There was a street along the side of Notre Dame, opposite of the river, where there were several touristy sorts of shops and little cafes. I remember standing just outside the cafe, looking up at the gargoyles adorning the corners of the cathedral, and I'd just gotten a coffee with milk from one of the cafes. It was kind of chilly in the shade at about 10:00 in the morning, so I had my hands wrapped around the cup. A girl with long black curly hair walked in front of me with several loaves of bread wrapped in brown paper. It was kind of a wide street so there were several trucks and cars delivering various things to the shops. The street was paved with cobblestones, all rounded squares and various shades of gray and dirty.
And that's it. That's the whole memory. There's so much detail, and yet so little in that single snapshot from my memory. I don't remember, for instance, what I was wearing, or who I was standing next to. I don't remember exactly what we did after that, or exactly what day that was, or exactly what time. But so much detail about what I saw and smelled and felt.
Strange, huh?
EVEN WEIRDER.... I found the EXACT spot I was standing, using Google Maps. So so so so so weird.
This is the aerial view of Notre Dame, it's the big oval thing in the middle. haha. On top of that, where the 4 dots are in a row, I'm standing about the second dot.
And in this picture, I was standing just in front of the popcorn cart thing. And if you turn around and face the part of the picture you can't see, you'd be looking at the north wall of Notre Dame.
So so so so weird you can actually find this on the internet. Kind of creepy too, I guess, if you think about it! :/
love,
schmash
I love taking Google-Maps Vacations. :) And no, scent memory is not specific to you, I think scents actually conjure memories because they're located in the same portion of the brain....if I do recall. Kenneth Cole Black is my first time in Australia with Chris and all the magic that went along with it, TiGi's oatmeal and honey Catwalk shampoo is me standing in the shower at Graham and Debras at around the same time...diesel is marching band competitions. ;)...cigarette smoke is bars and boys freshman year of college.... it's why I wanted a new perfume for our wedding, even though I couldn't manage to find the right one in the end. It's meant to heighten your ability to recall memories. :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. songs do this to me as well....although I don't know the science behind that one. I have specific memories for different songs, although most of those memories are in the passenger seat of someone's car. For instance, every time Uptown Girl comes on at Deb rehearsal, I think of you. :):)
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