The Nostalgic Nose: Sea Memories
Entering the ocean is an initiation into the world of nature’s forces, and it comes with an unforgettable smell of freshness and revival. Some say the ocean really doesn’t have a smell, but I beg to differ.
For me, the smell of the sea means sun-warmed water collected in sandy pools where baby crabs burrow out of sight; salty mist on my tongue as sea foam waves crash unceasingly on the shore; warm bodies bathed in tanning lotion; beached seaweed and decaying driftwood.
Seaside scents are often personal and linked to our most beautiful memories, giving way to romantic notions of why the ocean smells so good.
My first vivid memory of entering the Atlantic Ocean was when I was 5 years old. My father took me out into the waves, and, in his arms, I was without fear. Wave after wave came at us, splashing our shoulders, necks, and faces. As we ventured further, he taught me to pinch my nose between my fingers and hold my breath to duck under the water. It washed my hair and scalp sandy clean.
At age 14, the seaside took on a different tone. As I walked the freshly rosined boardwalk in the evening, I was hoping for an arm other than my father’s to be wrapped around me. By the end of the evening, my friends had walked off, and I had in my hand the address of a boy that I would never see again and the smell of freshly coated boards, salty wet pine, and creosote.
As an adult with a one-thousand-mile trek to reach the ocean, I seek the touchstones that bring me back to the seaside.
I seek wine made from Vermentino grapes, grown mainly along the sea sprayed Mediterranean coast and said to possess the aromatic notes of jasmine, citrus, white flowers, and balsamic.
I savor a plate of grilled salmon with its delicate yet robust flavor that carries hints of brininess, akin to the fresh, clean essence of seawater.
I cherish a dish of shells, an unwashed beach towel, and my sand-soggy sneakers.
And I vow that wherever I am, I will embellish with the smell of nature’s oceanic forces: in a fragrance diffuser plugged into my bedroom wall, a dish of scented wax tarts in my bathroom, and a fragrance diffuser running in my car as I drive.
I will have those wonderful scents of my time at the sea every day.
Jean Greco for Belle Aroma® Brand