Memory of a Scent

The other day I picked up my friend Cathy and when she got into the car I said, wow, you smell like high school. She was wearing “Charlie” a perfume that we all wore in high school in the 70’s. For the next ½ hour we talked about the clothes we wore, the music we listened to and the boys we went out with.

Aromas. Fragrances. Good smells. Gross smells. So many are attached to a memory. Sometimes even a bad odor reminds us of a good time. So many people will tell you apple pie or freshly baked choco chip cookies bring back so many memories of childhood. My list is eclectic. Even kind of weird. But whatever. Here we go:

A few days ago I was waiting for the T (Boston’s subway system). I don’t ride the T very often, I mostly drive everywhere as long as I can find a parking space. Sitting and waiting for the train I breathed in the smells of the station. Oily and musty. Not terrible. But it brought back memories of my college days. We used to take the T always. No cars.

Hot french fries with ketchup. Reminds me of summer. Not the taste. Just the smell.

Fresh cut lemons. Always reminds me of being in Israel. I love lemon.

Fresh brewed coffee. Reminds me that coffee is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel.

Campfire or fireplace smells remind me of late autumn, camping with my parents and of course Thanksgiving which has its own set of fabulous scents.

Grilled meats, country fair foods (peppers and sausages, fried dough) are also high on my list. Not necessarily to eat-just to breathe!

Cigarette smoke reminds me of sitting at an outdoor café in Italy. I hate cigarette smoke but it’s the culture of cafés and coffee.

Cold winter air reminds me of being in the city (New York of course, duh) with my Gram and going to the ballet.

Of course the food smells are constant. Each holiday has a special fragrance. Thanksgiving is sage. Passover is tzimmes (a big mess of yams, carrots, brisket-totally delish). Chanukah is fried latkes (potato pancakes) and hot homemade apple sauce.

Perfumes also bring memories. I don’t wear perfume anymore (my husband is allergic) but when I smell a certain fragrance it reminds me of a certain person or even me, when I used to wear perfume.

Our sense of smell is a wonderful thing. It can trigger an old memory or create a new one.

I probably won’t be posting every week. More like twice a month. Or maybe three times. We’ll see.

It’s turkey time! Wishing all of you a very, very happy Thanksgiving.

Stranded?

 Yes, I am back from the land of pizza, pasta and pane. To tell the truth, I wasn’t quite sure when I would arrive home. A little storm called “Sandy” kind of interfered in my flight itinerary.

I was all set to fly from Venice to Munich to Boston. I had taken the train the evening before from Trieste to Mestre (suburb of Venice). I was staying with friends in Favarro approx. 15 minutes or so from beautiful Venice. The next morning I was to fly fairly early. And then, the dreaded words appeared in my email: YOUR FLIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. I had a feeling something like that would happen. I had been following the Sandy news via Facebook and it wasn’t looking good.

Went to the airport to figure out what to do next. Me and 100’s of other people. We were told all flights to the USA were cancelled. Being that this was Italy, nothing was happening. No surprise there. So, while the line of American tourists slowly freaked out about where to stay, what to do and what to eat, the Italians in line made a fast exit and I went back to Favarro. Called the airline and secured the next flight out. Of course this flight was 5 days later. Oh my. What to do? Five more days in Italy. Such a shame.

Rainy Venice

I always say that when life hands you lemons, forget the lemonade stand and open a franchise instead. I had four more full days to plan and it was lovely. Spent a nice evening in Venice visiting with a friend. The downside to that was acqua alta. It was messy. Raining and rising waters. Even with high rubber boots I ended up soaked to the skin. But hey. Venice is beautiful even in the rain.

Padova

 I spent a wonderful day in Padova. In fact I fell in love with the old city. I could see myself hanging out there for a while. I made new acquaintances. It was a fine four days. I also ate much more than I should have. But it was OH SO GOOD!

 I was concerned with the events happening at home. Fortunately my house was spared with the exception of a few falling branches and a little water in the basement. Others were not so fortunate. Some are still without power and it’s been a week.

Pizza in Mestre

And so, on this election day, I am proud to be an American and very sad to leave Italy behind. I know I’ll be back soon. But not soon enough.

Have a good week all. And for those of you without power, hang in there. If you feel like coming to Boston, there’s a spare room and a hot shower and great coffee. Any time.