Tourrettes-sur-Loup France

A medieval village which has preserved much of its original architecture.  Tourretes-sur-Loup is called the “City of violets,” because the surrounding area is covered in a terraced landscape of violets.   The special violets have grown here for over 150 years.  Every March they have a Violet Festival which marks the end of violet season and the beginning of Spring.

Walking through the narrow roads of the village reminded us of Eze village.  However, it is not as touristy and many of the little shops are those of the local artisans.

Someone recommended we try the violet ice cream.  She had just tried it and loved it.  Since we were in the “City of violets,” the kids and Dave decided to try it.  They all loved it and said that it was very interesting.  Summer said that it made her top 5 list of favorite ice cream flavors because it was so unique.

 

We also visited La Bastide aux Violettes.  They have a new interesting way of growing violets in their green houses.  It looked as though they used elongated plastic bags with small holes several inches apart from top to bottom, with a watering system that ran through the bag.  Seems like this would be a good way to grow other things, like strawberries.

There were also some other candied flowers to sample.  The kids liked the candied rose the best.

We all loved this village and if we had to choose between Tourrette-sur-Loup and Eze, then Tourrette-sur-Loup would be the winner.  While it certainly has what tourists are interested in, it also still has that strong feel of history and authenticity that makes it special.

This was a surprise find on our way to Florian, the candied fruit factory.  When we saw the village in the distance we knew we had to stop.  Interestingly, Confiserie Florian had no parking available for us after driving past 3 times.  So we never did make it there.  Just goes to show that plans don’t always work, but adapting to change can be even better!