NO mistaking where I was — Bordeaux airport has grape vines planted close to arrivals with a red rose at the end of each row to encourage bees to help with pollination.

THE Dublin restaurant and café scene is really humming once again.

FOR OUR May Slow Food East Cork event we returned to Sage Restaurant in Midleton to celebrate the local food.

AFTER months of build up and careful planning by Rory O’Connell, Rebecca Cronin, Colm McCan and the Litfest team the second event came and went in a whirlwind of exciting workshops, debates, lectures, tastings, demos.

WE’VE gone crazy for seaweed in recent times; I’ve woken up to phenomenal variety of sea vegetables around our coast.

After months of exciting plotting and planning, the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Litfest got underway at the Grain Store in Ballymaloe last night.

THE excitement is really mounting, it’s just a week to this year’s Lit Fest at Ballymaloe, May 16-18.

I GOT a wonderful letter today beautifully hand-written by a woman who described herself as an octogenarian.

THE mere mention of Finca Buenvino creates a ripple of happiness and joy among those of us who have already discovered this hidden gem nestled amidst the sweet chestnut trees and cork oaks of the Sierra de Aracena in Andalusia.

So what new trends did I see in the US this time? Well as ever there’s lots going on and New Yorkers are always on the lookout for the new ‘big thing’.