In World Perfume Capital Grasse, France, the Nose Knows

by Denis C. Gagnon  Some ten miles (16 km) up in the hills above Cannes, the small town of Grasse accounts for 2/3 of France’s production of perfume essence and food flavorings, and those hills are alive with the flowers, in particular jasmine and roses, which form the essence of that production. Our first stop was the Musée International de la Parfumerie, which traced the industry's origin to the earlier tanning industry and the need to make leather smell better. The other thing about this charming town is that the name Fragonard is literally everywhere you look... keep reading

Narita and Sakura, Two Highly Underrated Tokyo Suburbs

by Marian Goldberg   The name “Narita” instantly brings to mind the huge airport that services the Tokyo metro area. But the city that’s home to the airport, as well as the one alongside it, are actually atmospheric, full of history, and well worth working in before or after your flight in or out. Sakura is known in particular for its restored samurai residences and superb art and history museums, and Narita for landmarks such as the Shinshoji Buddhist temple, which is the most important… keep reading

images: Copyleft | Marian Goldberg