Studying the great masters of Art aside from reading, writing, traveling has been my favorite hobby.  As time went by, due to my profession, I have written about gastronomy or tourism and travel.

                I enjoy good restaurants because of their food, service, and ambiance and when one can talk to the chef.  Near the market in Lyon there is a small eating place where after buying all the fresh daily produce for their restaurants, the top chefs from Lyon get together around 7AM.  They meet to “break the crust” as they say in French. That early morning meal it’s God‘s gift to nature not only for the food (many times cooked by them) but its pleasure to listen to their chat.    Six or seven of the best cooks from Lyon and its surroundings are present.  The best in the world pupils of the great teacher Ferdinand Point,  remembered with nostalgia.

                 I collect matchboxes and menus from restaurant around the world..  Below, I am enclosing some however, none of Spanish restaurants to avoid jealousy amongst my friends.

                 I had a big mishap. My first darling wife and mother of my sons, Maria Rosa Mora Presas suddenly died in Palamos - Costa Brava.  My good fortune was to meet Merce Turell.  We got married and it has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

                 I’m a very moderate smoker.   It was the United States government who passed the first laws against tobacco usage.  They wanted to curtail the medical costs in diseases produced by its use.  The European governments who are always willing to save money in welfare, found this a great idea and began legislating against it.   This was applauded by the mentally deranged mass who repeated every said on TV. However, politicians who except for a few are not too bright never imagined that this could turn out against them.  They passed repressive laws but in the meantime what happened to the smokers?

Trying to calm the stress and restless produced by non smoking, the smokers changed tobacco for sweets.  They ate more and substituted other vile things for cigarettes.  In 1997 the USA had an obese population of 4 %( people weighing over 120Kg) In 2007 the morbid obese people account for 20%.  Thus, one can see them shaking their flesh on the streets, at events or even in such places as “The Maid of the mist” ship in Niagara Falls where capstan forklifts had to be installed to pick up and transport those weighing more than 200 Kg.

                Overweight causes heart diseases, high blood pressure, atrophies and early death and its spreading throughout Europe but the worst thing is it affects children who will never grow to be old. Compulsive smoking is bad for one’s health.  Everything done in excess is prejudicial. Ironically in the USA where health features are set by decree those who smoke either a cigar or six cigarettes a day are prosecuted.  Instead, tonnes of Prozac, Valium and other unhealthy drugs are consumed daily.

I failed to remember that it was Hitler and the Nazis that forbade the use of tobacco in public.

(Chapter 14, VERBOTEN – Ian Galely.) The Divine nicotine- The history of how tobacco seduced the world. Simon and Schuster.2001 UK

                 I don’t smoke cigarettes. Just cigars a few per month and always outdoors away from any draft. Water is my daily drink and only at restaurants sometimes during the week and at home on special occasions I drink good quality wine.  Glenrothe Vintage 91 is my whisky.  I have it once in a while with moderation.  All pleasures with moderation benefit the mind and the body.

                 My friend’s wives who ban their husbands to drink and smoke reject me when I enjoy a good drink or a cigar.  I take it with a grain of salt.  Surely when we die we will meet in the cemetery and they will be the healthiest dead people.

Enjoy it.