Thursday, June 11, 2009

Familiar Scent Trails and A Much Needed Vacation

Well, I am sorry to have suddenly disappeared without a warning, but once I finished my exams the lure of a getaway was just too strong to resist. While I was locked up in the house studying intensively for exams for three weeks, the weather kept taunting me: Sunny, bright and hot, hot, hot, all I could do was drink frozen drinks while hunched over my books and try to ignore the happy voices of the people outside. Ironically of course, once my exams were over the weather decided to turn gray and start pouring down. Deep inside, I knew this would happen as it wasn't the first time this has occured. What's a sun-deprived student girl to do? I booked a ticket and flew to Greece to see my parents for a few days - I've been here in Greece since Tuesday. I return on the 14th, but on the 16th my boyfriend is taking me to Paris for a week - a trip he's been planning to treat me with since my birthday (YAY!). I will be back on the 22nd of June, so please come back to find all about my scented explorations in Paris then! Oh, I'm so excited!

Until then, I invite you all to smell the summer and all the goodness that's in the air. I went for a trip to Mount Olympus yesterday and had the pleasure to walk around a very picturesque village filled with the sound of rushing, running water. My early evening stroll had me pausing every few steps just to marvel at the smells surrounding me. The most beautiful trail carried by the wind was the fantastic aroma of the linden trees. It being a scent I adore, I'd recognize it from afar, even before the tree would become visible. Once under the flower ladden tree, I found myself surrounded by the most amazing honeyed scent. So sweet, so magical is the fragrance produced by the flowers of the linden, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Elsewhere the far less pretty, but equally familiar scent of fermenting fruit moved my heart as well. The heavilly ladden fruiting trees and bushes had dropped countless berries and figs on the ground and these were producing a most pungent sweet-and-sour, drunken and slightly animalic nuanced scent in the air as they were fermenting into a sticky pulp. The soles of my snakeskin wedges became sticky, but I couldn't care less; the scent took me back to childhood holidays and days carefree. Unfortunately the figs were not ripe enough to pick yet (they'll only be ready come late August), but the green, uncomparable fragrance of the leaves and the sticky scent of the fallen fruit did not fail to bring an unwavering smile of calm and content to my lips. What a treat and what a gift, to be alive to be able to smell and to experience.

I look forward to seeing you all here again soon - I'll be back with lots more stories after the 22nd.
Bisous!

Images: Mt. Olympus and Linden Tree, both sourced from http://commons.wikimedia.org


13 comments:

anita said...

Have a wonderful time, D! Looking forward to news of your adventures on your return. :)

Unknown said...

Have fun and I am jealous! Same thing happened here too, horribly sunny during finals and now grey and overcast.

Unknown said...

And here is an update on the vanillas I have smelled lately:
Tihota I had a random sniff of this and thought cupcakes.
-Spiriteuse Double Vanille, hmmm maybe too sweet for me just wasn't what I wanted.
-Vanille Intense by Parfums de Nicolai, intensely smoky vanilla, not a whole lot of vanilla really.
-Lann-ael, fruit loops with vanilla.
-Sorry to hear about the La Maison de La Vanilles, those have extreme lasting power on me.
Vanille Galante- Very pretty salty lily vanilla scent, not what i wanted but still beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Lucky! Have fun dear divina! Paris, so lucky!

xoxoxo, Christine

PinstripedZebra said...

I wish I was there! Figs straight from the tree, the weather being great, vitamin D being generated.

Just lovely!

//Z

waftbyCarol said...

You make this old girl want to throw on a backpack and Stick out a thumb...
Safe travels!

krnszn said...

Wow! What a life - Greece, Paris...have a fantastic time in the City of Lights. I've been wanting to go back since I was there in the mid-90's. Can't believe it's been over 10 years. Now that I live in Maine, it's just a short hop across the pond. No excuse not to go!!!

Mary said...

Sounds absolutely divine! Hope you have a wonderful, much deserved, holiday!

Ines said...

Enjoy your wonderful and deserved holidays! And in Paris! :) I am so jealous.
Hmm, linden tree - that is one wonderful smell. When I was growing up, we had one in our court yard, and I absolutely love it, and now it reminds me of my childhood.

Sofia K. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sofia K. said...

It's all the smells of Greece that I miss ever since I moved abroad, like the tender scent of almond tree flowers (a standard February smell connected with sweet memories) I love the smell of linden trees; they would grow in my old university campus and the smell always made me smile and feel happy (Small comfort: linden trees also grow at the lanes of Maastricht where I now live, I was happily surprised to smell the familiar scent a few days ago!)

Enjoy the trip back home, it's always great to spend time with your loved ones :-)

The Daily Connoisseur said...

have a great time... you deserve it! xo

Brent a.k.a. yourkidatheart said...

Enjoy your lovely vacation! :)