Sunny, scented

Sunny, scented GrasseSpotlight on GRASSEGrasse sits about 15km inland from Cannes on the Côte d’Azur, and it’s the mostperfumed city in France says Janine Marsh as she explores its fragrant charms.Sweet scents assail your nostrils as soon as youarrive in Grasse. Whether you’re wanderingin the Parc Princesse Pauline, named afterNapoleon’ Bonaparte’s sister who used toholiday here in the winter, and where on warmdays they spray jasmine scented water to coolyou down, or whether you’re strolling in the oldtown where there are too many perfume shopsto count, plus perfume museums and perfumeschools – not to mention some 30 perfumefactories in and around the town – the airsmells good.But it wasn’t always like this. It used to reek.Historically, Grasse had a thriving leathertanning industry which left a foul stenchin the air that also lingered on the leathergloves that were the town’s speciality. Whencommissioned to make a pair of gloves for thewife of King Henri II, Catherine de Medici,local tanner Jean de Galimard came up withthe idea of perfumed gloves, steeping theleather in aromatic solutions and fragrantpastes. The queen loved them, and gifted8 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 9