Last week, I had reason to be in Barcelona, busy with things for the perfume house. So, we seized the timely chance to mix business with a spontaneous family trip. So the whole family went. We are, after all, a family of artists and art enthusiasts. Every one of us was excited at the possibility of breaking for the border and flying off to this great city that looms so large in the history of European art.
Like the pilgrims of old that had inspired Antoni Gaudí, the first thing on our list was to make our own art pilgrimage to his Church of the Sagrada Família, an enduring symbol of Barcelona itself, known to millions around the world. Gaudí's basilica will have taken over a hundred years to complete.
I was so impressed with how Gaudí used light and color. It’s like a giant rainbow installation. Anyone who ever gets a chance to see Sagrada Família should grab the bull by the horns.
Fragrance in Barcelona
Later, we made our way to The Perfumery, our Barcelona stockist located in a part of the Old City, close to museums and cultural institutions, dotted with boutiques, restaurants and particularly known for its art galleries.
I was there for a meet-’n-greet with patrons and supporters of The Perfumery to launch Peach’s Revenge in Spain. It was actually the first time I had met Thomas and Raul, who meticulously ensure that the vision behind The Perfumery transforms into reality.
The boutique looks fantastic and we appreciate the care they take to present our fragrances. They have an amazing collection of the best niche perfumes from around the world. It was also wonderful that Chris Maurice, the nose who created Peach’s Revenge, was able to join us as we got to know some of the residents of Barcelona interested in our fragrances.
Fun in Barcelona
Later, we were taken to see a flamenco show. Now, some may snottily deride; see flamenco as a clichéd image of Spain. But, anyone who experiences it will never forget it. There is something deeply primal about the way that the music, the songs and the complex contrapunto rhythms of clapping and clicking heels reach deep, right down inside of you. You feel it in your gut and chest. No matter where in the world you come from, at a certain point during a proper flamenco experience, you momentarily find your inner gitana and totally connect.
During our time in the city, we threw ourselves into culture, lingering in the Picasso Museum and, naturally, we also visited Barcelona’s other museums presenting contemporary and modern art. Exploring the museums, I was particularly struck by a work by the renowned British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor and a light installation by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
Now, all that culture spotting works up an appetite. So, it was additionally lucky that we had arrived during calçot season. These prized Catalan green onions are celebrated each year in the ritual of the calçotada when families and large groups of friends gather to feast on these unique vegetables. Traditionally these huge green onions are barbecued over charcoal, sometimes strewn with vine shoots, which creates the aromatic smoke to blister the outer layer perfectly. Then you peel this off and the end, and pull the rest out with your mouth to savor the creamy inside parts. Also dipping it in salsa romesco, a sauce made from dried red peppers, nuts, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Delicious! It’s a very messy business. Fortunately, the place we went provides you with bibs, much like a lobster bib.
More fragrance in Barcelona
Then it was off to see the Carbonnel and C de lad Niche compounding house. Chris Maurice aka Christain Carbonnel is a friend and compadre whose technical expertise and creativity we really respect and appreciate.
Chris literally grew up within the fragrant surrounds of Carbonnel, the heritage Barcelona-based compounding house that has been important to the creation of fragrance in Barcelona since 1925. Carbonnel compounds all the finest quality essential oils that we use in our fragrances. Sometimes, I wonder whether there’s actually perfume in his veins.
One of the reasons I was visiting him at Carbonnel was to pick up a much-needed new batch of oil for Peach’s Revenge. I kid you not: it’s been flying out the door so fast that we can’t even wait for the usual time it takes to ship to London, so we decided to pick up as much as we could legally carry out the door.
More importantly, it was great to catch up with Chris, the nose behind Peach’s Revenge and all three of the fragrances in the Oud Trilogy—Gold Spot, Loudo and Symmetry— that he created for the house.
Of course, it was great to catch up away from the flurry of and event and bounce around ideas. But, another great thing for me was that I got to spend the afternoon with him as he showed me around the lab and factory where the magic happens. It was really quite moving to see the skill and knowledge behind the scenes that goes into the very first stages of what becomes the luxury fragrances we ship to our customers in our signature packaging.
We got back to London a bit exhausted by our break in Barcelona, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I wouldn’t have missed it for the opportunity to move our brand in the direction we want it to go, nor would I have missed it for the chance to immerse my family and myself in the culture of one of Europe’s great cities.