It’s mid-August, it’s hot and muggy here (for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere at least) and I’m well ready to be done with summer, and to welcome autumn’s charms with open arms. Even though I know Mother Nature likely will not oblige me until at least early October. But in the spirit of our imagination-laden post last week, I’m thinking of faraway places I would love to visit on holiday, a fantasy vacation, if only the wallet were willing.
So, what would be your late summer fantasy trip, holiday or vacation? What scent(s) would you take to accompany you on your journey, or would you just wait and get your fragrance there?
Mine would be a getaway to London, looking forward to at least a few coolish, rainy days, having a lovely afternoon tea or two, wandering about the neighborhoods and parks, and of course, fragrance shopping. And what trip to London would be complete without a visit to Harrod’s in general, and the Roja Dove boutique in particular? And this time around, stops at Ormonde Jayne, the Jo Loves boutique, Amouage, Penhaligon’s and Selfridge’s would round out my fragrant vacation. And I’d swing by Fortnum & Mason, too, for good measure.
And, as it’s my fantasy, I’d travel across the Pond in first-class, stay in a posh hotel within walking distance of Harrod’s, so I could easily make multiple return visits to spritz new scents. I’d also have a private car available to take me to destinations that weren’t close to a Tube station, or to fabulous restaurants at which I could wear fabulous high heels. Never mind that I haven’t been out of my Brooks sneakers or flats in years. 🙂 Hey, if you’re whipping up a fantasy, might as well go big, right?
I visited London in 2002, but was not quite the perfume fiend that I am now, and I had my elderly mother-in-law with me, who does not do well around a lot of fragrance. Besides, our days were jam-packed trying to see all the wonderful sites in London and beyond (it was her first trip there), get some good fish and chips, have a few glorious afternoon teas, and take in some marvelous British theatre. So my fantasy holiday would revolve around fragrance for sure this time.
What about you?
It would have to be France again! The last times I travelled to France, I was living in the UK on exchange during my undergraduate degree. I did loads of travelling, but wasn’t interested in perfumes then. I did visit the Fragonard factory and purchased quite a few bars of their rose & lavender soap, and I bought a bottle of Soleil for my mum. But now, gosh,,a trip to France would mean a stop in Grasse again, and then the rest of the time would be spent visiting boutiques in Paris. The Guerlain one would be at the top of my list, for sure!
Don’t worry, everyone, if I win the lottery, i will book a plane, and you shall all fly with me! 🙂
Ooh, lucky you, Jaime! It sounds like a wonderful experience. I, too, would love to visit the Guerlain flagship. And thank you for your generous offer to take us all with you — we would love it!!
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, visiting many interesting and unusual locations. But I’ve always wanted to see Istanbul and Turkey. I have a long list of things I’d want to see and do – the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Turkish Riviera cities along the Mediterranean, Topkapi Palace, the bazaars are all just a beginning.
I’m only aware of one Turkish perfume line. It has a male and female scent from Turkish fashion house Vakko. But I am willing to bet there are plenty of perfume oils and other scented products there.
Teri, that sounds like an amazingly different kind of trip, with lots of history and mystery. And all that wonderful Turkish food … mmmm. I think we tend to forget that there are so many gorgeous places that are a world away from the usual suspects.
As I very often end up traveling by myself, I think I gravitate toward more mainstream locales. But with a perfume buddy or two, it would be so much fun to branch out and visit someplace completely different.
London for Roja Dove and France for the Caron and Guerlain flagship stores!
Oh, yes, Debbie — that makes two of us!! I would be happy to skip on over to Paris for a few days.
Hi there Ann,
We are right at the end of winter and the garden is about to burst into flower here. Do you mind if I keep my money and stay at home, sleep till 11am every day, spend the day smelling frags and then have a long bath at 3pm, get ready for work and come home and spend half an hour chatting with Jin and then hit the computer while he sleeps?
That’s my kind of holiday. MMMMMM. It’s also pretty much my day to day life.
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! That’s so great that you can remain home, save the money and enjoy your “staycation”! It doesn’t get any better than that. And so nice that you can look forward to the flowers.
If Hotel des Bains were still extant I would go to Lido. Not a huge fan of staying in Venice but oh, to stay in Hotel des Bains….but hey! if they get the apartments done……;-)
Hey, lady — so lovely to see you! Will they rent out the apartments when they are finished? If so, you just might have to treat yourself, right?
I would head Northwest, hitting Seattle and my favorite hotel, The Edgewater Inn, indulging in all the niche perfume shops and eating the freshest of seafoods. Next to Portland and surrounds, going to Slumberhouse, Olympic Orchids, 40 Notes, Flora and Sweet Anthem. Then, I’d head to Vancouver to the Bouchard gardens for the last of the summer flowers and then across to Banff to indulge in sumptuous food at a gorgeous hotel by a lake and spend my days wearing one after another of my recently purchased perfumes.
Jan, think I might have to join you — what a fun itinerary you have there! And the scenery sounds exquisite as well. A hotel by a cool lake sounds like just the ticket.
I would find some secluded beach hotel in Crete, fancy and small, to be my base. Then, I´d visit the Knossos palace and all the ruins I could find, drive across the mountains and find small villages where I could leave the car and go for extra long walks, eat and maybe sleep for a night. My priorities would be to try all local cheeses and pistachio based sweets. I´d get Eau de Mandarine Ambrée at the duty free shop on my way there, since I think it would be a nice fit, and I´d love to have Crete memories forever tied to it.
That would be marvelous, Solanace! A friend of mine went to Greece some years back and fell in love with it. Your itinerary sounds simply wonderful. BTW, I don’t think I’ve ever sniffed the Mandarine Ambre so now you’ve got me curious.
Fragrance centric for sure! Paris and the osmotheque, and I might just do it, because the temptation is great. Add in Serge and Guerlain boutiques and anything else I could possibly fit in.
Elia, I can’t believe I’d forgotten about the Osmotheque — how cool! And so wonderful that you very well could make it a reality. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you can! I, too, would love to visit those boutiques, especially Guerlain. Wonder if I could add a trip across the Channel and a few days to my London fantasy, eh? 😉
If I ran into some serious money, I would head to Paris or I would go to London or maybe Dublin. It almost seems like the Serge Lutens bell jars are much cheaper with the exchange rate. I want my bell jars, to visit the Chanel store and Guerlain. I would load up on Mitsouko, Jicky and L’Heure Bleue in parfum form and a bottle of L’Heure de Nuit. My traveling perfumes always seems to be Jicky and no 5. There is something in Jicky that just calms traveling nerves even though there is a crap load of skank in Jicky.
Oh, yes, wouldn’t SL bell jars be fabulous souvenirs from a dream vacation? And those Guerlain parfums — ah … Here’s hoping some big bucks come your way so you can indulge!