travel by trace

A few days ago while at Cheese Plus on Polk picking up a few of Stefan's favorites to have in the fridge when he gets home (Appenzeller Extra, a vintage-aged Gruyere, and a creamy and complex blue), I decided to give their sandwiches a shot.  I've heard nothing but unreal ravings about their creations and figured it was the perfect time to see for myself.

While they house a number of San Francisco-named specialities (the Nob Hill, the Chrissy Field, Castro's Cubano), their special of the day happened to be an Alpine Grilled Cheese complete with Raclette, Gruyere, and Morbier.  I knew that if Stefan ever found out I passed that little master blend up, I'd pay the price, SO I ordered it and a lemonade and got myself a spot at their counter.

The second my nostrils caught whiff of this cheesy concoction's aroma, I was immediately transported back to Switzerland.  I was no longer sitting alone starring out at the corner of Polk and Pacific; I was sitting next to Stefan, across from his mom and uncle, enjoying traditional Swiss raclette at their table.

Simply from the succulent smell.

Stefan pouring his perfectly melted raclette

over some warm potatoes my last night

in Switzerland (last Monday)

It's not just random that one tinsy sniff sent me Swiss-bound within seconds, olfaction is our quickest sense.  Unlike signals from other senses which must first be processed in our brain's thalamus, smells go direct to our olfactory cortex and are directly linked with our limbic system and amygdala - where emotional memories are first created and then stored. 

I started thinking about all the other aromas that have the power of time-travel for me.

With the scent of freshly baked bread lingering with a whiff of creamy, melted butter, I'm 10 years old and standing on a stool helping my Nana and Pops make breakfast for the guests at their beautiful B&B.

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Then there's that unknown, but very specific industrial cleaning product that I'll smell in a bathroom every once in awhile that immediately takes me back to the Green Room at First Stage - home to my young adult acting career, which I adored with all of my heart (and not just because I had a massive crush on my co-star). 

Me with B&B owners extraordinaries - Nana and Pops -

during intermission at one of my shows 

Yeah, that's right: I played a bald zebra.

I didn't say that acting career was glamorous.

Maybe sometime if you're lucky,

I'll tell you about the time travel dance I did for one of my shows.

 

Then there's the elegant fragrance of Chanel No. 5 with a just the tiniest hint of moth ball that takes me to my fabulously stylish (and hole-free sweatered) grandmother's powder room. (I'm telling you - those little anti-insect spheres are seriously underrated - just wait 'till you find your favorite sweater missing part of its armpit - then you'll wish you'd been smart.)

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Then there's that magical mix of wet weimaraner and heavenly hollandaise - with it I'm 16, sitting in Dickie Boy and Judy's unreal Aspen bungaloo pulling on my ski socks as DB makes the most delicious eggs benedict you've ever devoured.

DB with his many women

And then there's the putrid stench of rotten eggs that sends me back to the (sulfur-ridden) dorms at Space Camp, where my fabulous Aunt Jules and I piloted and commanded our first space shuttle mission.

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And finally there's that first whiff after a champagne bottle pop that also puts me back celebrating something fabulous with my fantastically fun fam: Mom (who drinks only bubbly and Diet Coke), Dad, Gretters, Sam and now Stefan.

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It never fails to captivate me - those little scented hints that remind me of time gone by.

What are the fragrances that fly you back in time?

xoxo

KK