Cool Paris

In the Aerolineas Argentinas Magazine of Dec 2009 :

The sense of smell can stir-up potent memories. Certain aromas allow to relive an infinite array of events, as they transport us to different places and times where memories interact with imagination and fantasy.

Paris, apart from being an elegant city par excellence, is the capital of perfume. While there are thousands of ways to experience this unique place which combines flavors and fragances, it’s the city of Grasse where the finest aromas can be found.

But at Rue Scribe, near the Garnier Opéra House, in an old theater, a museum/boutique reveals infinite secrets and curiosities about the manufactering of fragances. Upon crossing through the doorway, one can admire all the distillation stages involved in the elaboration of the different aromas until discovering the marvelous collection of objects linked with perfume making.  Perfume as it’s known today became a liquid in the late XIV century after having originally been a solid.

With a familiar spirit and the hand crafted values that it represents, Fragonard has succeeded in crossing borders to make the sense of smell a uniquely pleasant experience. There are also free guided tours.

Fragonard, 9, Rue Scribe, 75009 Paris, M° Opéra