Many people create a bucket list of things to do before they die. But how many of these are chosen by other people, in particular by the British public?

In 2002, the BBC aired a programme entitled "Fifty places to see before you die" - a list of cities, natural wonders and ancient sites, chosen as the best places to see from around the world. This hour long programme changed my life!

I met my husband, Richard, on holiday in Venezuela in 2000, and like everybody else, we would trawl through the travel brochures looking for inspiration for our holidays. After watching this television programme, I made the decision that we would make every effort to visit all the fifty sites listed. It took us twelve years to complete our journey, and this is my story, based on your chosen itinerary.