We visited the Museum of Perfume on our 10th day, Sept 11. This is next to (and sponsored by) the French perfumer Fragonard. This name tends to be unfamiliar to Americans, although Fragonard products can be acquired online. At first I assumed the name was a twist on the French word "fragrance", but the location is named after the artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard (maybe because of the twist).
The museum offers free guided tours throughout the day in French and English. Perfume is actually manufactured in the south of France, closer to the source of some plants and flowers used in the process.
Read on, and remember I told you the tour is free.
The building has been a theatre, and also a sort of stadium where people could ride bicycles. In particular, women could ride here in the days when it was unseemly for women to ride on public streets.
It is free to learn these bits of trivia.
This is a perfumer's station, where the perfumer would mix and match fragrances from the little bottles, to see what would turn up.
There is no charge to take photos along the tour.
This is a side room of the Fragonard store where tour guests exit the exhibit area. The guide continues to play "guess the ingredients" games and explains how to (and how not to) apply perfume. For example, don't "rub" perfume into the skin, because the friction creates heat and changes the fragrance.
I heard that a guest once got out of this room for free. I doubt it. My lovely wife and I did NOT get out of this room for free.
But actually, it was fun.
I also did this tour (free) and did not get out of the room without making a purchase, but it was a small purchase, with several small samples of different fragrances. It was a fun thing to do.
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