Lavender

Soon after arriving to Italy I began to see that lavender is used a lot here. The first place I noticed it was out in the courtyard. I could smell it as soon as I got close to it. Seeing it potted is not something I am used to. I have always loved the calming affect that lavender gives and I use the lavender essential oil a lot in my daily life at home. When the restoration guest came I had no idea that lavender oil could be used for restoring old paintings. When I saw the original color of the painting through the swatches they had left, I was in shock. The painting was from the 17^th Century and the restoration artists were bringing back the original paint colors, trusting that the oil would not ruin the painting years down the line.

When I visited Castiglione del Lago, I came across a woman selling handmade lavender products. She had eye masks, heating pads and little keychains, all filled with the calming scent. She had her own lavender farm and spent most of her time dedicating herself to that. When she showed me a picture of the farm it was breathtaking. All of the purple flowers make for such beautiful scenery and I can’t Imagine how wonderful it smells.

-Jennifer Hoyle