India.

I suppose one of my major regrets in life; is that I didn't visit India.

Everything about India fascinates me. The people, the architecture, the culture, and of course the food.

We don't have actual TV here in France, but I do have a plug-in device that is filled with a variety of favourite programmes; including all of Rick Stein's travel/food shows.

Possibly my favourite of all his shows is the series on India. On a rainy afternoon, I will watch an episode for the 100th time, and enjoy it as much as I did on the 1st. Above is just a taster!

The only country I've visited that had an entirely different culture to ours was Morocco. Just across the water from Southern Spain, one finds this country where everything is so completely different to life in Europe. However, I don't think that feeling of 'difference' could compare to that of India.

I should have gone when I was a student, but, who knows, I might never have come back.

My Uncle Reginald who was Tea Planting in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) only returned to the UK after he contracted Para-Typhoid, and had to be repatriated. Otherwise he too might have stayed.

Stein makes his India programmes whilst staying at a small lakeside 'bungalow'. I could have imagined myself living in such a home, with a cook and a housekeeper. A bit fanciful maybe, but very do-able with Indian costs being so much more reasonable than The West.

Sadly, too late now!