The cherry on top of my latest holiday in Cote d’Azur, France was to visit Grasse, the Perfume Capital of the World.

The city is located 45 minutes north of Cannes in the department of Cote d’Azur:

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Perfume the Story of a Murderer (2006)

I watched this film years ago and interestingly enough, it takes place in Grasse during the late Middle Ages.

I’m going to re-watch it. Anyway, arrival at the town…

Why is Grasse so famous for its perfume?

Location, location location.

The city is located 1,150 meters above sea level and enjoys a micro-climate. There’s always a fresh breeze flowing from the Mediterranean only 30 kilometers away, combined with lots of sunshine per year. This creates an ideal situation for a mineral-rich soil for different types of vegetation, including lavender, vanilla and jasmine. Take your pick.

Aroma Heaven

The streets are lined with perfume, literally. Every minute or so the narrow medieval streets are sprayed with a sweet perfume smell to arouse all the senses:

Galimard, Fragonard and Molinard

If you are familiar with perfume, these names will sound familiar. These are the competing perfume factories dotted around Grasse, each with its own museums and guided tours.

Soaking in some of the atmosphere

What a place!

Conclusion on my trip

I’ve had a great time in the past two weeks. As I’ve discussed in my book, combining holiday relaxing time with stock photography is the best way to earn some extra cash.

In total, I shot about 700 images (+ 3 videos) in a 10-day period. Most of these images are going to Alamy as editorial RF / RM. I’ll be back soon with a detailed breakdown as soon as I’m finished keywording and uploading everything.

As summer is coming to a close and temperatures have dropped, this is the ideal time for me to get on my bike. I’ll be off on some trips to the Dolomites, northern Italian lakes and Tuscany. So keep following my adventures and catch you later!

Alex