Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that there are some genuinely kind people in the world, precisely because you all are exactly such people! But in the rush and push of everyday, it can be all too easy to focus on the negative, la galère, the struggle. This I find is especially true in pessimistic France.
So how lovely to be given a gentle reminder of how present goodness is.
The other day I opened up one of the last of the moving boxes and immediately was enveloped by a familiar perfume–a forgotten box of “The Ocean” incense by the exceptional firm Ashleigh & Burwood out of London. It had been given to us as a gift and we had used it sparingly as it is our favorite. Only three cones were left. I lit one and as the gentle veil of smoke wafted over me, I set about trying to find more of this delightful fragrance.
Ah, my disappointment surged when I saw on their website that they don’t seem to make it anymore! Just in case I wasn’t seeing it (their range is quite impressive), I sent off an inquiry to their Customer Service department. To my delight, a charming gentleman named Alex responded promptly. No, they had stopped making that fragrance some time ago, but along with his managing director, he had found a deluxe gift set and a box of incense sticks and would he happy to send them to me pronto! He believed they were the last in existence! Wouldn’t he prefer to keep them “for posterity”? No, he felt that it was better that they go where they would be appreciated. And so, just like that, a box arrived at my door this morning.
Isn’t that fantastic? And what made the gift even more special was the delightful exchange between Alex and myself. I tried to explain why this particular fragrance was so special for us. That Remi and I are a team of photographer and travel writer (Alex later perused Remi’s websites) and “The Ocean” took us to some of our favorite destinations quicker than the crunch of a Proustian madeleine. Especially as we are not taking the plane as often as we would like these days, we are so grateful to be transported to, say Bora Bora…
Or Bali…
Actually, the description on the box is a perfect way to describe its appeal: “borne on the wind, the calm open scent of freedom with a touch of fine ocean spray under an endless blue sky”…yes, please. La liberté!
That the scent of “The Ocean” had not wavered or faded over the years attests to Ashleigh & Burwood’s commitment to quality. We already know that their customer service is exceptional but the prices are very reasonable to boot. To discover their products, please see their websites in London and in France:
http://www.ashleigh-burwood.fr/
Wishing all of you in the States an excellent Labor Day! I am sending out gratitude and respect to all of our workers and for those that have come before us as well.
Hello you two, somehow I didn't get my normal notification of these responses! And they were lovely ones! Blogger gone bad…
J9, thank you so much for very kind compliment! Not sure that I deserve such fine praise, but I will take it!
And Angela, I would love to meet you and Julie! When you want!