A Perfumed Pilgrimage

At this moment I am sitting in a room filled with the most intoxicating buttery sweetness of fresh tuberoses.   I found them today in the annual Bio (organic) Fair that takes place every September in Grasse.

As of 2 days ago, after handing over my apartment to a sublet, I am staying with a good friend for my last few days before I take my flight to Canada where I will spend a few monthes working on my projects and continuing to lay the groundwork for a permanent life in Grasse.  Attempting to achieve what I am, to create a successful niche perfume collection, with me as a foreigner based in Grasse, has proved to be a major project, and one that has required a great deal of soul searching, patience and persistence.

I have spent now a full 2 years living in the old city of Grasse since I first arrived for perfumery school and everyday, still, when I go out, I am amazed all over again by this place- from the beauty and character, to the dilapidation and stench.  The sunshine, the olives trees, the jasmine, the language, the culture of perfume that permeates every facet of life in this cradle of modern perfumery.  It’s endlessly fascinating to me, and has absolutely captured my heart.

There’s no going back now…