Are you like me, missing the ability to travel and wondering if the easy flow of visitors between continents will ever return? I know there are bigger concerns in the corona virus reality world we now live in, but it was something we took for granted — that if we could find the means, there would always be a way to get us where we wanted to go. I am taking a little pleasure in revisiting some of my trips of the past that I haven't yet written about. One of these scented journeys was to Castle Fragrances, or Zámecká parfumerie in Prague, Czech Republic.
Prague is a fairy tale city to visit, with its well preserved town square lined with beautiful old buildings, winding Medieval cobbled streets to explore and get lost in, gorgeously ornate old churches where one can listen to classical musical performances, and a plethora of quaint cafes and beer gardens. One journey that almost every tourist will take is to visit Prague castle, which is beautifully illuminated at night perched high above the city. The journey begins from Old Town by crossing the Vltava river, probably on the Charles Bridge lined with Baroque statues. The castle beckons from far atop the hill and visitors must reach it by climbing what seems like a thousand steps.
About half way up, I was happy to take a break when I unexpectedly came across a sign for Castle Fragrances (pictured top) which was literally built into the wall of the castle. I entered into a small fragrant lair, welcomed by the proprietor, Franz Drozdk, as he motioned me toward a shelf lined with large glass decanters filled with pale golden perfumed liquid.
One can simply purchase one of the pre-bottled fragrances, which will then be decanted into a smaller spray, or Mr. Drozdk will help you choose your own blend by zeroing in on what fragrances you are attracted to. I had to, of course, smell each and every bottle, and eventually narrowed down my choices, but the proportions of the blend were handled by the perfumer. Below are the fragrances I eventually picked for my perfume.
Lambada was a spicy blend which includes lemon balm rosemary, sage, and lemon grass, and is described as a scent of sweet green herbs. Tulipian is a mixture of tulip, violet, and fresh apple, and Mr. Drozdk said that many women purchase this to wear as a spring scent. Last was a touch of Konavalinka, or lily of the Valley and some jasmine. The mixture went into a very reasonably priced spray bottle and I was advised not to use it for a couple of weeks, but to let the different scents macerate together. I sprayed it while still on the trip and thought it was nice, but when I got home it joined my perfume collection and I promptly forgot about it.
Fast forward almost two years. I sprayed the perfume, which is now fully marinated! It starts out a bit spicy and invigorating with citrus and herbal nuances. It is a couple of hours later before the floral notes really start to appear and they are full, rounded, and rich in their opulent bouquet. At this point I had not reread my notes, so I had no idea what notes I was smelling, and boy, would I have guessed wrong, as I didn't expect lighter florals such as the tulip, violet, and lily of the valley. I might have guessed rose or carnation was in the blend. The point is that setting aside the perfume like a bottle of wine allowed it to age, deepen, and become a far richer perfume than initially was apparent. I could still smell this on my skin a full four days later!
A concert at St. Nicholas church in Prague Old Town Square.
Prague offers so much to the curious wanderer. In normal times I would advise to go off-season as it is a very popular destination, but who knows when normal times will return. If you do get to Prague I would advise a visit to Castle Fragrances to make a personal memento of your trip.
Photos are my own.
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