I had just moved to Trieste when Universal Pictures released the horror/comedy film entitled Krampus in 2015. I had never heard about the story of the Krampus which here coincides with the feast of Saint Nicholas (Dec 6th). During the month of December, there are celebrations lasting over several days in several of the mountain villages…
December came in like a lion — both in Trieste and the US. Watching the “Nightly News” from the States, I see winter storm warnings and footage of cars spun out on the highway while outside my window the Bora is howling and sleet is pinging against my windows…Ahhh, 2020, getting your last licks in,…
My social circles have shrunk noticeably in the last 9 months. I no longer host dinner parties for 20, or 10 or really anyone anymore. Rarely do I meet friends for dinner or cocktails (maybe 6 times since March) and now with the new restrictions even those options are off the table. Socializing has become…
With Covid-19 precautions in place, Trieste is adapting to the “new normal” and the events calendar is filling up with traditional events that have become milestones year after year and interesting new events that promise to offer entertainment and distraction from the general mood of 2020. With the last gasp of summer closing out August,…
Ok it’s September and I promised to return to the keyboard. Trieste is easing into the end of Summer and into what I like to call the “Fifth Season”. This is that time, after the traditional and predictable burrasca at the end of August — which saw rain, wind and flooding in parts of the…
Just a little over an hour’s drive from Trieste, tucked away in the Julian Alps is the town of Tarvisio. This is a destination year-round for many locals looking to enjoy downhill and cross country skiing in the winter and hiking and biking through the natural beauty of mountains in the summer. Tarvisio offers you…
The name is a little misleading….Trieste doen’t have a Metro line and for now, and Google search brings up just the local “Restaurant Depot” style store METRO in Valmaura. But, just like mushrooms sprouting after our rainy spring, 111 new totems have “popped up” around the city of Trieste: 111 totems outlining 7 itinieraries around…
Wow, no one really knows how this summer is going to pan out. Theoretically “the worst is over” but then there are concerns of a “second wave”. Right now we are living in this world of contrasts wondering if plans made long ago should still be fulfilled. Many of us hoping to see family overseas…
This week Trieste, along with the rest of Italy, has begun a nearly full easing of the restrictions that have been in place for the last 10 weeks in response to the COVID-19 crisis. I ventured out yesterday, partly out of curiosity, mostly because I had some errands to run, but also to support local…
So after 8 weeks of lockdown, we are embarking on “Phase 2”, the slow reopening of Italian life, the economy and the business of “getting back to normal”. In my mind I see those time-lapse videos of springtime flowers bursting through the soil, first weak and fragile sprouts shoot straight up, determined to burst open…
Thanks to this #Covid-19 #lockdown, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to dedicate myself to #QuarantineCooking. If you look at my Instagram page, you can see I’ve been cranking out cakes, pastas, exotic asian dishes, elaborate salads etc. However, sometimes you just want to let someone else do the cooking. During this…
So if you’re like me, by now you’ve cleaned out the medicine cabinet, purged your make-up collection of anything from before 2019, reorganized your sock drawer etc. The lockdown is getting extended and you feel bored and helpless. What can you do? Most of us watch the battle against the virus from afar. Sure, we…
Well, needless to say, there’s not much to report this week. Everything and everyone is on lockdown. Incredibly (I have to say this again) it seems people are really taking this seriously and respecting the rules and dutifully filling out their “passes” for any outside trip to the pharmacy or grocery store. As an aside,…
While Italy is seeing the globe’s second worse outbreak of the Coronavirus after China, the Italians’ ability to conform and follow national directives to observe a near total lockdown have surprised many both in Italy and abroad. I have to say that I am grateful and proud to live in Trieste and to have the…
With Spring coming early this year, the farmers’ markets are already selling the local erbe spontanee (spontaneous herbs a.k.a. wild edibles) like bladder campion silene vulgaris, wild asparagus, dandelion and aglio orsino = wild garlic (the Italian name means “Bear Garlic” because, apparently, bears waking from their hibernation tend to eat it in huge quantities). I…
