Happy Cats

Amongst all the sadness of leaving the course and saying goodbye to everyone it was nice to see one happy creature on Wednesday night.
The cat that was under the car outside Nanut seemed pretty content with the mouse it was chewing its way through.
But when it realised that the metal door to the Macelleria (butchers) was an open grille at the top section it took a run and a jump, mouse still in its jaws, and went inside.
I am not sure what the butcher walked into the next morning, but we all decided that we would avoid polpette (meatballs) for the next few days.
It might be a good idea for butchers to install cat-proof doors in future!

Get Ready... Here come the Americans!

A few months ago I wrote about my trip to Buffet Da Pepi with Chris and Percy. I am sure that this had only a negligible impact on business for the restaurant. But now, Il Piccolo, our local newspaper tells us, we are preparing for long queues for beer and ham at Da Pepi. This thanks to an article in the New York Times praising Buffet da Pepi.
I might have to pass by later for a ham panino just to see whether the article has had its predicted impact yet.
It's good news for Buffet Da Pepi, and, I suspect, terrible news for the local pig population.
But I have no doubt that the 'smiling gentleman; in the article is now positively grinning.

Moving - again

I am moving again! I need to once again pack up my things and figure out how to get the logistics sorted to move to first Marche, then Florence to start my new job.
In Hong Kong these things are pretty easy. With one call to Wendy Movers everything can be organised for a few hundred dollars - about 20 Euros.
Here it is substantially more difficult. Maybe because people don't move around so much, or maybe because Italy is so much bigger than Hong Kong.
But for whatever reason the guy that arrived this morning to see how many things I had in order to give me a quote to move the things to Marche was disctinctly unimpressed. He told me just to hire a car and move the things myself!
So that is what I will now do.
But it is actually much easier for me than it is for many of my colleagues. The guys that are going to Milano, to Munich, and to London are having a really hard time - only a few days to organise everything and no money for deposits etc.
The farewells are about over, and I am starting to get excited about the upcoming adventure in Florence!

Aqua Alta

Yesterday it rained. And rained. And rained.
I had been for a walk with Paolo from Naples via MIRM and his brother Carmine who was visiting for the weekend (Carmine is a really Napolitan name!) near Opicina in the morning and then went into Slovenia for lunch with some more friends. We drove for almost an hour and ended up in a place with horses, deer, and peacocks wandering around in a park area and a restaurant with only 2 things on the menu - cevapcece and trout. We heard splashing and wriggling in the stream, then an alarming bang before a telltale sizzle in the pan that signified the fish was cooking. It was fresh anyway!
As has happened before in Slovenia, it wasn't long before an impromptu band started, and people were dancing, as the rain started to tip down.
After finishing lunch (about 6pm) we realised that waiting out the rain was futile so we got back in the cars to go back to Trieste, pausing only for a 5 minute shelter under a bridge when the hail started coming down in rocks!
The freak weather continued, and when we arrived in Piazza Unita, the place was completely flooded. The streets nearby had almost 30 cm of water - like streams. There were 2 or 3 guys without shoes and socks in Piazza Della Borsa, and 2 more with plastic bags tied around their feet to walk home nearby.
We took a different option and sheltered in a bar for a while with a spritz aperol until the rain eased off. I finally got home at about 9 in the dry only to be greeted by yet more water lapping gently through the patio doors from the terraces, so I did my own paddling backwards and forwards with the mop.
If it was like this here in Trieste, I can only imagine the scene in Venice. But at least there they have the boats to cope with it.
This morning though, the streets were almost dry, although the rain is threatening to come in again from the look of the sky.

Cantine Aperta

Saturday was the much awaited appointment at Cantine Aperta. This is the event organised in Friuli (capital of White Wines in Italy) where all the vineyards open their cellars. Sunday is a free-for-all with close to a million people on the roads (according to the wine paper I read) hitting the bottles in the various places. So we decided to take the more leisurely and refined option - and go on Saturday - by appointment only.
We started - as all good trips should - with lunch, back at Massimilliano's family's restaurant in Cividale. The feast was as good as it was the last time (back in November) and we are planning the next trip - possibly with our families for the graduation in September!
After lunch we hit the first of the vineyards and after a tour of the facility, sampled the Sauvignon, the powerful Chardonnay (nearly 15% alcohol) and a short glass of red too, before racing to get to the next vineyard before it closed at 6. In the event we arrived at about 610, but they were kind enough to let us try some of the wine anyway.
We went back via Cividale again, for a drink at the wine bar in the square, before driving to a place in the middle of nowhere for a light Friulani supper of Frico and fresh salami!
One of the unexpected impressive things from the day was the spectacular thunderstorm. Out in the middle of the fields, the lightening forked across the sky and the thunder seemed to rumble on for ages. So I stood outside with a glass of wine in hand watching the lightening and feeling the temperature drop sharply. Massi told me that it was good to experience a real storm in Friuli - apparantly even the storms are better near Udine than they are in Trieste!!
Luca also popped in at dinner to say goodbye for the last time before he went to London. He missed Cantine Aperta, and it will be strange not having him around in Florence when we are trying the Chianti that is plentiful nearby.
After dinner, it was back in the cars to Trieste, and a last stroll through beautiful Piazza Unita with the blue lights near to the sea, then down to the molo to sit by the sea one last time before heading to bed.

Cherries at Caresana

Friday, after a day in school with Luca, I set off for Caresana and aperitivi at Giulia's house. We had a lovely time surrounded by Giulia's Dad's art watching the sun set over the hills and munching cevapcece before heading off with the adorable Yuri (the dog) to the Sagra.
The Sagra (local village festival) is famous in these parts, and used to known for its cherries - all grown in the local area. People flock there at the weekend from Trieste (much to the annoyance of the local villagers, who can't leave the village as the road closes) to eat the barbeque and the cherries and dance to the bands that play.
Those who go the sagra and think that nothing has changed in recent years would be wrong. There used to be 2 sagras in the village, which is half communist and half catholic - one run by each faction. But now the only surviving one is that of the church. The other change is the cherries. It seems that olives are a much more profitable crop than cherries, so the crop has switched.
Now most of the cherries at the Sagra are brought in.
But still delicious and its great that the tradition continues.

Midnight dip

The farewell dinner at Hotel Miramare in Barcola was very moving - with all of us saying a few words about the experience of the course for us. Much laughter all around - and a few tears too! Andrea Tracogna, the head of our course, asked me if I had enjoyed Trieste - I think the answer to that is obvious for readers of this blog! I would recommend Trieste to anyone.
My Mum had sent me a message earlier that said that may anyone that decided on a midnight dip be well insured and well oiled. I am not sure about the former but the latter may well have been true as Tommy, Flavio and Luca took to the water at about 11pm, after the prosecco, the risotto, the sorbet and possibly some of Aki's 80% proof alcohol from Turkey!
The night was concluding, as all good nights do, at Nanut Enoteca but we decided to get some carry out and head down to the Molo (pier). So the stragglers from MBA XVII saw in the early hours of the morning sitting by the water watching the jellyfish float by and drinking champagne. Our attempts to be quiet were not entirely successful - Jan from MIRM who is in a flat overlooking the molo could hear our dulcit tones through the night as he worked on his insurance project.

Celebrations and more coffee

To celebrate Ciccio's job, and in order to make the most of the 3 hour break we had yesterday we went out to Piazza Hortis for lunch. It made the briefing session at Sandalj (a coffee trader in Trieste) a little long for some people (Aki!) but was great to sit under the trees in the sunshine.
After more coffee tasting - its a good job we are all fans! - we went down to the waterfront and had a drink with Tullio - our economics prof who was also in the coffee session. The premium for drinking down by the canal is about 5 euros on a bottle of prosecco - so big thanks to Tullio for buying a round or 2!
The evening continued with more celebrations - Bar Walter - Nanut - (as usual) before ending at my house with a bottle of red wine - "yat for the doe" (one for the road) as they say in Hong Kong.

That's all folks

Today was the last lesson for MIB Masters in International Business edition 17.
Tears all round.
Tonight is football at birrerria Forst.
Tomorrow night is our farewell dinner at Hotel Miramare.
i predict more tears and maybe even a little dancing.

What's in a name?

In 3 short weeks I start work in Florence. Meaning that Trieste Trasmissione will no longer be written from Trieste. But I have made a decision to try to keep the blog going as much as I can. Even though it will be permanently on tour - at least until September when we come back to graduate. I figure the name can stay for a number of reasons -
1) because people know it now - and actually read it!
2) because its kind of a catchy name
and most importantly
3) because Trieste is where this Big Italian Adventure started for me. And as the Italian dream isn't over yet, I don't want to stop the blog either. It's just a new chapter in the same story.

Subito sketch a Bologna

Wally left us today to go to Lamborghini in Sant'Agata, near to Bologna. Wally is famous for many things on our course - but one of his early quotes "subito sketch" (basically mischief now) has stayed with us throughout the year and is now in the common parlance of the class. He starts at work tomorrow - so subito sketch a Lamborghini!
Congratulations also to Ciccio - who got a job today - causing a big cheer to go up in the class! Almost everyone now has something to do in the next few months - and despite the tough climate here in Italy, all of us have good jobs with interesting companies. The world of work will seem hard going after this year though!

The best gelato in Italy?

Sunday night (or more accurately, Monday morning) we went for ice cream at Zampolli on the way home. Despite it being gone half past midnight, the gelateria was still open, and we are thankful that we didn't know this earlier in the year - it may have added some hard-to-shift inches to the waistlines in our class!
Zampolli is a Trieste institution - with a mind-boggling array of flavours. The street its in is not very salubrious but it is easy to spot as there are always a load of cars and mopeds outside - even at close to 1am on a Monday morning.
Chris tells me that its the best gelato in Italy - he apparantly has done extensive market research on the biscotto flavour and Zampolli comes out on top every time.
I am sure that its a hotly contested title though - the best gelato in Italy - and it would be great to hear whether there are any other contenders for the title. Especially if there are any in Florence that anyone knows about....

Sunday - out for lunch - and dinner

Saturday night we were dancing at Cantera, a disco near the sea at Sistiana, about 11 kilometers from Trieste, so Sunday morning we were all a little tired. But the weather on Sunday was gorgeous so we decided to head into Slovenia for a cheap lunch. As usual Chris and Dodi led the way, this time to a small place off the main road, but surrounded by hills and fields. We had a great lunch, light as usual for Slovenia - with ljubljanska, patate in teccia and a few cold beers! In order to work off the calorific lunch though we had a game of Boccia (aka boules, or petanque). Team Rome/Kansas (Dani and Chris) beat the guys from Friuli (Luca and Massi), and the girls - Dodi and I - beat Team Rome/Kansas - making the girls the reigning champions!

We headed back to Trieste to pick up Walter as he is leaving for Bologna and Lamborghini today and we had agreed to go for dinner to bid him farewell. So we went to Muggia to a wonderful place on the pier with a 270 degree view of the sea. It is owned by a consortium of fishermen who bring in the catch in the morning, and cook it in the evening. It was a magnificent place, and a very nice evening by the sea to say ciao to Wally. The restaurant is one of those places that you need to be in the know to find - but I wish we had found it sooner. The view from the end of the molo was amazing too - the city sparkles at night and you can see across to Slovenia too.

Chefs for dinner

Last night we had dinner at my house - mushroom risotto and red wine. These dinner parties are always great, but last night I really didn't have to do anything at all except find some glasses for the wine ( I have proper wine glasses now thanks to Luca, Massi and Vlasta who brought them for another dinner party) and open the peanuts and pistachios. Luca and Massi did all the shopping, and all the cooking, and Ale took care of the music. Luca added some extra flavouring to the mushrooms when he sliced his finger with the knife - or was this just a way to get out of the cooking? Somehow the food always tastes better when other people make it for you, so big thanks to the guys.

A special mention today

To two people.
One is the guy I saw last night in Piazza Unita wearing almost nothing but masking tape. Apparantly it was his graduation party, I imagine he had been studying for a long time to get that kind of celebration. I can only imagine how bad it will be if he ever gets married and has a stag night! i am not sure what would have hurt more this morning, his head or removing the tape with which he was covered.
The other person is my opera loving neighbour on the third floor who, either for his benefit, or for mine, plays opera at full volume starting from about 7am every day. Sometimes, like this morning, that is really slightly too early for me, but at least he is not an opera snob - he seems to favour a CD that I imagine must be called "The Best Opera in the World - Eva" or something similar - all the classics. And although I was a bit reluctant at first this morning, it's not so bad to wake up to the dulcit tones of Pavarotti and co.

Summer in Tuscany

Tonight we are celebrating.
I have managed to find a project to do for the summer with a pharma company in Florence.
I will be there from June 11 - September 11 - and Massi and Marina will also be there - Marina at the same company as me and Massi at a fabulous winery. We are looking forward to getting our teeth into some real work again - and to sampling the Tuscan wine that Massi will have access too.
But tonight we will celebrate with some bubbles from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region!
There are 5 or 6 people still looking for projects to do, and we are all wishing them the best of luck. It's really not easy here in Italy, but I am delighted that, for me, the Italian dream will continue for a while longer.
And it gives me chance to continue to try to master Italian.

Comprehending coffee

Yesterday a trip to Illycaffe - something that I have been waiting for since September. We are doing a module on The World of Coffee and it was really fascinating to understand more about the process of how the beans get from the bean to the cup.
Some facts about coffee we learnt yesterday:
1) All Illy coffee consumed everywhere in the world comes through Trieste for roasting. Amazing to me to think that when my friends in HK are drinking Illy coffee it has been through Trieste - and to think I had never even heard of the city before I applied for MIB!
2) The beans are checked by machine, and by the laboratory too. The rejected beans are sold onto other coffee companies for their premium coffees. (Other companies say the same though)
3) There is a big difference between arabica and robusta. Arabica is harder to grow, easier to ruin, and way more tasty.
4) Moka (the machine you put on the stove) accounts for 70% of all coffee consumption in Italy - but most people don't make it properly and ruin the coffee. (A tip for those not in the know - as soon as the coffee starts to splurt out of the spout at the top - turn it off. This will mean that you avoid the bad taste that comes from overextraction)
5) Ethiopian coffee has a naturally sweet taste - that actually decreases the amount of sugar people use if it is added to the blend.
The training facility was really impressive too, but what I really loved was the collection of cups on dsplay.
The coffee wasn't bad either! But at 3 times the price, it ought to be good!

G8 in Trieste

I hear the city will be chaos tomorrow as the G8 is in town. This should make picking up the car for the trip to Florence for my interview on Monday a bit of a challenge, but apparently if I call the car hire company tomorrow morning, they can deliver the car to me somewhere. Fingers crossed!

Parking Problems

I am sure Riccardo Illy, of Illy Coffee fame, has never seen this blog. But as the head of the Friuli Venezia Giulia government, if he does happen to swing by at any time, I hope that he will see this plea to do something about the parking in Trieste. I don't have a car, so its not a direct problem for me, but going to and fro in Massi's car has made me realise the extent of the parking problems downtown.
There was a small piazza where we used to park, but they removed the parking a few weeks ago. There is resident's parking, but its difficult to get the permit - especially if you are in a multi-person flat, or only here for a short amount of time so you don't change your personal registration to Trieste.
Then there is blue line parking - where you have to buy a pay and display ticket. But not only are the prices steep (about E1 per 30 mins) there is little parking available. And today when I had to park Vlasta's car downtown and there is the G8 education summit, and the Generali offices around the corner, I see that they are once again playing with the parking, and have roped off big areas of the blue parking. It took ages to find a place to stick the car, and I totally irritated the lady in the car behind me as I tried to park Vlasta's Opel without the benefit of power steering.
It would not be so bad if the transport options were available to render the cars redundant. But some buses stop running at 8, others at 9, and the only other option is to go on foot...
It's complete chaos Mr Illy!

Sundowners at Barcola

Now that the end is near of the full time part of the course, we are spending a lot of time hanging out together.
Our latest (and best) tradition is that of sundowners by the sea at Barcola.
There is a beautiful spot with a terrace directly on the ocean where we have spent many relaxed and happy hours watching the sun set.
It is starting to get really sad around here though - everyone is starting to realise that we have only a few short weeks together left and that we will be gone from beautiful Trieste in no time at all. We are making the most of the time we have left though, adn already planning the September reunion.

Traffic and Cars

Our first full day in Munich started with an enormous traffic jam. The MIRM colleagues that were on the trip finally arrived at the insurance company they were visiting some 1 hour late as we had been crawling for hours on the ring road.
The cars in Munich are noticeable - they are almost all fabulous - Porsche, Mercedes, and VWs and all seem to be in great condition. This didn't make the traffic any better though - although maybe if you were in the cars rather than looking at them out of the bus window it wouldn't have seemed so arduous.
Our location for the day was the Audi plant - and its the most incredible place. Spotlessly clean, with a fully automated production line that can make a 3 door car, followed by a 5 door car - all with robots. Really incredible.
All of the places that we have visited for a full day trip offer us lunch too - and free food is always an important thing for students - and food generally is important for Italians. Not only do Audi win the award for the best factory, they are also clear winners for the lunch - fantastic! I had Chinese food, with chopsticks, great stuff.
The Audi plant also has a classic car collection, with everything from sports cars to motorbikes, including some really rare cars worth a fortune on the open market.
Following Audi, we went for a walk in the city before going back to the hotel to watch the Milan Manchester Champions League Semi Final, with much cheering from the professor who was with us - and an enthusiastic - and very vocal - supporter of Milan. Milan were victorious and we will cheer them on again on the 23rd.

One night in Munich

My first thought on arriving at the hotel was "Where is Munich"? We were staying at a nice Holiday Inn - but some distance from the city - more or less 25 minutes in the coach. Following a quick turnaround after our looooong bus trip, we went back into the city for a walk around. Munich is a pretty city, low rise and open, with lots of trees and greenery. We spent the first night in Munich in good German tradition - in a beer hall downtown. It was my first taste of German food - and unfortunately did little to change my opinion that its not really for me - too heavy, too fried and too much wurstel and sauerkraut!
The beer was nice though!

Monaco is not Monaco

At the beginning of the year I heard that we were going to Monaco on a study trip. I had visions of the whole class making like Grace Kelly down by the quayside.
I discovered some months later that in fact, when Italians refer to Monaco they mean Monaco di Baveria - otherwise known as Munich. So on May 1st, a public holiday here in Italy as in most other parts of the world, we set off with the students from the Masters in Insurance and Risk Management to Munich.
By Bus
All 50 something of us
With no DVD player
And no CD player
About 7 hours
It was a very long trip and one of the very few things that I am not going to miss about being a student - it will be wonderful to be back in the world where people fly to get places. There is actually a direct flight from Trieste to Munich (aka Monaco) so it will be on our suggestions for the next years trip.
Of course we still managed to turn the trip into an excuse to have a good time - and took a heap of pictures at the Austrian Autogrill...