There's no place like home

I 've always wanted to see India, and visit the jungle-bound pyramids of South America. I've always imagined striding across Red Square or surfing at Bondi Beach. Yet, as 50 approaches, I realise I have done none of those things, and with few savings, a mortgage and a family, I doubt I ever will.

Yet, strangely, I don't mind so much. I find I do not bemoan my lot or feel the regret of wasted opportunities as middle age slowly tightens its grip. Considering this while editing our selection of outings around Catalonia that you can find on pages 23-33, I came to the realisation that the cultural and natural riches of the country I now call home is a compensating factor.

Growing up in a working class area of an economically depressed Liverpool (cue the violins!), holidays abroad were not really an option. Along with most of the neighbours, our family holidays were limited to a week in a local Butlin's holiday camp or days-out. Naturally, the North West of England has its attractions like anywhere else, but without a car and at a time when tourism was not as developed as it is today, our options were few.

I realise things are different for my modern-day equivalent, now that low-cost travel and affordable online packages have made exotic travel more accessible. Yet, if you have to staying near home in the summertime, you could not pick a much better place than Catalonia.

Going on holiday in this country (something I've done for the past few years) never seems like a compromise. As you can see from our selection of trips, Catalonia offers the holidaymaker a lot of everything, from mountains and beaches, to volcanoes and abbeys, from wetlands and arid plains, to prehistoric landmarks and theme parks. When the summer comes around and you realise that this year you don't have the money, or the time, or the energy to visit the Rocky Mountains or the Caribbean, it puts the mind at rest to know that Catalonia has a wealth of attractions right on your doorstep.

Last summer I biked in the Pyrenees, criss-crossing the mountains as we descended to the coast for an hour's sunbathing before tucking into a delicious paella on the seafront. The year before I went birdwatching in the Delta and ate roasted eel for the first time. On a city walking tour I learnt all about Roman Barcelona, while in the evening an expert plied me with the best local wines in Priorat. Travelling to new places and experiencing new cultures is among the best things in life. But, staying at home ain't so bad either.