Um, what a way to to spend a summer and yeah, I, I imagine June there is gorgeous. I mean the whole summer but I know does it get super hot there as well.

Speaker 1

[00.13.23]

It does. I will tell you it once, once mid-July all the way through August. It does get like pretty hot.

Speaker 2

[00.13.31]

Yeah, I yeah, I know they get sort of heat waves and really strong heat waves. Um, and were you doing sort of three months here? Three months. There was this normal at the time?

Speaker 1

[00.13.44]

No. Normally we were doing one month, one month, one month. We would move like every month. Yeah. So this was definitely more unique. And we were having a car rental for the full three months. So that was also different because we do a mix and match of like, you know, sometimes, like if we're in a city, we don't need a car. And a lot of times we try to avoid renting a car unless we're doing a road trip or we're in an area that obviously requires a vehicle. So this was kind of different, um, because we were moving around for three months, so we were moving every couple of days.

Speaker 2

[00.14.12]

Wow. Okay. That's a lot. Yeah, it was a lot. And then in Provence, where were you? Where were you staying?

Speaker 1

[00.14.19]

Well, we were constantly sorry for the specific story or. Okay. Um,

Speaker 2

[00.14.25]

you know, like, so sorry. Just, uh, because you said so in Provence. Were you moving every few days? Yeah, yeah. Okay, so you didn't have, like, a home base or something like that. You weren't staying at, like, a little cottage or like, in town or. Yeah.

Speaker 1

[00.14.38]

No, I think maximum we stayed in Avignon for. Five nights. I think that was our longest stay over the three months.

Speaker 2

[00.14.46]

Wow. Okay. And, uh, so you were just moving. That's that's. Yeah, that's a lot of moving around.

Speaker 1

[00.14.51]

Wow. Yeah. Because I was really, like, when I'm sending clients places, I want to be able to be, like, I've spent time in that village I ate, you know, I had an uncle there, you know, like. So I was really like. And my husband was very good to be like, yeah, okay. But because we have so little, we actually got pretty good. We had like a separate bag where we just, like, you just get really good at, like, packing and unpacking. Because when you own only two pairs of shoes, it's not too hard. Like, it gets pretty easy in truth.

Speaker 2

[00.15.17]

Okay. Before I ask about your specific story, um, what kind of places were you staying in along the way, like. Uh, yeah.

Speaker 1

[00.15.24]

So we did some hotels. Um, and we did a couple lovely for stars. Um, we did, um, like, staying at, like, some, like, chateaux, which was really cool. So it was maybe like family run, but it was like an old chateau that they'd be done. Uh, we stayed in some bed and breakfasts. Um. We specifically. Oh, we stated that this one artist, um. Oh, the village name is slipping me, but it's an entire village of artists. It's one of the tiniest little villages in Provence. And he was a really interesting gentleman. So he, um, he was. I think he was like, 85 years old. He was. He was, like, fairly up there. Um, he was the artist, and his wife was probably 20 years younger than him, and she was gorgeous. And I was like, good for you, sir. And, um, and he, he, like, we had, um, an aperitif with them on their little balcony. And then he invited us down to his art studio. And his specialty, besides landscapes, was painting prostitutes from all over the world where he's traveled. So he was like, this was a prostitute in Madrid. This was a prostitute. At first it was just, you know, and you're like, you also can't, like, laugh because this is his life's work. Um, I mean, it was really good, but it was just alarming that it was just it was just like. It was like in a little cave underneath the house, and it was just prostitutes everywhere. I would have known they were prostitutes, but he said it. I was like, oh, he loves to paint beautiful women like Picasso. But he was like, oh, they're prostitutes. I

Speaker 2

[00.16.52]

was like specifically that his his muse.

Speaker 1

[00.16.55]

Those are exactly. So we stayed with like, unique bed and breakfast like that. And then we did a lot of Airbnbs. There's a lot of great Airbnbs in um, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.17.05]

Okay. Well, I'm sufficiently jealous. So that's, uh. That sounds amazing. Let's, let's jump in to. Yeah. For the specific story that I know you want to tell that happened while you were in Provence.

Speaker 1

[00.17.18]

Yeah. So we were, um, we were nearing the end. Um, well, we were about midway through. So is late July. Um, and we ended up in the village of Riis. Right. And, um, it's this lovely little village, really charming, a lot of great restaurants, beautiful architecture. Um, and we were staying there for two nights, and we stayed this lovely bed and breakfast, and it was just beautiful. And, um, we were getting ready to the next day, then to head out to this, this B&B, which is going to be kind of like the main place that we stayed during our story. But to start off with, we were we parked in the village parking lot there, and a lot of times in Provence, it's most of it's all free parking, which is really lovely. Um, and so. We parked the car and it was, um, on a Saturday. And, um, we were really surprised we had to go back to the car that Saturday evening to pick out something from the trunk that I had left, and I was really surprised there weren't any cars in the parking lot. And I was like, that's weird. Why is there not more like it's a Saturday night? You think there'd be more people parked here? It's free parking. And, um, well, the next day we woke up and it was Sunday and we'd been in Provence now for, like, a solid, you know, month and a half. But it was a Sunday market, and our little, um, Citroen car, like our little, um. What what would you call it? Like a Fiat? Like it's really tiny. Little car was in the middle of the market, and they had just moved the car to like a bit left so they could get their like, you know, their, their structures up. So we walk over and we're just mortified because, I mean, there's, there's so many stalls, there's like the fishmonger and the cheese, you know, all the things. And the car is just in the middle of it. So we can't leave or go anywhere. So we're just like, well, we have to wait until the market has been like taken down. And so we, like you

Speaker 2

[00.19.07]

don't want to be you don't want to be the the people with the car in the middle of the market. I'm sure you're just like, okay, well, let's not go anywhere near our car.

Speaker 1

[00.19.14]

Let's not go anywhere near our car. And of course, they're gonna hear my accent, like, because I was like, Keith, you have to talk to them first. And Keith has actually fairly good French because I was like, You're Irish. They won't be like, oh, the American, you know, I was like, I don't want to. Oh my gosh, I don't want to be that person. Oh my God, it feels so stupid. So we waited. But as they were like taking down teeth, I was like, I feel really bad for these guys. So he went and got two cases of beer for them and it was really hot and they were so nice and they like had a really good laugh at us and with us. Um, and they took the beer and they were really nice. And then they even we didn't ask them to do this, but they even moved the car back exactly in its spot because it's such a tiny car and took four of them to

Speaker 2

[00.19.54]

just. So yeah, I was gonna clarify that they're just picking the car up and like, moving

Speaker 1

[00.19.58]

it. They just picked the car up and moved it. Yeah. Just, you know, just to move it like they were like, oh, uh, you know, uh, say for sale. You know, I was like, okay, well, I'm glad you thought it was easy.

Speaker 2

[00.20.10]

I mean, just the ability to do that was kind of a saving grace. You're not exactly going to pick up, you know, an American car and move it out of the way. So

Speaker 1

[00.20.19]

no. And you know what? The thing is? They could have gotten really annoyed and they could have had us towed. So I was really thankful that they didn't because they could have just said, like, get it out of here. You know, because they start setting up for the markets a lot of times at like 6 a.m., you know, so plenty of time to still have a tow truck come and then be like, where is this place? Take, you know, where's the car been taken? So they were so nice not to do it. So we were very thankful. So then once we got the car and our suitcase in the car, we headed on down the road. It was only like 15 minutes down the road, but we saw it online and it looked so cute. And it's, um. Marian courtier actually stayed here while she was filming, um, a film that I actually saw while I was in Paris. It's very bizarre, but, um, it's called, like, bad something. Um, but it's in French. It's. I'm sure you would, um, anyway. But it's like it means, like, Marvel or something. Um, anyway, that's not important. The point is, she stayed there, and we found this out from the owners. But we arrive, and it's this beautiful provincial house. It's just the shutters are all open, and they're kind of like that beautiful turquoise color. Um, and it's all that yellowy, um, stone. And the driveway up was lined with those gorgeous trees, even. They're the same kind of trees you see in Tuscany. Um, they were just. It was beautiful. Everything was beautiful. They had this pool, and then the downstairs doors of the house had white curtains blowing in the wind. It was like I wanted, you know, in your head, you're like, this is a movie. I've just driven up to an exact scene that they would film out of a movie. And when we arrive, the owners come out and they're so nice, and they're these, uh, husband and wife. They're two lawyers from Marseille. And this is their dream, um, escape that they purchased, you know, ten years ago. And they have four kids. And, um, you know, they just love to, like, get out of the city and just try to come up here as much as possible, and they just rent out the very top little apartment of this house that they have, and it has its own back, little entrance. And, you know, all the linens were so nice. Everything was just so thoughtfully done. It was not a and I love Ikea. Don't get me wrong, but, you know, traveling full time for a decade. You know, I live in a lot of Ikea. And so having like, oh my gosh, this is like everything had a thought to it. It was like they were going to have their family stay there, or maybe they would be staying in that room, you know. So it was just those added touches of, um, you know, at the time I was like, oh, this is like added luxury, just having those little niceties that really make you feel at home and like you have an extra treat. It is just so lovely. So, um, we, you know, they like we went and freshened up because it was so hot and, you know, you were just constantly sweating. And then they asked us if we wanted to come down to share a bottle of rosé, because all of the best rosé in the world comes from Provence. So, um, they were like, come down and share a bottle by the pool with us. So we did. And of course they had like, cheeses, you know, and of course, everything was local cheese and meats and the freshest baguettes you've ever had in your life. And you know all the best things. And you're like, this couldn't be more magical. So we're having a good time and we're talking and, um, the kids are playing and everyone's just, you know, it's just. It's just lovely. They had music playing as well. They had like built in speakers, of course. You know, it was just so nice. It was just, you know, you go like, wow, this can't be life. And uh, they, they said, you know, um, you, you're here at the perfect time because, you know, they're harvesting all the lavender because in mid-July and it only takes place usually around two weeks every year. It's very specific when they harvest it. So all like the whole area of Provence, it will. It's like. It's like perfumed with lavender. It's just it's incredible. The smell is like there's nothing like it. And I grew up like having, like, lavender flavored, um, not lavender flavored, but like lavender scented detergents and things like that, you know, but having, like, the real stuff, like proper essential oils, lavender, it it's so lovely. And and throughout the whole summer, there was all this food that had lavender in it. I mean, it was just it wasn't everything. And it was so nice. At first I thought it wasn't going to be a big fan and I, I just it like changed my whole opinion and viewpoint on what lavender is. And um, because they said, oh, you know, this is only happening. You know, you're here at the very perfect time. But they're actually, if we like, go up the hill, um, you know, about like three minutes this way. Um, they're cutting it tonight. Would you, would you want to go? Um, and I was like, uh. Well, yeah. Like, who's going to say no to that? You'd be stupid. Um, no, we're going to go to dinner. I was like, uh, yeah. Let's go. So the the sun was going down. It was probably like, I don't know, 8:00. And we got in their Jeep. Um, and, you know, I mean, it wasn't fancy. It was like filthy. It had been like, off roading. It was great. Like, it was just everything I wanted it to be. Yeah. Um, and he brought, like, four stems, and I kind of was like, why is he bringing, like, stems? And then I then he he was bringing a bottle of rosé, um, another bottle of rosé. And he like, you know, started up the hillside. Um, and our citron could never have gone up here. Most normal cars could not. You mean you needed to have proper tires to go up? It was like big divots and huge rocks. So this was not like a normal paved road. You were definitely going on someone's land, driving up. The side of this

Speaker 2

[00.25.38]

hill. And then a quick question as you're on your way there. So. Yeah, I mean, I've, I've seen lavender fields. I'm sure most folks have seen the pictures because it's just quite stunning. All that purple right. Um, yeah. I didn't really like is it a big deal like the. I guess this would be the lavender harvest, right? Like, is that a big deal for them?

Speaker 1

[00.25.58]

Oh, yeah. And the markets, I mean, they have stalls that are just for lavender and people who specifically like they'll have, it's not just like there's vendors who don't grow lavender and they'll sell stuff that's lavender, but they'll actually have farmers coming with their lavender bushels of dried lavender essential oils that they've made with the lavender. I mean, it's it's a big deal. And then in the restaurants from, you know, I'm talking the bistros to sitting down at a michelin star restaurant in gourd or something like that, like there's in in that season, they infuse lavender into so many things just besides detergents and soaps and things like that. Um, I was surprised at how many things had lavender in it, so many deserts. It was it was really interesting. And it was good. It was good.

Speaker 2

[00.26.44]

Yeah, yeah. And I was I guess it's just a little early because I know they have like, you know, harvest. Do you think fall you think like that sort of changing of the seasons. And there's a ton of harvest festivals. So this is really interesting that it's, uh, you know, this lavender season that you've, you've stepped into. Yeah. And it's and it's in peak summer, which is cool as well. So, so many people don't have to miss it if they're like, well, I can only really travel, like if they have family or if it's their teachers or whatever. Like you can still go and you don't have to miss it. Um, and um, one of the most famous hobbies is just outside of Gourd Gardens. That's how you would, like spell it if you're putting it in. Um, there's this abbey there, and there's monks that are still full time running this abbey, and, um, they're they're lavender farmers, I mean. Oh,

Speaker 1

[00.27.30]

yeah. You know, they have, like, the best life ever. They also make wine. And then there and in front of it, though. So it's it's one of those I'm sure if you put it into Google for Provence, it's one of the ones that will pop up. But it's in front of the abbey and it's just these fields of lavender. It's some of the most I I'm sure it's one of the most iconic photos for Provence, but it's it you, you can't miss it. It just has to be

Speaker 2

[00.27.50]

seen. It's amazing. Okay, so you're in, uh, you're in a Jeep 4x4. You've got your four glasses and your rose, and you're kind of off roading at the moment.

Speaker 1

[00.28.00]

Yeah, we're off roading. And, um, so we take about, like, five minutes going up this hill. It's not a mountain. It's felt like one. But. Yeah, going up on this hill and, um. All of a sudden when you kind of come over the hill side, it it was just it was like probably hectares. It was just field after field after field after field, like as far as your eye could see of lavender. It was incredible. There was no road nearby. You could not drive by this. It was just we were so lucky to be able to see this. So it was all of this lavender. And then directly in front of us, the field we were standing in, you could see the lavender that had been cut. So there was no more purple, right? Like all of the they take the entire bushel like it it for like it goes in this big circle when it blooms out. So it gets like really huge. So they cut it all back. So it's just essentially looks like brown fields then. Um, but from those and then they have it at the very end, this huge pile of all this lavender and there's steam coming off of it because that had been put into the machines to like, press it. So that was at the very end of the field and there was all the steam coming off of it, but that it was the, the smell and the field was incredible. It was the most pure, truthfully, that I'll probably ever smell of lavender. It was, it was. Incredible. So much so. It's not a surprise. I've a theater degree. Um, so I think stereotypically you'd be like, oh, theater people, they tend to be a little dramatic. But I started crying because it was just this very overwhelming moment of, how did we meet such kind people that could have just said, oh, they're tourists, they're staying. We're going to be lovely to them. We don't need to go and do this, but to take us up to share another bottle of their rosé with us, to give of their time and to, like, get us to this place where we would have never found, um, it was just so special. And so then he, like, brings out the glasses and opens up the rosé and like, pops the wine and uncorks the wine. And, um, he was just talking. And then he started talking about his grandfather and all of his history of his family in Provence. So he moved to Marseilles to be a lawyer. Um, but the family history that they have there and that his family used to to, you know, his grandfather, great grandfather used to grow lavender and and there was just he just shared an incredible part of his family history of something that was really important and special to him with a complete stranger. And he gave of his time and his energy, and he was so generous. And it was just such a it was such a beautiful moment. And the sun was setting. And in the very back you can see like the mountains, kind of like the area of La Gorge de Verdon, because you're really close closer to that area on that side of Provence. Okay. And um. Then that's how we found out because they were like, oh yeah. Actually, we were contacted by this like film set. They yeah, Marion Cotillard stayed here, blah, blah, blah, you know, so, just so casually like it wasn't a big deal, you know? But, um, yeah, it was just it was so nice. And that was actually our last, um, that was our last stay in Provence before we moved on to, um, essentially, um, the Gorge de Verdun area, which was its own adventure, but it was just. Yeah, it was really special. And I and I, I think as well just having like all the kids there and like my husband Keith was playing soccer with them. Like, it just it was a really I think those are the things that create the things that make it stick more to you, you know?

Speaker 2

[00.34.22]

Yeah, more it sounds more, uh, well, familiar, but more family like. Yeah. Like, yeah, more of a family experience, as you were saying, even the the house, like, inside where you're staying felt more like home. It wasn't like, you know, Airbnbs that are just, uh, basically properties for, for investment purposes, you know, they just filled them with the Ikea stuff. You were staying at someone's home. So. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, I mean, I've heard I've heard lots of times it makes you understand why people are like, well, you know, why don't we just live in the south of France or Tuscany, like. Yeah. Um, yeah. It's pretty special. When in the in the summer. The whole time. You just have the best rosé. Local food. That's amazing. Things like the lavender harvest. And there's other harvests that happen after that, too. I feel like it's. Yeah, it's all just, uh, quite something special.

Speaker 1

[00.35.19]

Yeah, it really is. Yeah. And the affordability of it to the affordability of the food and the wine when you're going to the markets, like, those are things that just continue to shock me because you go like, wow, this is the, you know, the nicest quality. And it's not outrageous pricing, um, like it is at home, you know,

Speaker 2

[00.35.37]

and I will say, actually, you can let me know if you agree or not. Um, because I feel like Paris gets a bad rap, but, you know, people are people are, uh, a little bit, ah, interesting in Paris, but outside of Paris, I mean, everyone I've experienced is just the nicest, um, super lovely people.

Speaker 1

[00.35.56]

They are. I agree, I mean, I love prisons, but I totally get a little bit of their grumpiness sometimes. You know, you're constantly surrounded by all these people who are coming to see some of the most iconic monuments in all of the world, in one city. Um, but no, like I agree, in Normandy and Leon, you know, uh, all the way to Provence in the cold desert. Like, I think they're such friendly people. And also in the South, I will say, um, because I said that, like, there's a lot of, um, Parisians and people from Normandy that retire in the South, um, because it's it says, they say you get 325 days of sun a year in the south of France, so that it automatically makes them happier people and more friendly. But I still think in the North, they're friendly.

Speaker 2

[00.36.44]

I mean, yeah, uh, that vitamin D goes a long way. Goes a long way. But so does, you know, very healthy food and a healthy lifestyle being outside. And the mountains are not too far away to in the winter. Um, so I. Yeah, just hard to beat that area. It's special.

Speaker 1

[00.37.06]

Yeah. Definitely is. Definitely is,

Speaker 2

[00.37.08]

uh. It's amazing. So, um, and I mean, I mean, since, since then, you've been helping people go on trips like this, right? So that's. Yeah, that's very I mean, that's really cool. Kind of fulfilling. Um, the full circle there.

Speaker 1

[00.37.22]

Yeah, definitely. And it feels good to, to know that I'm, you know, I think definitely like, you know, we don't get those 12 weeks vacation like a lot of the French. So you know our vacation time is really limited. So it just makes me really happy to know that, you know, every hour of every day is being spent in a, in a really great way for however they want to spend their vacation. Yeah.

Speaker 2

[00.37.43]

That's great. And, um. So these days. Are you guys sorry? Are you guys still moving around like you have. Do you have your next kind of location planned for where you're gonna post up? Yeah. So. Well, actually. So we're heading, so I spend my summers. I didn't say this, but I spend my summers, um, just outside of Boston. Um, that's where my family, um, my my grandma has a little cottage there. So we we go for our normally, we go for our summer time there. So that's like my little stint in the States. Um, but we're headed to, uh, Tenerife and which is part of the Canary Islands. And then we're also headed to actually back to Paris, uh, for a month, which I'm really excited about because I need to do, like, a proper check in. I haven't been back since before Covid. Yeah. It's like, so I was like, I need to do a check in with my guides. And also, you know, I just need to eat, like a really affordable baguette. But the best baguette you'll ever have in your life, you know, one year or 30. It's crazy. So that's at the moment. That's what we have planned. I normally plan our life eight months in advance, but I had a baby in October, so I've noticed, like thank you. So I've noticed like a little bit of, like an adjustment where I'm like, I think because I was so used to just being like, oh, we'll just do this and do that, you know, that I'm, I'm a little bit more.

Speaker 1

[00.39.04]

I feel like I've slowed down a little bit, but in a good way. Like, I think we're kind of happy. We're what we've considered doing is maybe starting to do quarterly, like three months, three months, three month, three month. Um, just because moving every month or most months, um, for almost ten years is, it's, you know, it's a long time doing it. That's wild. It is definitely a long time doing it. I mean, I travel as much as I can and, um, still, like, it's it's pretty exhausting. So kudos to you. And yeah, I mean, with, with the child even even the as you were talking through your Provence trip, like doing two days, three days, two days, three days, like just. Yeah. It's like, no, no, it's

Speaker 2

[00.39.46]

nearly impossible.

Speaker 1

[00.39.48]

Yeah. Home base would be so much better.

Speaker 2

[00.39.50]

Yeah. Oh, amazing. I love a good home base. And then you go out from there, you can come back and get some rest. And. Yes.

Speaker 1

[00.39.58]

And even if you don't have a child, totally moving every 2 to 3 days is, you know, it's annoying. So, um, you know, that was back before. I am as old as I am now. You know, that was back in 2017. So. Yeah,

Speaker 2

[00.40.11]

well, at least you can still visit places and just say, like, professional curiosity, like I, you know, you're not just going to Paris to to have that bag at your, you know, you got to check out, get the lay of the land, see if check in, see if things. That's awesome. Well, um, Rachel, I really, really appreciate you. Uh, you joining? This is a this is a really fun story. Um, again, like, I, I've had a lot of stories where locals make such a difference, you know, and happenstance, just, uh, or serendipity, you know? Yeah. Um, kind of putting yourself out there in these situations. And it seems like this one was just like that. So, um. Yeah. Love a good travel story. Well,

Speaker 1

[00.40.55]

thanks so much for having me. It was really fun.

Speaker 2

[00.40.59]

Well, a big thank you to Rachel for coming on the podcast and sharing one of her favorite travel stories. Again, if you want to find Rachel, you can go to her website at for the Story Vacations. Uh. You can also find her on Instagram, especially if you're planning that special European vacation. And as always, if you've got an amazing travel story to tell, you can find me at one off Travel stories.com.