If you want to know about honey production along Italy's border with Slovenia, then look no further than the Consorzio Obbligatorio fra gli Apicoltori della Provincia di Gorizia. I was invited to find out more and spent a morning at the Enoteca La Serenissima, Gradisca d'Isonzo. This is what I found out.

The best way to judge the quailty of the honey you are about to try is by placing it in a classic balloon shaped wine glass. Warm the honey by cupping your hand around the glass and the light heat will release the natural scent and make the honey slightly more liquid. First check for impurities by holding it to the light, then by taking a spoon and allowing the honey to fall back into the glass.

Our taste buds recognise sweet, salt, acidic and bitter properties. The tip of the tongue is where the sweetness of the honey will hit first.

The resort of Piancavallo was built 25 years ago in a sunny valley beside Monte Cavallo in the Eastern Dolomites (Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti Friulane). It has a certain open plan charm but at least the snow and skiing are guaranteed thanks to over 40 snow cannons which work the pistes from mid December.

Our favorite hand-book 'Where to Ski' describes it as a curiously trendy purpose built village with a number of short runs and an easy car outing from Venice.

What it doesn't mention is the Piancavallo Ice Stadium featuring a 60x30m ice rink, 30 km of cross country ski routes and the 'tremol' ski lift which takes visitors to 1800 meters and a fabulous view of the Colli Euganei, the Istrian coast and the rest of the Dolomites.

Sacile in the province of Pordenone was known at one time as the 'Giardino della Serenissima'. A place to relax, seek calm and simply wander aimlessly amidst the beautifully built palazzi, flowered streets and rich, green environment created by the Livenza river.

This period of splendour and culture flourished when the town was in Venetian hands in the 16th century. It lasted until Garibaldi's men hit the scene in the mid 1800's and was momentarily gone for ever during bitter fighting of the First World War.

The Piancavallo Cellina Livenza tourism authorities describes the town as being a series of small 'borghi'.

If you have a sail boat or a motor cruiser and are looking for a port in the Adriatic, then below is a definitive list of all the options available to you in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

There are 130 km of coast and berths for 15.000 craft in the most northernly zone of the Mediterranean sea.

Choose from the fabulous lagoons of Marano and Grado or the Roman town of Aquileia, declared “Patrimonio dell’Umanità” by UNESCO.

Also look out for the 'Barcolana', the traditional mid-October regatta appointment in the Gulf of Trieste where 2000 sail boats compete in this annual event. www.barcolana.it

A recent marketing hook used by the Trieste Tourism Promotion Board, 'Trieste Awaits You', rings truer than many.

Putting to one side the first 2000 years of its history, only the last 300 has seen Croats, Slovenians, Austrians, Hungarians, Dalmati, Albanians, Greeks and French all making their presence felt before the end of the First World War saw the city become part of Italy for the first time.

A lot of history is packed into the capital of the country's smallest province and the capital of the Friuli Venezia Giulia. But perhaps the most significant year of all was 1382.

Following a terrible siege and the subsequent War of Chioggia the city was left isolated and exposed to its Venetian neighbors. Despite pleas to many princes and nobles the elders had no choice. They pledged allegience to Duke Leopold of Austria.

The mountainous territory of Carnia is the part of Friuli which straddles the border between Austria and Slovenia. According to the local tourism authorities the territory offers a crowd free winter snow experience with low ski pass prices, guaranteed snow due to its unique geography and thermal baths to ease the muscles.

Have a ski preference? Here's a handy guide for mushers, downhillers and snow show ramblers.

DOWNHILL SKIING

The main centres are Forni di Sopra, Ravascletto and Sauris with the best runs stretching form Varmòst to Forni di Sopra and Zoncolan to Ravascletto. For beginners try the pistes of Sauris.