I admit it. I like unique things, exclusive ones, those that have a story behind. And when someone gives me something that they have done, picked up, or written with their hands, I enjoy a million times more. It does not matter if they are fresh tomatoes, a kilo of anchovies, a piece of cheese or a bottle of cider. It’s about knowing who is behind what you consume.
Needless to say if what you receive is a book, in which you are not only mentioned in the acknowledgments but also contains a wonderful dedication in the author’s handwriting. That’s what happened to me with the book “The Cider Insider.”
A week before receiving Susanna Forbes in the Basque Country, I dislocated my shoulder by a fall in the mountain. So she had to drive the car, and also drive on the right! That did not stop us from having a great day knowing the places, the people and the ciders that she had foreseen.
The only serious consequence was that I came out more horrific than usual in the photos, because I had my arm in a sling tucked inside the shirt. No matter!
Susanna has fulfilled two of those things that I like so much, because not only have I received her book, I have also enjoyed the cider that she makes in Little Pomona. And the best of all, the opportunity to meet her in person.
I have the habit of keeping those special objects in a cabinet. Travel souvenirs, old or signed books, small antiquities, and also some of my own journalist works. Now “The Cider Insider” has a well deserved place in it. Thanks a lot Susanna, your work is pure inspiration. Wassail!
