One of the most intoxicating fragrances in life is the newly exploded orange blossom.
I say “exploded” because of a story my friend Silvia, from the Basque Country but living in Madrid, told me:
When her friend Africa was studying at the university in Sevilla, she was absolutely crazy about the fragrance of the Azahar (the orange blossom) that enveloped the city—well known for being lined with orange trees in the middle of the city and all around it.
She was so in love with it that, for her friends, she became the signature of the Azahar exploding—so much so that now, every year, many years later, her friend calls her, emails her, or sends her messages (whatever is pertinent to the times) and lets her know:
“El Azahar ha explotado.”
It was on Wednesday this week that I took my children to have lunch at El Oli, a really buzzing, family-friendly, open and friendly place in Puig d’en Valls with views of Dalt Vila. It has indoor seating, a covered terrace, a sunny terrace, and a great laid-back menu that includes many gluten-free options, as this is their specialty. This means I can indulge in a proper burger WITH BREAD, as well as a SANDWICH with bread and even CHEESECAKE. It’s not often I have that option here in Spain, which is still not so adjusted to those who can’t have gluten.
When we had ordered, we sat and spoke, and suddenly the scent hit me. I stopped mid-sentence and stood up to follow the trail of intoxication. It led me outside to their back patio, where, in the corner, stood a proudly blossoming orange tree, oozing with fragrance, and I landed in a kind of heaven.
As I know Silvia loves smells, I made her a video. Since she knows Africa loves the Azahar, she re-sent the video to her. And then she told me the story of the yearly messages saying “El Azahar ha explotado.” And now, that story makes me smile.
It’s a show-stopping smell—it literally stops you in your tracks and makes you inhale, slowly. How beautiful is that?
The photos are from a quick shoot for my client Celia yesterday. We needed some fresh shots for her soon-to-launch social media (and business launch, too! So exciting—we’ve worked really hard since December on bringing her vision to life).
Spring has really exploded here in Spain. The colours are almost blinding, and it’s so, so beautiful.
