Byzance Rochas 1987 Eau de Toilette

It was autumn 1989.
The embassy in Warsaw was nowhere to be found, the normal address didn’t apply, as East German citizens were gathered there, tired of the best system in the world. I was too, well, it was advertised to us that way by the media and the government, but reality looked different, and woe to anyone who thought otherwise.
By the late 80s, the best system in the world was so bad in Poland that I simply wanted to go to the West, at least for a year, where there was everything, where people were doing well, and everything was so colorful. I wanted to go to West Berlin as an Au Pair, incredibly motivated to learn and work there.
It was a miracle, but I found the new embassy and got the visa; don’t ask how, it could be the basis for a little novella or a thriller ;)
At the end of October, I arrived in West Berlin; I had to travel 7 hours by train, normally 4. I remember the voices of people from huge demonstrations that I heard from the waiting train.
On November 9, as I was going to my German course as usual, I saw many Poles standing in front of the bank; wrong, it turned out in the course that they were East German citizens... They received welcome money and were allowed to simply go to West Berlin. Miracle!
I lived not far from Ku'Damm, back then it was THE street, for me, a girl from the East, a paradise, a large beautiful piece of the world, for strolling, admiring, meeting new friends over Berliner Klops, at the Europa Center by the water clock, or at the cinema to see "When Harry Met Sally"...
Somewhere there, I don’t remember in which department store, maybe Wertheim, probably not in Woolworth, as they didn’t have such nice fragrances, I discovered a beautiful bottle in a shelf at the back, blue with golden embellishments.
I was so young; I only knew fragrances from small strange newsstands, that’s how it was for us in Eastern Europe, no expensive Western ones, at most from Bourjois Flamme, Evasion, or Coty Masumi, or Smitty.
Here in West Berlin began my great perfume and not just adventure.
But I can still remember very well the moment I got to know Byzance. It didn’t smell as heavy and serious as the others, e.g., Samsara or Coco, where I didn’t know where to put my inexperienced nose. Byzance was different, more lovely, smoother, calmer and friendlier, yet mysterious, sweet, and sooo soft, as dark blue as the beautiful bottle. There was also a special note that attracted me; today I would guess jasmine and tuberose with heliotrope and sandalwood, a golden, slightly dry note. Everything steeped in fine warm creamy not too overwhelming aldehydes.
Today I own the treasure that I didn’t even dream of back then, that I could indulge in such luxury; the 200 DM I received monthly, I saved like crazy to send money to my mom in Poland so she could finally afford a washing machine. Such a fragrance was only in my dreams, unattainable.
The GDR no longer exists, Berlin has changed, Ku'Damm is no longer THE street, Poland has many beautiful perfumeries... only my love for Byzance has remained the same :)
And ideologies?... I still don’t like them.