This weekend the first orange blossom (azahar) was spotted in the centre of Sevilla. This is always the first sign of spring for me, though it never becomes “official” until you see the ya es primavera banners across the windows of El Corte Inglés.
For the next three weeks or so the streets of Seville will smell like heaven. I used to wonder why I found the fragrance of orange blossom so soothing until I found out that azahar has many therapeutic qualities, including its use as a natural sedative. Other therapeutic properties of orange blossom oil (aka Neroli) are antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-infectious, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, cordial, deodorant, digestive, emollient, and tonic. It takes about 1000 lbs. of orange blossoms to make 1 lb. of Neroli oil, which no doubt accounts for its rather hefty price tag.
But as lovely as Neroli is, it is no comparison for the delicate scent of orange blossom in the fresh spring air. Wish you could be here…
[ from azahar’s Sevilla ]
casa azahar 
azahar = natural sedative…. Lol…..
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…and, I have to say that I DO love the smell of orange blossoms…
However, one of the smells that most affects me in a beneficial way is Hyacinth. It never fails to make me feel good. When I was in Paris after my disastrous Florence trip and nursing my wounds (physical and emotional) I saw a florist shop that had little pots of Hyacinth for sale. I bought a pink one and spent the rest of the week sniffing that flower every time I started to feel sorry for myself. I was rather sad at having to leave it behind when I was finally able to go home.
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I wish I could be there, too.
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Wouldn’t it be great to organise a meet here? I remember talking about it before and even starting to organise some dates.
Maybe this September?
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Can’t you install smell-o-vision on your blog?
Very jealous of your lovely scented streets.
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“If I had two loaves of bread I would sell one and buy hyacinths, because they would feed my soul.” Basho
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I don’t know why but hyacinths always remind me of old ladies and funeral parlours (extra weird as I’ve never been inside a funeral parlour). I find them a bit too perfumy.
Shall I pop some in the mail to you, Bea? You can make potpourri. 🙂
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Mmmm… it’s later on this afternoon. I have all the balcony doors open and the whole flat now has the delicate fragrance of orange blossom wafting through it …
It’s so gorgeous I can hardly stand it.
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No popery here thanks 😉
Yes pop some in the post, you obvioulsy have far too much of it over there!
(only if it’s no trouble xxx)
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No trouble at all, but you’ll have to email me your address (I thought I had it here somewhere but now I can’t find it).
Popery … ha! 🙂
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