It is a long-gone time when seafaring still wrought small and great wonders.
Proudly, it lies anchored in a French harbor. It has been at sea for two years and three months, and now it has returned home.
The “Zafeer” is a massive ship, a three-masted vessel built from mighty and solid wooden planks, and if it could speak, it would tell of journeys that could still surpass the imagination of that time.
The pure white, expansive sails rest furled on the masts, while the men disembark from the ship with the treasures of many voyages over the wooden gangway and head towards the waiting carriages. Goods are hurriedly loaded, and the seemingly delicate wheels creak under the loads. Each filled carriage sets off, drawn by horses adorned with noble harnesses and cautiously guided by their drivers. The cobblestones and potholes of the roads leading out of the city and to the castle demand the utmost from every vehicle. Rocking and crunching, they all move towards their destination, where they are already eagerly awaited.
Capitaine Alexandre will, at the reception in his honor, lay the brought treasures at the feet of the king and his consort, embellishing the handover with numerous anecdotes that captivate both the royal couple and the invited guests. The young ones hang on his lips, wishing to one day be a proud seafarer like him. Meanwhile, their fathers dream of offspring who will earn good money in the service of the majesties and bring glory and honor to the family. And the ladies are enchanted by the charm of the eloquent captain, swept through all emotional states by his lively tales, adorned with deliberately startling elements. These will ultimately push them, caused by their tight corsets, to the limits of their strength. Energetically fanning themselves, they finally try to regain some control over their temperature and racing pulse and restore their trembling bosoms to more composure.
Thus, Capitaine Alexandre imagines himself, smiling amusedly, while he is being prepared for the reception by servants in his quarters, for the receptions are always similar yet legendary because of that very reason.
The soirée is already in full swing when Capitaine Alexandre joins the guests.
In a few moments, he, as the guest of honor, after walking through the endless corridors and the lined-up attendees, passes through the massive, gold-adorned archway into the throne room.
The treasures are still concealed behind a heavy, dark red velvet curtain. First, Capitaine Alexandre walks past the seemingly endless long carpet and approaches the platform with the thrones. There, he greets the royal couple and conveys the greetings and best wishes of distant ruling houses. Then the moment arrives. At his signal, fanfares sound.
Two servants pull on mighty cords hanging from the ceiling, which then, slightly staggered, set the curtains in motion. Heavily, they gradually glide aside, revealing what has been hidden until now. Dazzling light bursts forth from the chests and vessels, sparkling and colored prisms from the gemstones illuminate and tint their immediate surroundings, and a multitude of exquisite fragrances escape from their containers, gradually filling the castle air.
This is how I imagine the events when I catch a whiff of Zafeer Oud Vanille.
Not all of the fine things from the pyramid will have been known throughout the world, let alone at court. Well aware of this circumstance, I still want to link the story begun at court with the scent description that Zafeer Oud Vanille embodies for me.
So back to Capitaine Alexandre, who has now approached the countless chests, boxes, caskets, and clay vessels. The king has followed him and curiously examines the gifts, while the exotic fragrances increasingly captivate him.
Alexandre hands him noble leather hides, soft and grippy, they settle into the scrutinizing hands of the monarch. A warm and leather-like scent rises from them. But it is already mingled with a no less warm and quite strong caramel note. It is not a specialty from a distant land, but comes from Brittany and was served as dessert when the entire crew was treated to a feast at the captain's expense the night before. The dish impressed everyone equally, so they decided to report it to the king and bring him some. He is immediately taken with it, letting the dish melt in his mouth and soul. And how the scents of the various gifts harmoniously unite! As if they all belonged together. No one here has ever experienced anything like it. The coconuts are broken open and tasted. Their special scent also mingles in the air with the other aromas. The numerous flowers filled in amphorae or preserved in oil release their sweetly seductive vapors, while the wooden boxes and metal-bound chests, as well as the exotic hardwoods from distant markets, infuse the air with a soft-spicy aura. Particularly intoxicating for the king seems to be the contents of a small jug. It contains vanilla pods from Madagascar and melds what has already mingled in the air into a single dense fragrance. Soon the entire throne room is filled with fragrant clouds, leaving the company in blissful astonishment. The brought gemstones and gold pieces momentarily fade into the background, for these fragrant treasures are today the true treasure.
What luck that Capitaine Alexandre was at court in spring with his olfactory treasures. Or was it autumn? Winter? It couldn't have been summer, for then all the attendees would surely have toppled out of their delicate shoes. But in the other seasons, this scent mixture is simply a gourmand delight for the nose, which at least leads me to such time travels and stories.
I am certainly curious about what Capitaine Alexandre will bring us from future voyages.
Top Notes 
Coconut
Caramel
Leathery notes
Heart Notes 
Tonka bean
Blond woods
Clove
Ylang-ylang
Base Notes 
Vanilla
Oud
Musk
Cati1996
Pinseltown
Theris
Yatagan
Behmi
Heikeso
Ergoproxy
Achilles
Daneh
Kaathi85
