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Take a trip to fragrance country French Riviera-style!
Follow the French Riviera into the heart of perfume country, enjoying the joie de vivre of Grasse, Nice and Cannes.
By Rita Silvan
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There are places that have their moment in the sun, like Ibiza, then flame out, caving in under the weight of the buzz. Then there are others that continue to charm and surprise, seemingly in perpetuity. The mystique of the Côte d'Azur-Grasse, Nice and Cannes-has always been its heady combination of languid luxe, swaying palms and its mix of Euro-chic and Euro-trash. Some people seek adventure by following the Inca trail; for me, thrills abound in following the region's famous perfume trail.
Grasse
The heart of France's perfume industry, Grasse is famous for its fields of May rose, jasmine and orange blossom. For economic reasons, many raw materials for fragrances are now imported into the region, but a few great perfume houses, such as Chanel, keep their own flower fields (for Chanel, it's May rose and jasmine) in Grasse to manufacture their own essences from scratch.
The vibe Elegant and low-key.
Why you should go If you love fragrance, there is no better place on earth to indulge. There are several perfumeries that offer guided tours, as well as a few that offer studio classes in perfume creation. I signed up for a course with Monsieur Maurel at Parfumerie Galimard. I was aiming to create a subtle fragrance with a hint of tea, violets and raindrops-something Bloomsbury-esque. Mon-sieur Maurel was quite pleased with my progress, until I began adding essences for the top notes. Somehow I took a fatal detour-but I do have a nice certificate from him to assuage my disappointment. He also keeps your formula on file should you wish to reorder it or have the scent added to soaps, shower gels or lotions, which he will make up and send to you.
You should also visit the International Perfume Museum, with its own greenhouse, as well as the Provençal Costume and Jewelry Museum, which houses a private collection of 18th- and 19th-century fashion and jewellery and is located right across the street from Parfumerie Fragonard. In May and June, you can visit the rose fields at the Domaine de Manon in the afternoon to learn how to harvest and process them, and from August to October, you can pay a morning visit to the jasmine fields. (Breakfasts can also be arranged right in the fields themselves. Heaven!)
What to buy Perfume and more perfume! Many of the museums have adjoining shops where you will be able to purchase classic and new fragrances that would probably be hard to find anywhere else. Fragonard, in particular, has a wonderful shop. The Jewelry Museum also has a great boutique that sells semi-precious gem jewellery from India, as well as beautiful silk scarves. If your luggage can handle it, you should also pick up a bottle of delicious olive oil from Palais des Olives on Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon.
Where to stay The Bastide Saint-Antoine is a Relais & Chateaux inn with two Michelin stars. Its eleven rooms each have a low-key Provençal charm, but it's the food that is the big feature. In addition to his wonderfully sensitive seasonal menu made with local produce, co-owner Jacques Chibois also offers a perfume-making class followed by a special menu where the natural fragrances-such as thyme, lavender, jasmine and rose-are adopted into the recipes. Once you have tasted his refinedcuisine, it comes as no surprise that the soft-spoken Chibois writes poetry in his spare time.
Photography courtesy of The Bastide Sainte-Antoine
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