My Favorite Consumable Souvenir
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Why consumable souvenirs?
We travel a lot. Although I am far from a minimalist, I have really become averse to having unnecessary clutter in the house. One of the things that adds to clutter is the stuff we bring back from trips. Besides little things for the kids, we try to limit ourselves to one nice piece from a local artist or local shop that will suit our home and will also remind us of the places we’ve been. I also love to bring back “consumable” souvenirs – fresh mozzarella from Italy, coffee from Costa Rica, chocolates from. . . well, anywhere. Food is a fun way to bring a little something back that we can enjoy at home, but it eventually disappears. I recently discovered a consumable souvenir that lasts a little longer and doesn’t make my clothes shrink.
A new discovery!
Last year, we went to the French Riviera for my birthday and we stopped at the Fragonard perfume factory and museum in Grasse, not far from Nice. The factory is in an old building which has been used as a perfume factory since 1782. Perfumes under the Fragonard name have been produced there since 1926.
Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse Alley in Grasse, France
After touring the factory and museum, you (of course) exit through the perfume shop. I spent an inordinate amount of time wandering around smelling all the things and chatting with the sales ladies about their most classic fragrances vs. their newer limited edition scents. I ended up choosing a little gift set that included a bottle of perfume and matching hand cream (I have a complex about not using different scented perfumes and hand creams). The scent was called “Pivoine,” which is a lightly floral scent created with three different peonies, rhubarb, iris, musk, and amber.
Oops. . .
When we traveled from the Riviera back to Paris and opened our suitcases, I was dismayed to find that the bottle had leaked a little into my bag. I didn’t worry too much about it – it wasn’t a can of sardines, after all. So all my clothes smell like pretty flowers. Fine.
What I discovered, though, was that when we got back home, every time I put the perfume on, I was taken back to that trip and all of the wonderful memories we made in France. Because all my clothes smelled like Pivoine for half of the trip! I have taken to wearing the Pivoine during the warmer days here at home because it’s such a light pretty scent, and I swear EVERY time I put it on, I feel like we are back in the French Riviera eating long, lingering meals and wandering the towns and beaches in the warm breezy air.
The power of scent
As we all know, the sense of smell is closely linked to memory – sometimes I walk into an old building and say, “This smells just like my elementary school!” It’s been 30 years since I was inside that elementary school. They say that smell not only triggers memories, it even triggers emotions. This is why, when I smell the perfume that I used to wear when I first met Jeremy, I remember how dreamy he used to be (I kid – I still find him super dreamy, even though he sometimes makes me crazy).
Ever since, when we travel to Europe, if we happen across a perfume shop, I always go in and try to find a fragrance that strikes me. In February, I brought back a bottle of Magnolia Nobile by Acqua di Parma from Rome, and in September I snagged a bottle of Fleur di Portofino by Tom Ford in London. If you told me to describe one of them, it would be hard for me to put a description into words. But as soon as I spray some on, I am immediately transported back to that trip. It has become my absolute favorite way of remembering a trip.
What if I don’t want to break the bank?
Another similar idea (that won’t cost you $160 a trip!) is to buy a new little travel candle before you leave. Use the candle when you’re in your hotel room or rental home. When you come back, every time you burn the candle, you’ll be reminded of your trip. This is one reason I love to give travel candles as gifts and tell people to take it on their next trip (the Bossy Brunette can’t give a gift without telling you how you’re supposed to use it).
What souvenirs do you love to bring back when you travel? I have never had a specific travel collection of, say. . . tiny decorated thimbles from around the world. I would love to hear about yours!
