DUSTING OFF THE BUCKET LIST

Another half year passing has me looking at my current Bucket List. Usually I have one going and although I don’t write it down, always somewhere in the back of my mind is a great long bunch of things I’d like to do.

This year for example, I began watching ALL of the Anthony Bourdain programmes I could access. Pretty soon, I had seen all of the No Reservations and other series, begun reading his books and bought the Les Halles cookbook. I found myself really enjoying these.

However, as the saying goes, I CREATED A MONSTER because, as usual, one thing lead to another. Soon I found myself viewing DVD’s and programmes about as many of the 3 star Michelin chefs as I could, then buying their books, then watching programmes about food bloggers and A Year in Champagne etc. The above is, I assure you, just the tip of the iceberg.

Ultimately the result is that I have seen wonderful programmes and series and my DVD and book collections have vastly increased.

For good or ill, Chef Jose Andres has with his 2 season ‘made in spain’ series, reinvigorated my interest in visiting a lot more of Spain and shoved it right up to the top of my Bucket List.

Considering that Spain has become a Culinary Mecca and also since I have found that the food (and wine?) leaves me feeling so healthy, I am pretty happy about dusting off my Bucket List and, at the very least, making another trip around this fascinating country ASAP. So much so that later this year, my major trip of the year will be to Spain.

If like me, you have wondered where the time has gone this year, perhaps like me, you too will dust off your own list of hopes and dreams and check off a few more life experiences you want to have while you can.

Hope you move along with yours, and wish me well with mine. Meanwhile, I can already taste the delicious Valencia orange juice, olives, Paella and think the Prado and flamenco and even sunny Espana in general might just be what I need to give the latest Bucket List a good kick start. Ole!