lavender loveliness

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Do you ever have one of those holidays where everything just flows effortlessly, as though the vacation gods have decided to pull out all the stops, in order to make each experience more delightful and flawless than the last? Our visit to Sacred Island Lavender was the only visit that didn’t quite work out (timing-wise), during an otherwise idyllic road trip. Located just outside of Fulford Harbour, they were closed on the days we could come, and we missed their annual Lavender Festival by only one week. Imagine…..eating lavender ice cream…. getting a shiatsu massage out in the lavender fields…..though I’m pretty o.k. with having missed the visit by ‘Tammy the Lavender Donkey’. Oh well. We did manage to stop by long enough for a pic, a whiff and enough inspiration for me to experiment with this recipe for lavender lemonade. It’s mighty fine lemonade, if I do say so myself.

(Mighty Fine) Lavender Lemonade

2/3 cup sugar
5 cups water
1/4 cup fresh or 1 tbsp dried lavender
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
bottled mineral water
ice cubes
lavender sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish

In medium sized pot combine sugar and 2 ½ cups water. Bring to boil over a medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add lavender, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Strain mixture and discard lavender. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher. Add lemon juice and the other 2 ½ cups water. Cover and chill. Serve in glasses with ice, saving a little space and top with mineral water. Stir gently. Garnish with lavender sprigs and lemon wedges.