Travel Adventures with Barbara

Grasse, France

'Perfume Capital of the World' and Floating Pink Umbrellas

Umbrellas and Shadows

Ah... An olfactory odyssey if you have a passion for perfumes! And I do!

Grasse was one of the most charming, small hill towns in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azure region in the south of France that I visited in September 2022.

It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of the French Riviera in the hills north of Cannes.

Grasse has been a perfume town since the 16th century.

Today, it's known as the 'Fragrance Capital' of France and the world.

A bit of history regarding perfumes and scent...

Perfume enjoyed huge success during the 17th century, especially in France. Hygiene in those days was rather spotty and fragrances were used to mask the unpleasant body odors.

Scent was also used to hide the awful odors from the burgeoning tannery industry and to produce fragrant gloves for the king. Today, its reputation speaks for itself.

But, I was most charmed by the 'Floating Pink Umbrellas' above the winding, narrow cobblestone streets that were absolutely mesmerizing, so creative and truly magical. They were dancing and swaying in the breeze over every small lane.

I could not take my eyes off of the pink parasols. They seemed to be a mix of pop art and impressionism. It was a truly joyful experience!

What made this even more special were the shadows of the pink umbrellas which were projected on the paving stones as we walked the delightful, small avenues.

I wondered how many pink umbrellas were above the streets of Grasse?

Fountain in the Plaza

My research revealed that the artists who created the pink umbrella installation said that the pink color means 'happiness and optimism, feelings and values that they seek to create in the people who visit'.

Why visit Grasse?

Margery, my good friend and travel companion, and I had heard about this picturesque town and decided that we must go and see it for ourselves.

We were staying in a lovely Airbnb apartment in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Promenade with a large terrace overlooking the sapphire blue Mediterranean Sea with its pebble beaches and crashing waves!

Pebble Beach in Cagnes-sur-Mer

What an amazing view from our balcony as we sipped our wine!

More please...

Who doesn't love the French Riviera?

Barb in Cagnes-sur-Mer

From Cagnes-sur-Mer, we took a short bus ride (1 hour) through the winding, curving hills to Grasse. This is the jewel on the Cote d'Azur region which sits high above the sea.

At first glance, we didn't see anything attractive or unusual as we began walking through the town. Definitely old French style buildings, normal businesses and store fronts.

Where are the perfumeries and shops? Where are the charming restaurants and people? Not immediately visible to us. Hmmm...

I encouraged Margery to continue walking. There must be more here. Unfortunately, we had to go down a very steep street to keep exploring.

But, at the bottom of that street, we found exactly what we were looking for!

Voila! And, every visitor had also found the essence of Grasse!

Surprise! The floating, pink umbrellas overhead! What a sight! The scene really took our breath away. Can you imagine this colorful scene?

Quaint, picturesque restaurants in a plaza with a large, round fountain! Children playing. Families eating, drinking, laughing and talking.

Time for lunch and wine under the umbrellas. Then, the rest of the day to explore this incredible place with beautiful small shops in which to browse.

What is so special about this very small, out of the way town? Well...

Flowers and more flowers! Fields of flowers - jasmine (the city's mythical flower), May rose, tuberose, violet and orange blossom, lavender, myrtle and mimosa which are all cultivated locally. Remember, Grasse is the CENTER of the French perfume industry.

Most of the raw materials for the extraordinary fragrances are grown in flower farms nourished by Grasses's micro-climate and its rare abundance of water for the region.

Love the scent of Chanel No. 5?

Do you perhaps wear it?

Did your Mom or Grandmother indulge in this perfume?

Did your boyfriend or husband buy this fragrance for you?

The Chanel floral bouquet is composed around May rose and jasmine.

Guess what? The jasmine that goes into Chanel No. 5 is picked from the fields right here.

The original flower chosen by Mademoiselle Chanel, which is jasmine, with its sensual notes is the signature of No. 5.

Jasmine is a delicate flower with five long, chalk-white petals which has been cultivated using the same techniques for generations in the fields of Chanel in Grasse.

Actually, the most commonly used floral ingredients used in perfumes are rose and jasmine.

Today, the Grasse perfume industry is made up of dozens of companies including some very famous names. Chanel still cultivates the Mai de Rose here, a flower that for almost a century has made the inimitable style of its Chanel No. 5.

This perfume heritage is celebrated at the Musee International de la Parfumerie in the town center which we enjoyed touring. The museum includes a working perfumery and I was most intrigued by the intricate vats, copper stills and materials used to make perfume.

We saw where the fragrances are distilled and how they are bottled. The stills used for steam distillation are displayed and tell the story of a very old process used for extracting essential oils. Large perfumeries such as Fragonard, Molinar, and Galimard also offer tours.

Galimard, Grasse's oldest perfume maker, has been in business since 1747 and in that century supplied the French royal court with ointments and perfumes.

The second oldest is Molinard, established in 1849. Its headquarters were designed by Gustave Eiffel.

You can also fashion your own fragrance at workshops here and appreciate their array of antique labels and bottles especially designed by Baccarat and Lalique.

Actually, the first glass perfume bottle was created in 1765 by the Baccarat glass factory in France.

Maison Fragonard has been a perfume maker based in Grasse since 1926 and manufactures its products in three factories on the Cote d'Azur. This 18th century tannery became a perfume factory at the beginning of the 19th century and was completely renovated in 2015.

But, the most intriguing and fascinating idea was that there were several small, independent perfumeries where you could also make your own fragrance.

Now, wouldn't that be quite special to design your own scent and have it bottled in Grasse?

What flowers would you select?

What would you name your personal scent?

And, what type of special bottle would you find for your creation?

I only wish that you could actually smell the incredible, exceptional scents and fragrances!

Our last stop was so impressive and I could just feel the history! Those were my thoughts as I entered the dark, cool Grasse Cathedral, now the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Puy.

It was a former 12th century Catholic church built in the Romanesque style located in the old town area and contained many paintings, including some by Rubens and Fragonard.