Everyone has a travel bucket list, don't they?

It's time to look at the dreaded bucket list

I only say dreaded because it is a reminder of how old I am and that there are a lot of things I haven't yet done.

Does it really matter, you ask?

Perhaps not, but now seems to be an appropriate time, past the age of 60, to take stock.

We have achieved a lot in the last 15 or so years once the children had grown up and could look after themselves.

Unlike a lot of more modern couples who are doing the traveling in their 20's and 30's then having children, we chose to do it the other way around.

To me, it seemed easier to deal with teenagers when we were in our 40's rather than our 60's.  With the benefit of hindsight, I can truthfully say we were right.

We were older and wiser when we traveled and more aware of the dangers around us, sometimes overlooked or ignored by a youthful devil may care attitude.
But, in saying that...

No, I don't think I'll be getting to see Mt Kilimanjaro, hunting wild animals in the
Seringhetti, climbing Mt Everest or seeing the ancient pyramids.

Which is a sad state of affairs given the world has changed so much in recent years and has pretty much ruled out going to a lot of places, and in particular, the middle east.

Given the state of the world, it is getting more dangerous to go to such places as Africa, Russia, and Egypt.  Even places like Bangkok and Athens and other parts of Greece can be relatively unsafe.  But, whilst I have no intention of going to Thailand, I still want to go to the Greek Islands, and,
Santorini is at the top of my travel bucket list.

We've been to London.  We've been to Paris and Euro Disney.  We've been to Rome and seen the ancient ruins.  We've been to Vienna, and, particularly for us, a visit to Swarovski crystal world, near Innsbruck, and we've been to Salzburg, and been on the Sound of Music tour.

We've been to Florence and loved it, we've been to Venice and loved that too, and we've spent a few days in the heart of Tuscany, and want to go back for longer, much longer.
In fact, that's the second item on the travel bucket list.

We've also been to Singapore and Hong Kong, at first out of necessity as an airline stopover, but then we went back to see the city and tourist, and nontourist attractions.

I will not forget staying at the Hong Kong Conrad hotel as a Diamond HHonors member.  Oh, the memories.

We've also stayed on The Côte d'Azur in a timeshare apartment in Antibes where every morning when out back you had a view of the shimmering Mediterranean if the sun was out.

Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, the billionaire's yachts in Antibes harbor, Monte Carlo and 'that' casino, taking the same drive along the coast as Grace Kelly did in To Catch a Thief, and feeling like James Bond arriving for a new adventure, minus the half-million dollar sports car.

But, now, crashing back to earth with a very hard thump...

Travel in the future is looking difficult for both of us, not only financially but from a health aspect.  We are both not as sprightly as we used to be.

Yet given the restraints and if it is at all possible, aside from the Greek Islands and Tuscany, the next items on the list are:

Germany, visiting both Berlin, from a cold war aspect, the Brandenburg gate springs to mind, and Munich at the time of the Octoberfest.  As a beer drinker that is also high on the bucket list.

Scotland, more so since we've started watching Outlander, and besides being a beer drinker, I am also partial to a good Single Malt, the Whiskey Trail.

Ireland, because my wife's previous name was Murphy and at some point, in the long distant past some relatives emigrated to Australia, and she would like to visit the country of her forebears.

But with the current state of the world, our health issues, and that all-important requisite money, or the lack of it, perhaps it's time to visit other parts of our own country.

Perhaps it's time to do a culinary trip, particularly down south.  It's practical and achievable and safe.

And it's a big country.