Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time), by using the blue link-up button below.
Bleu Lavande – Fitch Bay, Québec
Earlier this year we spent a few days exploring the Eastern Townships of southern Québec.
We visited a number of interesting places that turned into #ThursdayDoors posts such as the Abbey at Saint-Benoit-du-Lac and The Haskell Free Library on the border with Vermont.
One of the other places we visited was a lavender farm called Bleu Lavande near the village of Fitch Bay.
Though this is a commercial enterprise it is also one of the most visited tourist attractions in the region. With over 100,000 lavender plants, Bleu Lavande is the largest lavender farm in Canada.
The pressing of the flowers and the distilling of the lavender oil is done onsite. The visitors center offers guided tours several times a day in French and in English to explain the whole process.
They produce a wide range lavender scented or infused products such as soaps, bath oils, perfumes, body sprays, candles, teas, and a whole bunch of other products too numerous to mention.
The history of lavender farming can be traced back all the way to ancient Greece. Later during Roman times lavender had become such a highly prized luxury that a pound of flowers would set the average labourer back the equivalent of a month’s wages.
It was late July so we had missed peak flowering season by a few weeks, but the fields still smelled wonderful even if they weren’t their prettiest.
With some very nice weathered old wooden buildings there was no shortage of share-worthy doors to discover.
We explored the place for the better part of a very hot afternoon and though it was tempting to take advantage of a massage at the outdoor spa overlooking the fields, we opted for a cold, refreshing lavender lemonade in the shade instead.
Special Note: This week Cee Neuner over at Cee’s Fun Foto Challenges is featuring Doors and Entrances. You may want to take advantage of the opportunity to meet some new readers by double-dipping and linking up to her post as well. Of course it’s also a great way to discover new folks to follow so don’t forget to click on a few links while you’re there to check out what others are posting.
You’ll find Cee’s post here
Want to join in on the fun and share your own Thursday Doors post with other door lovers? Click on the blue button below to add the link to your Thursday Doors post to our link-up list.
Don’t forget that if you share your blog posts on Twitter and Instagram, use the #ThursdayDoors hashtag to help others find you, and please do take a few minutes to visit some of the Thursday Door posts shared by others.
As always I thank you for looking 🙂
Lovely! Here’s my entry: https://lumar1298.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/thursday-doors-november-10-2016-jupiter-lighthouse/
LikeLike
Ooh, Norm! As usual, finally on the weekend (rather late in Friday) I am wishing I could have visited this particular lavender farm. My favorite door is the one that is open and framed with such lovely woodworking. My favorite photo though, is that if the beautiful weathered window box with flowers hanging over the edge. 🙂 So pretty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Robin. It is a lovely place to visit 🙂
LikeLike
Great photos!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Must have been amazing…the color and smell of lavender
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it was indeed – thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Gorgeous place. I can almost smell the lavender! Love the rustic building/doors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Angela – it was a nice visit 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great rustic doors and buildings- I could almost smell the lavender
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
Wonderful weathered doors, beautiful window boxes, and fields of lavender – my pulse is quickening for sure. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Judy. I’m sure you’d love this place 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love those weathered wooden doors! I’ll bet your lavender lemonade was delicious. I’ve had cookies with lavender in them; I never realized lavender tasted so lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Marian. Yes the lemonade was very refreshing 🙂
LikeLike
Beautiful, lavender and heather are two of my favorite fragrances.I have never tasted lavender lemonade. This place I would like to visit. Love it when farms are this well taken care of!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I think the trick with the lemonade is to go light on the lavender; just enough to infuse it a little but not so much that it takes over. It was very refreshing 🙂
LikeLike
Here’s mind for this week: https://theabjectmuse.me/2016/11/10/thursday-doors/
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for joining us 🙂
I’m not sure why but when I go to your post the images don’t come up. I see two red boxes, where I assume photos should load, and the caption at the bottom of the page: “Malbis Plantation Greek Orthodox Church in Malbis, AL”
I’ll try again from another device later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know why that happens. I will try to find out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay it seems the problem is at my end. I couldn’t see them on the PC but they come up fine on my tablet – wierd
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will never understand why that happens.:-)
LikeLike
Fabulous Photos , awesome doors!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
I love the fields and the doors, very tranquil. It reminds me of the time when a friend from Slovenia visiting me for the first time said: “Where are now those famous fields of lavender?” Alas, she confused Provence with Tuscany. It happens a lot. 🙂 We’ve got poppies instead. Even though I’ve seen one field of lavender over here as well. This is nothing compared to a friend of my parents, a well-travelled gentleman, who said: “Ohh, you’re from Tuscany! I travelled a lot in France, especially around Alicante.” Which is, alas, in Spain. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
So many wonderful places in this world to visit, it’s hard to keep track I guess 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the wooden doors. I bet it would be overwhelming during peak season. I love lavender.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Overwhelming? Perhaps. It is possible to have too much of a good thing and that is especially true with certain smells.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful! It must have smelled amazing there. I love lavender. 🙂 Always wanted to visit the Eastern Townships. Now I’ll have to go when the lavender is blooming. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of lovely little towns and villages in the Eastern Townships – I’m sure you’ll enjoy it 🙂
LikeLike
What a great post Norm. I really like the photo of the barn where the two doors are shown. Great perspective. Thanks for the mention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Cee 🙂
LikeLike
I love the weathered timber of that building with the flower-filled window boxes. With over 100,000 lavender plants I bet that’s the most relaxing place on earth, 😉 I’d love to be there when all those plants are in full bloom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, full bloom must be something to behold both for sight and scent. There’s another lavender farm closer to home that we may check out next summer during peak season.
Thanks Jean 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like those wooden doors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
What a beautiful place! I bet there were still plenty of bees around and the weathered wood and doors look good to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Come to think of it, yes I do remember seeing a lot of bees. Thanks Deborah 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
MP! “)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t that ever so dreamy? Ah, you lucky, lucky man. Lavender is the best. I live in lavender. Soaps, bubble bath, oils, lotions, linen spray, candles — everything lavender. I would be in heaven in a lavender field no doubt. Tried to start it from seed this year. Apparently kittens like lavender, too, so I will need to invest in established plants for the outdoors.
Beautiful pics, great share 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Joey. Honey is a much bigger lavender fan than I but I do enjoy the smell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Utilitarian but attractive doors, Norm. Your posts brings to mind and nose a side trip I went on with my s-i-l some years ago when they lived in Provence. We, too, had just missed the season but the scent, which I love, had infused the air. It must be almost overwhelming when the plants are in full bloom. Off to link and get ready for work. Have a great day.
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Janet. There’s another big lavender farm closer to home that we may try to visit during peak season next year. I’m curious to see just how strong the smell it when they’re in full bloom.
LikeLike
Beautiful images Norm. We visited a lavender farm when we were in France a few years ago. Like Joanne, I wish I liked the scent it produces but sadly, it gives me a headache.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess it’s not for everyone, but it sure is pretty to look at 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lavender is one of those things I wish I liked. It’s pretty, and such a lovely colour, but the smell – meh. It just manages to make my nose twitchy.
There is a lavender farm not too far from Toronto that I’ve had on my list of things to do for a while. Like the one you visited, it’s become a big tourist attraction and of course all the lavender infused products are big sellers. Unfortunately I missed the prime time for visiting this summer – so maybe next year.
Why would someone who doesn’t particularly like lavender go to a lavender farm? Just, because … 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Honey is a much bigger lavender fan than I am, so this visit was more her idea. I’m certainly glad I went though.
Why would someone who doesn’t particularly like lavender go to a lavender farm? Because there’s still stuff to see and discover 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lavender fields…Mmmmm…I can almost smell them through the computer. Those are wonderful door photos, Norm. I like the weathered wood, which I think is appropriate somehow with the lavender cultivation.
The massage tables among the lavender fields is pretty cool. Oh, I mean hot. Whatever, I would suspect that between the moderate heat of sun and smell of lavender makes for a very relaxing time. Too bad you had to be there on such a hot day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. Even if it was a bit too hot for my taste, It was a wonderful day 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lavender farming… Smelly, but in a good way. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed 🙂 Thank you.
LikeLike
I really like the board & batten barn, Norm, with its weathered look and those simple upper doors set between the two small windows. It’s such a nice look. It seems like a wonderful place to explore. I can only imagine the scent. I would normally have liked to see the newer doors from the outside, but I really like examining the construction details, so open worked well (and I’m guessing the outside looks like the lower, narrow doors). Great set today!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dan. I think those open ones were deliberate, to prevent visitors from baking inside – it was really that hot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Am early for a change in linking, but will come back later for your post:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂
LikeLike