Grasse

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On the scent of something exotic in Grasse, France, perfume capital of the world

What is that scent? Delicate but distinctive. Familiar but strangely elusive. Jasmine? IMG_3151Rose? Lavender? Myrtle? Could it be wild mimosa? Would my world-weary nose be able to distinguish anyway? Probably not. Intoxicating and often complex smells are the specialty of the house at the Parfumerie Fragonard, the oldest of the big three manufacturers in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world just 20kms inland from the ritzy Cote D’Azur in France.

At Parfumerie Fragonard’s showpiece museum and shop, an old mansion lovingly restored, we have walked through the history of both perfume and the company including the priceless bottles and containers that have evolved over the decades to house the magical elixir. Our heads are full of the cornucopia of flowers, fruits, roots and spices that make up these aromas: like bergamot from the Ivory Coast, coriander from Russia, Tonka beans from Venezuela and Guyana, vetyver from Java and vanilla from land around the Indian Ocean. Cloves and fenugreek,

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