From Paris to Marseille: Across France

There was a time in France when taxes were levied based on the width of windows.

To pay less tax, it became common to design building windows tall and narrow rather than wide.

This architectural style, combined with the French emphasis on the appearance of buildings, formed the distinctive cityscape seen today.

When Louis XIV saw Vaux-le-Vicomte, built by finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, he was consumed by jealousy, feeling that his own residence looked shabby by comparison.

Fouquet ended up imprisoned on a charge of embezzling public funds and died there, a tragic figure.

Louis XIV summoned those who had worked on Vaux-le-Vicomte and had them build Versailles Palace, far more magnificent than Fouquet's château.

Offered only during the summer season, the night program gives visitors a special chance to rediscover the place by visiting both by day and by night.

Yubari explains that people turned the pulley by hand to haul up necessities from below, showing a self-sufficient setup that relied on the labor of the monks.

Still, the faint lavender fragrance that spread throughout the village comforted him, and through residents he learned about the farm work and how lavender is used.

One lavender farm in Sault began producing spirits alongside lavender farming two years ago.

Yubari chose apricot and lavender as ingredients and experienced distilling a spirit himself with a mini still.

He shared the finished "Yubari-brand apricot lavender Sault gin," diluted to finish, with villagers and spent time communicating with them.

The highlight of Europe's largest lavender festival, which began in 1985, is a contest in which participants cut lavender by hand with a scythe.

The contest is not a simple speed race: the key is keeping the quality of the lavender while securing the yield within the set time, giving a glimpse of the farmers' hard work.

Yubari placed 11th out of 20 participants, but he focused more on the award performance and the festival atmosphere than on the ranking.

As everyone sang together to the live music, he recalled his days busking in France and confirmed an emotional bond with the locals.

As a port city on the Mediterranean coast, it is popular as a summer resort. Visitors take in the open sea view and enjoy the city's charm.

For the French, holidays are an essential time to recharge. At the beach he spontaneously held a swimming race with local kids and spent a leisurely afternoon.

The Mediterranean, a blue paradise of summer, is a place that teaches how to rest well. You come to feel the French culture of resting fully after working hard.