BOSTON IN BLOOM

"Whether it is that the faith which creates has dried up in me, or that reality takes shape in memory alone, the flowers I am shown today for the first time do not seem to me to be real flowers." - Marcel Proust, Swann's Way

Some people disparage the smell of "beauty bark," but to me a whiff of mulch is the olfactory equivalent to Proust's tea-soaked madeleine. It summons spring, which in Boston is a surreal explosion of prim whites and dusky pinks. The trees on Commonwealth Avenue fuzz over with apple blossoms, pear blossoms, and magnolia, their petals a collective blur that resembles cotton candy.

Even better are the too-short weeks when the tulips bloom, and the Public Gardens become a riot of fire-engine red, canary yellow, and purple shot through with gold. The best way to experience springtime in Beantown is with lunch at one of Newbury Street's many outdoor patios (I'm a fan of Scoozi), followed by a slow amble down Comm Ave, Marlborough Street, or Beacon Street all the way to Boston Common.

And if you happen to be headed to Sydney, another city steeped in color (mostly shades of blue), be sure to check out my business traveler's guide in this month's issue of Global Traveler Magazine.