Smell and Taste Memories

Imagine reliving the exquisite moments of that dream vacation each time you taste a succulent dish or savour the aroma of a smooth wine. Scientific research calls it "Proustian Memory". The chemical reaction in our bodies can cause the aroma of that perfect pasta sauce you are whipping up in a Northern Ontario kitchen to transport you back in time - to a village in Tuscany.

A tour of Italy is on my bucket list. CWT Vacations is offering a package this October that ticks off all of my wishes. A 10 day trip, including the must haves:

√ famous sites

√ historic cathedrals

√ authentic villages

AND the luxuries of:

√ cooking lessons with an authentic Italian Chef

√wine tasting tour - sipping and touring amongst the grape vines.

For this foodie and wine lover – no better match exists. I image savouring each moment of this dream vacation during the 10 days of the trip – then, returning to my own kitchen and recreating the recipes. I see my spoon stirring the sauce as I go back in time to a villa in Tuscany, overlooking the rolling hills and quant villages. I will be re-experiencing the feeling of Italy in mini-vacations from my own kitchen.

CWT Director and Tuscany tour escort, Claudia Viani, has had this very experience. “I had flourless chocolate cake on a train in the Napa valley several years ago. To this day the aroma of a chocolate cake takes me back to that moment in time and the memories of an unforgettable vacation.”

I have always believed the gift of travel continued to give after I returned home. With Proustian Memory and creative travel itineraries, I will continue to eat and drink my way through my bucket list – both on vacation AND during day-to-day life back at home.

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