Today’s part of the volcano road trip was filled with the scent of sage brush and pine so I thought fragrance might be an interesting theme for the week. While you cannot capture scent with an image (if anyone fancies patenting a scratch and sniff camera now’s your chance) perhaps you can evoke a scent. Several years ago I visited Hampton Court Palace in springtime and found in the gardens a spot entirely enclosed by soaring box hedge and filled to bursting with blue hyacinth. The intoxicating perfume is something I will never forget, but what is more curious to me is that every time I’ve detected the scent of hyacinth since then, a snapshot of that walled garden flits through my mind’s eye. So here are a few shots of some of my more fragrant encounters. High up on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains, this black-tailed deer got within about an inch of my face and almost overpowered me with her musky scent. She was after my sandwich.
There’s the smell of spice stalls at street markets…
…and the scent of fruit ripening in orchards in the sunshine of the Yakima Valley…
…the inviting aroma of freshly-baked Irish soda bread…
…and the intoxicating perfume of that humblest of hedgerow ramblers, honeysuckle.
The sense of smell is perhaps the most evocative of all the senses, so get ready to heighten olfactory perception and show me your most aromatic photos. If you would like to join in (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Fragrant
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS
xxx Ailsa
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” – Mark Twain
“An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it makes a better soup.” – Bertrand Russell
Where's my backpack? 
As I have no sense of smell I’ll have to let this one go by… NOT, everyone always tells me how good the food on the braai (BBQ) smells so you’ve just given me my idea… thanks!! 😉
Mmm, braai, I know what you’re cooking me when we meet up! 🙂
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Nice topic! My mind goes to tropical fruit but since I have no such pictures, here’s my respond: http://travelicius.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
Wow, those are candles? I would have definitely been fooled. And what a wonderful shot of those jasmine pearls! xxx Ailsa
Pingback: Weekly Travel Theme : Fragrant ! | Max510's Blog
Hi Ailsa, how are you ?
You have always great ideas 😉
Please, smell my shots 😀 😉
Do you feel the scent ?
http://max510.com/2013/11/22/weekly-travel-theme-fragrant/
Oh Max, how wonderful. If I had my own garden I would fill it with lavender and lemon trees, I can’t think of better fragrances. And that first shot in Utah is magical. xxx Ailsa
In Sicily, riding with the bike into plantations of oranges and lemon was incredible the scent… for miles !
It sounds heavenly. I have to experience that for myself sometime soon! xxx
Oh! those lavender fields; Oh! those citrus groves. I smell them now…along with Mark Twain’s crushed violets and Ailsa’s Hampton Court hyacinth displays.
😀
Thank you Pamela !
Ciao
Hi Ailsa, some of your pictures make me feel hungry 🙂 So, I came up with this: http://cosytravels.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
Yum, that photo makes me feel hungry too, Ingrid, wonderful shot!
Great theme and images, Ailsa… Now I’ve got to get thinking
Yaay, have fun with this week’s theme, Sue, looking forward to your post. xxx Ailsa
Ailsa, I always thought flagrant was bad, obnoxious, something so bad you can’t ignore it. My entry, yet to be posted, centers around bad smells. Or am I missing something?
DJ
Hya Danny, you’re right, flagrant implies something conspicuously offensive, but this week’s challenge is fRagrant – oh the difference one little letter can make. Fragrant means having a sweet and pleasant smell, so very different from flagrant. 🙂
Is there an icon that represents one hiding in shame? I need it. Thanks!
DJ
ps…and there goes my post!
Lol, do it anyway, Danny, call it your anti-fragrant post! 🙂 xxx Ailsa
You are too funny. Ok, I’ll make a few adjustments/comments that references the fact that I indeed know the difference between fragrant and flagrant. And thanks for the follow!
DJ
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Fragrant Christmas tree: http://windagainstcurrent.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
Ho ho ho, ’tis the season. I’m with you, Vlad, an artificial tree can’t hold a candle (excuse the pun) to a real tree. I’ve never actually seen a Christmas tree lit by candles but I bet it’s beautiful. You use candles every year, don’t you?
Yes, and we will continue to do so, at least until the house burns down 😉
Nooo, don’t even say that 🙂 I might try it myself this year, it just looks so cheery and I never thought about the heat releasing the pine essence but it makes total sense. How wonderful. xxx
There’s another subtle aspect—the heat also makes the air circulate a bit so all the lights shimmer and twinkle… 🙂
Ooh, I’m sold, that sounds like something every Christmas tree should experience 🙂
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Mmmmm, soda bread! My favourite!
Me too, Livvy, with lots of butter warm out of the oven, omnomnom. 🙂
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Well you asked for aromatic, so here are my representations for smells – some are more fragrant than others 🙂
http://smallbluegreenfotos.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
Jude xx
Nice theme btw and I love your deer.
Ooh, wonderfully evocative photos, Jude. Just the thought of a garlic restaurant has my taste buds in overdrive! It was pretty amazing being that close to a wild deer, she was right up in my face trying to grab the lettuce from my sandwich – a sure sign that tourists feed the wildlife which always worries me, it puts them in such danger. But I’ll never forget her glorious musky scent and those great soft eyes.
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http://ileanapartenie.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-fragrant/
Oh Ileana, these are wonderful, I can almost smell the spices from your photos! xxx Ailsa
🙂
Love our Blog, It’s inspiring and that deer photo is spectacular!
Sorry. YOUR. Blog! sp.!
No worries, Mark, just had a peek at your blog, I’m a big fan of well-placed commas myself 😉
Mark Twain has some of the best comments. Hadn’t heard this one – thanks
It’s such a beautiful image, crushed violets gifting their scent, He certainly had a way with words, phil. xxx
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I particularly like the photo of the deer, although every time I see it I initially think ‘donkey!’ Here’s my pungent submission. I hope you won’t think it stinks! http://jaspasjourney.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/travel-theme-unexpectedly-fragrant-with-lines/
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It’s a long time since I had Irish soda bread, but I can remember the fragrant smell. 🙂
I really enjoy the subliminal suggestion of scent ! I will sniff around and see what I can find : )
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Great theme: I didn’t know where to start. I love your photos. The honeysuckle is gorgeous and the soda bread made me so hungry. Here’s what I had to offer: http://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/travel-theme-fragrant/
Like this post!!!
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SNIFF*** yes can smell all these Ailsa … just struggling to pinpoint that aroma of a musky black talied deer 😉
Lovely theme and photos !
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Great post, Ailsa! This is such a cool challenge for this week 🙂 Here is mine: http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/oh-baby-you-are-smokin/
Lovely photos, as usual, Ailsa. I chose a few similar fragrances but also some not-so-usual ones.
http://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/travel-theme-fragrant/
A fragrant Saturday, everyone
janet
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Here’s mine, Fragrant and Unexpected! : http://suejudd.com/2013/11/23/weekly-photo-challenge-unexpected-travel-theme-fragrant/
Hi Ailsa. I’m back with an odd cooking shot: http://wp.me/p16tta-tQ
Pingback: Travel theme: Fragrant Glühwein | tahira's shenanigans
Ailsa, I have some delicious, fragrant Glühwein for this challenge! http://tahira007.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/travel-theme-fragrant-gluhwein/
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http://shyraven23.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/travel-theme-fragrant/
A little scent of New York
http://quotidianhudsonriver.com/2013/11/23/11-23-13-travel-theme-fragrant/
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I am smitten by your deer photo!! And if you like peaches, you will like a poem titled “From Blossoms,” by Li-Young Lee. Most definitely worth a google.
Beautiful Great Blue Heron in the Rain for Wordless Saturday
http://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/beautiful-great-blue-heron-in-the-rain-for-wordless-saturday/
Pingback: Travel Theme: fragrant #2 | Zimmerbitch: age is just a (biggish) number
Had to include a second shot: very timely. http://zimmerbitch.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/travel-theme-fragrant-2/