The row of dried-out thistle heads spinning furiously was strangely hypnotic, especially when combined with the hum of the vast machine. I must admit that when I saw a visit to a blanket factory on my Provence itinerary, I expected to be a little bored. Yet here I was, fascinated by the process used to create these luxurious woollen blankets. In case you were wondering, the thistles lift the pile, giving them their unique fluffy appearance.
Close by, another machine whirred, carrying out the same process but using metallic versions of the natural thistles. Their design is so fiercely protected, we weren’t allowed to take photos! Tradition and innovation sat side by side – a theme I was to discover again and again on my trip.
The designer of the newfangled thistles was the grandfather of Jean-Louis Brun, who was showing us around the factory in L’Isle sur la Sorgue, a family business stretching back eight generations (brundeviantiran. com). He worked in the wine industry for a while but making blankets is not so different, he told me: “The blending is the same process.” He was referring to the materials they use – almost exclusively wool but from camels, llamas and goats as well as sheep, and from five continents, from France to Mongolia to Australia.
As we discovered when faced with the wools in their natural state, some are springier while others are softer (the softest being from baby camels), hence they’re blended. The company has projects all over the world, with the emphasis on sustainability; camels in the Gobi Desert, or closer to home, a 30-year exclusive partnership producing merino wool from a flock of 25,000 sheep in Arles.
ãã®èšäºã¯ France ã® July 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ France ã® July 2020 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Paindemic In Paris
For American actor and writer Alexander Burnett, a shortage of bread at his local boulangerie was one of the biggest challenges of lockdown in his adopted home city
VEULES-LES-ROSES
Between the white cliffs of the CÃŽte dâAlbâtre and the bucolic landscapes of the Pays de Caux, discover a village that combines coast and country,
Taking the BISCUIT
France is known for its exquisite pâtisserie and extravagant gâteaux but the not-so-humble biscuit deserves recognition too
PICTURE PERFECT PISTE
After a decade away from the slopes Janet Brice finds her ski legs in val d'arly, a hidden gem in the shadow of Mount Blanc
Let there BE LIGHT
Lyonâs annual Fête des LumiÚres brightens up the darkest of December nights in spectacular fashion, finds David Atkinson on a winter visit to the RhÃŽne capital
Shop âtil YOU DROP
In the first of our new Insight guides, Helen Parkinson delights in the French shopping experience
Floating YOUR BOAT
Spending a day on the River Seine in Paris, Heidi Fuller-love samples some of the cityâs top entertainment that can be enjoyed afloat
Creamy Dijon Chicken With Bacon And Spinach
Enjoy this hearty dish from Bisous & Brioche, a cookbook shot on location in Burgundy
A Moveable Feast
Philip Sweeney embarks on a voyage gourmand along the Vallée de la Gastronomie travelling from Dijon to Marseille
BOND RETOUR 7
To celebrate the return of everyoneâs favourite globe-trotting British intelligence officer in No Time to Die, Helen Parkinson rounds up five of James Bondâs top cross-Channel escapades