Public service announcement. Cue a few short bursts from a trumpet. I’ve booked to go to Pitti Fragranze in Florence next week and I invite you to follow my fragrant journey for perfume updates and scent snippets.  To be fair if you are after immediate feedback  it will be best to follow via my Instagram. I’ll do a round-up here when I return.

The aim is to see and smell many new perfumes in the two days and meet the people behind the bottles and scent friends. Plus there’s Florence of course; the Renaissance history, aperol spritz, prosecco and the joy of wandering old streets and maybe another visit to the Uffizi.

There are also the less documented joys of the Italian happy hour equivalent, where food is provided but not just teeny bar snacks à la France  (a few old olives).  Instead there is a selection of what seem like meals to me … obviously not the best for the waistline but it all seems very generous and in true Italian style.