The Toronto Star: Paris museum makes sense of perfume

March 22, 2017

PARIS-I’m standing on my tiptoes in the Garden of Scents, craning my neck under the hood of a bell-like flower, waiting to be hit full in the face with what’s sure to be a bouquet of fragrant aromas.

Wait for it. Wait for it.

Nothing.

Patience being no virtue of mine, I regain my footing and stretch myself higher, bracing myself for a spritz of heady scents from the olfactory art installation at the recently opened Grand Musee du Parfum in Paris.

Still nada.

“You have to wait 30 seconds,” says one of the guides who, no doubt having noticed my disappointment, has approached and come to my rescue.

Motion sensors on the bells illuminate the flowers, explains the young, friendly guide, which then diffuse dry oil into the air.

“For the best experience, try closing your eyes and breathing it in,” she advises.

I strain to detect the first scent, which comes at me faintly, like the first few notes of a song when the volume is low.

“Ah, that one is very subtle,” says the guide who sees my quizzical expression.

“Not many people get it.”

Read more at https://www.thestar.com/life/travel/2017/03/22/paris-museum-makes-sense-of-perfume.html