smelling marrakech

one of the things i'll remember most about marrakech is the variety of scents. it was orange blossom season, so it seemed like the whole city was wearing a soft, honey-citrus fragrance. the spice market was filled with rich, sweet scents of cumin, rose petals, sandalwood, anise... until you turned the corner into the leather slippers-and-handbags gallery and you're suddenly hit with the heady smell of raw hide. it made sense that this is where serge lutens gets his inspirations.