When travelling there is invariably the urge to try and fit in as much as is humanely possibly. This might stem from that old chestnut: the Fear Of Missing Out, or maybe there is genuinely so much to do. But sometimes you need to take a little bit of time and relax into a place. And what better place to do this in Grasse – the fragrance capital of the world.

Pretty in pink

Now admittedly it wasn’t my first choice. I’ll confess I’d never even heard of it, but I was heartily sick of booking accommodation so delegated it to Chris. I mean if he wanted his car back he just needed to pick a suitable rendezvous. And boy did good! Grasse is the prettiest smelling town I’ve ever passed through. Full of artisan perfumers, plus the boulangeries and patisseries de rigueur for small towns, it should be a must on any francophile’s itinerary.

The place we are staying in is the nicest of anywhere thus far this trip. Sprawled over three floors (4 if you count the secret room at the top), just being in it makes me instantly relaxed. We overlook the central square/oblong where tourists gravitate to for lunch and dinner. It’s constant noise but this is a small town, not a party town so it’s all silent by 10 pm.

What should you smell?

After picking Chris up from the aiport I drag him to the International Perfume Museum. Now that’s a change – me dragging C to a museum lol. On first glance, a museum about perfume doesn’t seem a very manly thing to do. But it was really well curated and informative. Did you know there is a swallowable perfume now? We saw Marie Antoinette’s travel kit and a living garden of perfumes. I must confess my favourite bits were the “Eye Nose You” boxes where you peered through a hole and saw a photo while sniffing a scent at the same time. Only one pic was a man’s groin and it definitely didn’t smell like it so that was a little disturbing. I mean, it’s been a while but I think I can remember what it smells like if memory serves.

There are of course other things to do in Grasse – I could have visited the perfume factories, made my own perfume, or even headed outside Grasse for a bit of a nature walk, but to be perfectly honest, it’s a nice town to do nothing in.

Stay: Air BnB
Visit: International Perfume Museum
Do: Top things to do in Grasse