This particular company was started in 1849 and is still run by the same family 160 years on.
The staff took us on a tour of the factory (in French only!) showing all the processes that go into making one small 100ml bottle of perfume. Apparently it takes barrel loads of flowers to be distilled and create fragrance oils which eventually are distilled down to the essence of the original flower petal. Then they are carefully mixed together to achieve the correct "note" (yes its called a note) and these notes are mixed together to produce a "chord".
This, they proudly say, is why perfume is so expensive!
After our tour and some lunch we decided to drive further down the coast to St. Tropez - the place of choice on the French Riviera for the visiting Hollywood stars to retreat for their holidays.
We arrived in the late afternoon and enjoyed the last of the warm sun as we wandered around the old streets and harbour.
St. Tropez is another place for the rich and richer to park their huge yachts and boats - and the main harbour is full of even more of these expensive play things.
We enjoyed our leisurely stroll around the old town - but it was clear that the local shops were more used to catering for a richer clientele than either us or the locals as there were shops selling every designer label on the planet - goodness knows where the local people went to buy a pair of shoes under €300!
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