One year ago, this vagabondgourmand launched a website, knowing little of the technology involved.  It has been an extended learning curve - at times frustrating, but fascinating. The original plan was to post quarterly notes on markets and seasonal ingredients, places and flavors along the way.  Well, the “along the way” part has won, urging more postings than quarterly comments.  Notes from Italy, Catalonia and Greece indicate that we have been on the road with some frequency.   As research on almonds is being wrapped up, more articles on the Mediterranean cuisines we have explored will appear - on this site and in print.  Markets continue to lure me through the aisles, whether rambling along Girona’s shady park-side stalls or inside the busy central market hall of Livorno.  So, look to vagabondgourmand for more on markets, more recipes (monthly!) and more details on seasonal specialties.  We have discovered remarkable cafés and restaurants, leading to another category for the vagabond’s reports.  On the horizon, there will be winetastings and deeper digging for authentic culinary traditions.   A clearly compatible addition will be suggestions for wine pairing at each season’s table.  More articles about our wine region, the Bergeracois in southwest France, as well as tips on wines we encounter and savor in Spain, Italy and Greece are on my list.

But now I invite comments, reactions and more “conversation” about favorite markets, more input on wines, more tasting discoveries.   I raise my glass to the first year, and to all who have shared in this quest along the way!