Here Today, Friuli Tomorrow

In just a few hours, I'll be boarding a plane to Paris, final flight destination Venice, where I'll be meeting up with my friends Jeremy, Wayne, Alfonso, Samantha and Nicolas.  From there, it's on to our digs in Colli Orientali del Friuli, where we'll be spending a week getting better acquainted with the region's vines, wines and some of their growers.

I'm looking forward to meeting our "handlers" from the Consorzio dei Colli Orientali del Friuli tomorrow.  Above, from left: Director Mariano Paladin, Technical Advisor Francesco Degano (who will double as our driver), Media Director Sabrina Constantini, and council member and former president Adriano Gigante.  (Photo courtesy of Jeremy Parzen and the official COF2011 blog.)

I'm truly psyched for the trip.  I know things have been more than quiet around here of late.  Never before have I gone two weeks at a time without posting.  What can I say?  It's a new year with new challenges, even a new job (more on that at some point after my return from Italy).  As much as I love to write, to blog, to stay in touch with all of you via this semi-social forum, I've needed the break in order to focus on other things.

The week to come will see me return with a vengeance.  At least that's the plan.  Expect daily updates, photos, and as much detail as I can squeeze out of my memory banks and onto these pages in the hours of each day's itinerary that have been set aside for our writerly endeavors.

It should go without saying that I hope you all will follow along with the action here at MFWT.  But don't forget that I'm just one part of the overall #COF2011 team.  (That's our Twitter hashtag, for those of you who care about such things.)  So, once you've gotten your daily fix here, please head on over to the Colli Orientali del Friuli 2011 group blog to check in on all the action and the hopefully diverse range of reactions to our shared experiences.