Une Nuit Nomade

In his celebrated poetry collection 'Leaves of Grass', Walt Whitman wrote 'From Montauk Point', where his contemplation led him to quote: 'Nothing, but sea and sky'.At Montauk Point, also called The End, the world stops during winter. The sky is veiled in pale white and the breath of a blizzard sprinkles the beach with snowflakes. The rough sea gives the impression of a large cotton field in bloom. 'Nothing but Sea and Sky' is a tribute to Montauk under its coat of snow. It is a reassuring fragrance, a stole of white musks infused in sandalwood with milky notes.

Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, also known as the White City. The sun drowns the immaculate walls with its rays. It is a bright light that makes eyes squint. Omanis wander the streets, elegantly wearing their dishdashas, a long white tunic decorated with a pom-pom that is delicately dipped in perfume. ‘Sun Bleached’ is adorned with freshness, in an accord of clean linen, white flowers and a zesty flight of citrus fruits as if biting into a piece of orange, with white musks and sandalwood rounding off its explosiveness.

In the village of Misfah Al Abreyeen, the Thousand and One Nights are at your fingertips. In the midst of flowery alleyways and the joyful laughter of water flowing from terrace to terrace, one cannot then forget the words of Amin Maalouf. 'A bite of date not only contains flesh that nourishes your body, but the sweetness, scent and color that nourish your spirit.' ‘Jardins de Misfah’ is an olfactory pause, a moment suspended in time, a harmony of scents where the fresh whisper of flower petals fuses with an accord of creamy dates, honey and sweet water.

Our nomadic caravan stretches forth in silence. We move to the rhythm of camels, in an almost hypnotic pendulum movement. The saddle of our hosts, heated by an arrogant sun, gives off the sweet and delicate scent of leather. We are approaching Al Khaluf. The landscape is almost lunar. The sand’s color has changed to a blinding white. On these sugar dunes, we become minuscule. ‘Sugar Leather’ is like a piece of leather covered in white sand and caramelized by the sun. A decadent, racy, spicy fragrance.