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 Munich
From May 31 to June 3 I went to Munich to write stories about the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum and Culinary Munich as well as interview Archbishop Reinhard Marx.
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 Modena
From May 21-23 I particiapted in a press tour of the province of Modena, organized by Crosscultour and Modenatur. We visited a producer of Balsamic vinegar, the medieval city of Carpi, Nonantola with its Romaneque Abbey of San Silvestro, the winery "Cantina Garuti" famous for its Lambrusco, the city of Modena, a producer of Parmigiano Reggiano, the Ducal Palace at Sassuolo and the Spa at the Terme della Salvarola.
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 Italy-Florence
I was a guest of Pitti Immagine at the 5th edition of TASTE held at Florence's stazione leopolda where 200 carefully-selected top-quality Italian wine, beer, and food producers dispalyed their niche products from March 13-15 to over 10,000 guests, a 25% increase in attendance from 2009's edition. In addition FuoriDiTaste over 100 restaurants, delicatessans, hotels, artisan shops, and concept stores thoughout Florence held tastings and cooking lessons.
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 Croatia
The first week in March I was invited by the Croatian National Tourist Organization in New York City to Croatia. I went to Zagreb and to Istria: Motovun, Livade, Porec, Pula, and Rovinj. Already forthcoming articles are a profile of the collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in Zagreb, an interview with His Eminence the Cardinal of Croatia, and an interview with the businessman who found the largest white truffle in history listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
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 Friuli/Venezia Giulia and The Veneto
From December 8-12 as a guest of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and its Press Office "BuonItalia" I participated in a gastronomic tour of Friuli/Venezia Giulia and the Veneto together with four other US journalists. We visited several top wineries, cheese consortiums, the Consortium of San Daniele Prosciutto, Lucio Torresan's radicchio farm, and the city of Treviso. The photo is of me with top chef Emanuele Scarello, the owner of "Agli Amici" in Godia just outside Udine. With two Michelin stars and a top rating in the Italian Espresso and Gambero Rosso guides, "Agli Amici" is rated the best restaurant in Friuli/Venezia Giulia. Scarello is President of "Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe".
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 Naples, Italy
From November 27-29, as a guest of the Regione Campania, I attended the International Jewelry Awards.
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 Colorno
Over the weekend of October 4-5, I was a guest of world-famous chef, Gualtiero Marchesi, at ALMA, the International University of Italian Cuisine, the only cooking school with Italian Government accreditation. ALMA is located in Colorno about 8 miles from Parma in the ducal palace that was once home to the Austrian Princess Marie Louise, Napoleon's second wife. One of the founders of ALMA and its Rector, Marchesi was the first Italian chef to have 3 Michelin stars. He will turn 80 in March.
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 Gragnano
From 11th-13th September as a guest of town hall, I attended the 9th "Festa Internazionale della Pasta", renamed this year "I Sensi della Pasta", held in Gragnano above the Amalfi Coast. Gragnano is known worldwide as "The Capital of Pasta", which has been made there since the 1500s.
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 Manchester, U.K.
The last week of June I traveled to Manchester as a guest of the local Tourist Board to write up two major Egyptian collections there and interview the chef Andrew Nutter.
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 Luxembourg and Trier
In late May and early June I traveled to Luxembourg and Trier in Germany courtesy of the New York offices of the German National Tourist Organization and the Luxembourg Tourist Board. The focus of my stories was on on gastronomy and religion.
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