Englishman in New York15 Dec 2005 05:47 pm
As I was making my way across London on the Tube the other day I couldn’t help but notice how nice it smelled. That’s right, the Tube. I was standing on an escalator at Waterloo Station and it smelled of rubber and aluminum and people. It reminded me of a time still not too long ago when London was home.
Yesterday, walking to a friend’s home in Leeds, I caught another familiar smell. This time it was the December air in Leeds, heavy with damp earth and grass. It never really occurred to me until now that the air here is a constant reminder that wherever you are in Great Britain, you are never further than 65 miles from the sea.
If I catch any more familiar smells, I’ll be sure to let you know.
I miss that smell, I totally know what you mean. I can’t wait to go back to the Uk for a trip next year…. always easier to write about it after you’ve been away a while.
It’s definitely something special to catch that familiar whiff. I caught it twice on my last visit outside the terminal at Heathrow as I was crossing the street to pick up my rental. It smelt like buses and, yes, rubber… it’s hard to describe, but I know what I smelt. Then in the care rental lobby, a kind of very slightly molded furniture smell, just a hint.
I think kitchens also have a distinct smell of… tea, digestives, barely toasted bread, rice crispy treats. I always love that smell when I’m back, it’s unmistakable. I’m craving a bowl of rice pudding.