Trieste Local Customs

Can you dig it, this picture was taken in the mid of December 2006! Usualy, we expect cold weather at that time, convenient for walk if sunny day but very unconvenient to be seated outdoors. This guy is just enjoying his siesta time here on the Capitoline Hill. It's quiet and undisturbing place and yet, no more than five minutes walking from the heart of the town. The sun is still keeping its warmth which obviously has dazed the guy who felt into a sleep. Amazing kind of winter in this year.

If you understand Italian, be aware that the word volentieri, that means "(yes,) with pleasure!" in standard Italian, is used in Trieste with the meaning of "no, sorry!". For example, if you ask in a shop "May I have...?" and they answer "volentieri", don't expect to get what you wanted.

Ingredients for 4 persons:
FOR THE PASTRY:
1 packing of puffpaste
100 g of currants
2-3 dried figs
2 dried plums
50 g of peeled and chopped almonds
50 g of chopped walnut
15 g of pine-kernel
50 g sugar
20g melted chocolate
1/2 tablespoon of cane sugar
20 g candied fruit
1 egg
Flour
2 table spoons of Rum
Cinnamon
PRAPARATION:
If you bought a freezed pastry, defrost it. Soften currants in rum (or in warm water if you don't drink alcohol). Sprinkle where you work with flour and with the rolling-pin make the pastry with the shape of a a square of about 30 cm. In a cup put almonds, walnuts, currants, pine-kernels, figs and plums,the chocoalte,sugar and rum, the candied fruits in pieces and sprinkle with sugar. Dress all, you can put as much cinnamon as you like.Mix all together and let it macerate for about 30 mins.Remember that edges have to be free for the width of about 2 cm. Break the egg and divide the yolk from the egg white. Smeare with a little brush the egg white on the pastry edges, roll the pastry up making pression on edges as to close it. Grease a cake tin, put inside the roll with the shape of horseshoe. Brush with the yolk. Bake for 45-60 mins (depends on the oven ) at about 180?. When it is cooked let it cool down . I hope you will like it...

I don't know what days it operates, but while we were there (maybe a Thursday or Friday) there was a market along the Grand Canal. We seldom buy much in these markets but enjoy walking through and admiring the local flowers, fruits and vegetables and usually some interesting handmade items. This one is rather large with lots of clothing items as well and some live musicians.

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We were quite surprised to happen upon a girls' basketball game in Piazza Sant Antonio. It appeared to be two school groups as they were in uniform and exchanged some sort of card before the game. The girls looked to be about 12-14, about the same age as my oldest granddaughter who is an avid BB player. (She could have handled any of them - offense or defense). The first goal of the game came when one of the girls in yellow scored in the wrong basket. The best player on the court was the smallest girl in a red uniform. She scored her team's other 4 points. After about 20 minutes it started to rain and the game was called off. The red team won 6-4. I was really pulling for the little girl as my granddaughter is frequently the smallest (but best) on her teams.

From the moment in which the sun starts being warm who lives in Trieste starts spendnig free time in the effort of sunbathing! There are many places where we are used to go but one of most weird is La Costa dei Barbari. This place is among nature and you can find above all people who love sunbathing naked or homosexuals. La Costa dei Barbari is limited on a side by a cave,in Sistiana and on the other side by the Hotel Europa.
The place most crowded is limited by a little building built next the path that is a long the coast and by a small beach of white stones.
To get there coming down you have to get to an old road that is ont the sea-side of the way that links the road 14 Triestina to the Highway A4 Trieste Venezia. This part of the road is used as a parking, and is a little before Sistiana, in front of the sweet shop "Pasticseria alla Costa dei Barbari".From here start some paths that go towards the sea or from the down directly from "Sistiana mare". If you get there from the coast you can get to Sistiana by car to the Restauran Castelreggio; in the summer you have to pay for the parking. The coastal path starts immediately after the resaturant and passes near a cava that is still working; after the cave the path takes you to an old ironed gate: it's from that point that "Costa dei Barbari"starts.

Nearly everybody in Trieste can speak more than one language.
Italians speak Italian and dialect. It is very rare to meet a local who doesn't speak dialect, probably because s/he find it too rude. On the contrary, it is more difficult to find someone who speak a very good Italian. The same happens in Gorizia, Venezia and other towns in Veneto, where everybody speak dialect, too.
Slovenians living in Trieste speak, additionally, Slovene and Slovene dialect. This is an absurd mix of Italian and Slovene. Most of the talk is in Slovene but they insert Italian words here and there. I wouldn't recommend learning it!

the "bicierin" is the traditional coffee served in a glass in trieste. There's really no difference from the coffee served in a glass or that in the cup, so it goes down to one's prefernce. What's different, instead, is the words to order it. In case you want it with milk, you should ask for a "gocciato" - while everywhere else in italy it's called "macchiato" or "con latte". Sidenote: "bicierin" means, in dialect, small glass.