What’s that drifting through the air – spices, frangipani, salt? Could it be the scent of adventure?
This month on the Travel Linkup we’re talking all about the scent of travel. Although we frequently evoke the other senses when writing about travel, scent can be a little harder to convey. But oh how memorable it can be – from the decadent mixture of sugar and chilli at Istanbul’s Spice Market, to the beautiful hibiscus flowers that are ever-present in the Cook Islands.
One of my strongest scent memories is not strictly a travel one at all, although now as an expat it flies me back home in a second. Every Christmas growing up, my dad would cut the beautiful large lawns around our house – either Christmas Eve or on the day itself. In my mind, the smell of fresh-cut grass is totally intertwined with a child’s excitement for the day ahead – and for what always felt like the real start of summer. Of course, it’s a little confusing given that I’m now (mostly) having summer and Christmas on the opposite side of the world, at completely different times – but my excitement for summer at that first sniff of fresh-cut grass never fades.
Fresh-cut grass for Christmas
But what other smells trigger travel memories, good or bad? They might be…
a pungent market stall in Naples…
crispy fresh air at Preikestolen in Norway…
the salty goodness of the island life in Greece…
the cloying yet delicious smell of mulled wine in Cologne…
the fresh scent of heather on a Scottish road trip.
What’s yours?