Walking around Trieste, you will notice that many butcher shops have signs advertising the availability of steak tartare on Fridays and Saturdays. This struck me as unusual in more ways than one; having grown up in an Italian-American family, Fridays was rigorously a “no meat” day in the Catholic practice of self-discipline and penance. And…
This year, Trieste celebrates 51 years of the Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta (La Barcolana), organized by the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano. This is one of Trieste’s premiere events for locals and visitors alike and is the world’s largest regatta. For 2019’s race, the organization had to place a cap of 2,700 on the number of entries, as the…
With the arrival of the first burrasca (big summer storm) announcing the end of summer, the refreshing chill in the morning sets me dreaming about the dishes and soups I will cook now that the heatwave is over. Of course Italy has many regional soup specialties but in the FVG region, we are blessed to bask…
Just a little ways down from the Teatro Romano is a wonderful little ice cream shop called Gelato Marco. I was just there yesterday and witnessed a lady peering into the case, hands on head, while she desperately tried to make up her mind as to what to order. Her buddy laughed as it was…
One of the things Italians pride themselves on it’s calculating how to maximize their days off. Thanks to an abundance of religious holidays, the calendar year is peppered with “ponti” or long weekends, strategically mapped out to make the most of days off, even at the expense of tacking on a personal day. The higher…
People often complain that Trieste is so remote — and Triestines joke that they like it that way! But in fact, this famous gateway to “MittleEurope” is undergoing a transformation to make it even more accessible. The biggest news is the new train connection between Trieste and the local international airport Aeroporto Friuli Venezia Giulia (TRS)…
Driving along Viale Miramare, one passes a large expanse of seemingly abandoned buildings and warehouses. This is the Porto Vecchio, the Old Port of Trieste. When I first visited here 5 years ago, most of it was closed off to the public. One could gain access only with special permission and armed with a passport…
Despite this brief throwback to winter-like weather, Spring in Trieste is definitely on its way! Lots of fun events are gearing up and to be sure you don’t miss out on the fun — here’s a little preview of what you can look forward to in the coming weeks. May 9 – marks the start of…
My sister who has visited Trieste twice before is visiting for a 3rd time and we are diving a little deeper to see and do things we haven’t already done before. Already this trip has taken us to visit some wineries in Collio, we visited Tomadin in Cormons to stock up on Osvaldo small batch prosciutto…
Love fish but hate to cook it? Don’t know how to cook it? Don’t like the smell of fish stinking up your apartment? Oh boy, do I have a great solution for you! AL GAMBERO is the fish market that cooks and delivers to you — or — you can go to either of their…
Recently, I’ve noticed calendar events popping up on Facebook announcing “Unfolding Paper Stories” with the accompanying photos displaying delightful and complex paper creations with the tag line: “not just for kids”! I was intrigued. The organizer is Annalisa Metus, a paper engineer (a title I have never heard of before) so I immediately reached out to her and…
This past Sunday, the Mayor of Trieste handed over the key to the city to the King and Queen of Carnevale 2019 to signify the start of the festivities. Fat Thursday is this week and already, families (with pets in tow) in matching outfits have taken to the streets with their adorable kids to festoon…
The Nonino family would be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as magic — only hard work and passion. And, if anything comes close to magic it is their matriarch, Giannola Nonino (nee’ Bulfoni in 1938 in Percoto (UD)) also known as the Queen of Grappa. When I was growing…
As a carnivorous American with a penchant for good, flavorful meat, I had a hard time finding both a good butcher in Trieste and quality meat. In fact, when I first got here, many locals suggested I go to Slovenia to buy meat. There, I was told in a hushed whisper, the meat was better…
Trieste is inherently tied to Vienna. Having been under Austrian rule since as far back as 1382, when the main citizens of Trieste in petitioned Leopold III of Habsburg, Duke of Austria in order to become part of his domains. Subsequently Trieste gained wealth and importance as the port city of the consolidated Austrian Littoral. It became little Vienna on the…
