If I asked you what you think Sicilians' favourite smell is, what would you say? You might think it was the scent of jasmine or orange blossom wafting through the air at this time of year or one of these in perfume form. Or, talking of perfume, perhaps the island's women finish their toilette with a generous spray of Acqua di Parma's almond fragrance or D&G's Sicily.
Then again, maybe the way to a Sicilian's olfactory nerve is through the kitchen and you might imagine that the unmistakeable scent of vanilla as numerous pasticcerie set to work in the morning or the aroma of freshly prepared foccaccia, pizza or arancini in the evening would be at the top of every Sicilian's good smell list.
All of the above would make the list but I can tell you with certainty that none of them would top it: I recently had to visit a non-medical establishment which had been spring-cleaned with particular vigour and everyone - man or woman - who came in while I was there stopped as they crossed the threshold, sniffed the air and declared joyfully,
"Che bel profumo di pulizia!" ["What a beautiful smell of cleaning!"]
And that, dear reader, is Sicilians' favourite smell. What's yours? Just for fun, do please vote in the poll in the sidebar. Thank you.
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| Image: WP Clipart |
8 comments:
I understand this obsession with cleanliness; I can only say it goes way back.
Ah, aromas to move the heart! I am always surprised when something I smell awakens in me a long forgotten memory.
"Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived." ~ Helen Keller
I can't say I have an absolute favorite but there is one particular smell that makes me all soft inside and turns me into mush: the scent (and sensation) of a newborn baby's head.
Hi, Rosaria. It's an obsession I don't suffer from! Hi, Nick. What a lovely quote. Hi, Rowena. Aaaah.....
Not to mention certain food smells, which, of course, there are many that titillate and entice...the smell of fresh sheets on the bed; or the smell just after rain has fallen when we've not had rain for a while.
And...coffee....real coffee....which has just prompted me to go and turn my coffee machine on!
Hi, Lee, I agree with all of those and I miss that rain smell.
Definitely not my favourite! Although I admit to burying my nose in the clean sheets as I brought them in from the washing line this morning.
Ah, yes, Liz - clean sheets probably come a close second here!
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