As usual for an event in Trieste there were loads of dogs, but it was also nice to see the kids out enjoying the sunshine - there aren't so many children here!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Frying at Radio Fragola
Sunday morning I got up early to come back to Trieste as Andrea and Chris had organised a group picnic at the outdoor concert run by Radio Fragola, one of the local radio stations here in Trieste. It was a beautiful day, but absolutely frying hot and we lay outside on the lawn at the hockey club (I had no idea that there was one here!) The music was a bit heavy going but the football was fun and it was lovely to get back together after a weekend away.
As usual for an event in Trieste there were loads of dogs, but it was also nice to see the kids out enjoying the sunshine - there aren't so many children here!
As usual for an event in Trieste there were loads of dogs, but it was also nice to see the kids out enjoying the sunshine - there aren't so many children here!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Everything sorted
BIG thanks to David who came and cut enough of the weeds that the neighbours - and more importantly me - are satisfied with the garden. Its not beautiful, but at least its tidy. I'm not entering the most beautiful garden competition yet though, although it would seem that the rest of the street is pretty much...
Maybe in the summer...
Maybe in the summer...
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Weeds and bills
Real life after the masters is approaching fast. This was brought home to me today when I dashed back to my flat in Marche to be hit by a pile of bills, and weeds in the garden at least 1 metre tall - and about 10 cm thick.... I am now desperately seeking the gardener who was supposed to come and be keeping the place in check....
Red Bologna
25th April is Liberation Day in Italy - when the country was liberated from the Fascists after WWII. In Bologna, the red capital of Italy, it was cause for great celebration, with bands in the Piazza Maggiore and everyone else either on bikes, window shopping, or eating ice cream as they strolled around. There are more than 100,000 students registered at the University there, and I was particularly impressed with the two I saw on beanbags in the middle of the pedestrian zone...
The other things that I learnt about Bologna is that the food is great - the market was beautiful and loaded with fabulous fruit and veg, cheeses and breads - and that the light is also amazing for taking photos.
Bolognese Coffee
I thought that my love of the coffee in Trieste meant that I couldn't leave Italy but now I have discovered that the coffee in Trieste is also better than the coffee in other parts of Italy too. Wednesday was my first trip to Bologna - a beautiful city and full of people - but the coffee was really not a patch on what I am used to. I was in the Piazza Maggiore,looking at the sites, but dreaming of the coffee in La Portizza!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Joanna in Chinatown
The cheap shop on the corner of Via Milano has just changed it's name. It has been called Jolly as long as I have been here and is now called Joanna - English spelling and everything! Its strange to walk past and see my name plastered in 8 inch letters all over the windows!
TLAs
TLAs - or three letter acronyms - were a central part of communication when I worked at the Foreign Office.
The most common TLA for us this year has been MBA - in its original meaning - not Married But Available from the singles ads (ugh!) or - as one professor told us - Mediocre But Arrogant.
But last week we heard a new three word phrase. The HR Director from a company counselled us against being too agressive in our search for jobs, and advised that we should be Ambitious But Humble in our attitudes. For the company in question this means accepting little or no pay for an internship with no guarantee of a job afterwards.
I would suggest that another three letter acronym might apply to this situation - Taking The Mickey!
There are a few more of us employed now though which is great. Congrats to Zazu, Massimiliano, Bianca, Nguyet, Chris and Wally. For the rest of us, the search continues...
The most common TLA for us this year has been MBA - in its original meaning - not Married But Available from the singles ads (ugh!) or - as one professor told us - Mediocre But Arrogant.
But last week we heard a new three word phrase. The HR Director from a company counselled us against being too agressive in our search for jobs, and advised that we should be Ambitious But Humble in our attitudes. For the company in question this means accepting little or no pay for an internship with no guarantee of a job afterwards.
I would suggest that another three letter acronym might apply to this situation - Taking The Mickey!
There are a few more of us employed now though which is great. Congrats to Zazu, Massimiliano, Bianca, Nguyet, Chris and Wally. For the rest of us, the search continues...
On the road to Osmizze
Sunday morning after the ball we decided to go to Osmizze. Chris was the guide as usual - he has the most amazing ability to remember where the best places to go are. Sunday this meant that we went to a place on Via Commerciale, next to the tramline to Opicina, and looked down on the bay and out to sea.
Afterwards we went in the car to a place up in the Carso region where we spent the rest of the day...
The Osmizze culture is amazing. It is great to see that all the Triestine's make the most of the great weather and comb the countryside for the frascas that point the way. It always seems though that there is another information system going on - those in the know understand which are the places to go even without the frasce. Luckily for us, Chris is on the inside track, so , by extension, so are we!
Afterwards we went in the car to a place up in the Carso region where we spent the rest of the day...
The Osmizze culture is amazing. It is great to see that all the Triestine's make the most of the great weather and comb the countryside for the frascas that point the way. It always seems though that there is another information system going on - those in the know understand which are the places to go even without the frasce. Luckily for us, Chris is on the inside track, so , by extension, so are we!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Grand Gala @ MIB
The Ferdinandeo palace that is the home of our school was once used for grand parties back in the days of the Hapsburg empire. The hall was more or less returned to its previous use on Saturday night, as it was our annual ball and a good excuse to get dressed up and party.
The ball opened with a waltz. We knew this in advance, so we have been teaching the guys to waltz, which certainly turned a few heads on the waterfront in Barcola the other day! The waltz was 10 minutes, so there was a lot of time to fill. Massi and I shuffled around the floor for a while, then tangoed over to other dancing couples. After a few minutes Max got bored, so Percy galantly took over for the rest of the waltz. Very good fun!
The band were great and it was fun to party all together in our glad rags! The pasta at midnight is a great tradition too - and very welcomed by all of us!
The ball opened with a waltz. We knew this in advance, so we have been teaching the guys to waltz, which certainly turned a few heads on the waterfront in Barcola the other day! The waltz was 10 minutes, so there was a lot of time to fill. Massi and I shuffled around the floor for a while, then tangoed over to other dancing couples. After a few minutes Max got bored, so Percy galantly took over for the rest of the waltz. Very good fun!
The band were great and it was fun to party all together in our glad rags! The pasta at midnight is a great tradition too - and very welcomed by all of us!
Signs you are at home in Trieste
There are a few things that make me realise I am now at home in Trieste.
Seeing a dog walking around in a department store seems perfectly normal.
Following a bunch of leaves and a painted wooden arrow to a restaurant that only opens for 14 days doesn't seem unusual.
It's also normal to see people lying on the concrete by the sea and pretending its a beach - and I'm doing it too!
It's really a wonderful city to live in, and I will miss it when I have to leave, in only a short amount of time.
Seeing a dog walking around in a department store seems perfectly normal.
Following a bunch of leaves and a painted wooden arrow to a restaurant that only opens for 14 days doesn't seem unusual.
It's also normal to see people lying on the concrete by the sea and pretending its a beach - and I'm doing it too!
It's really a wonderful city to live in, and I will miss it when I have to leave, in only a short amount of time.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Back to school bbq
After a night in Cagliari - with the most amazing food at the 4 Mori restaurant - an unending supply of seafood of every shape, size and colour - including snails, large and green and a bit strange! - I headed off at the crack of dawn on the plane to Milan. The reason to fly there was for an interview - but I had found out that the company in question had cancelled the interview. So I hired a car and drove back to Trieste - a terrible journey with traffic-filled autostrade, clogged with foul air from the lorries heading for Milan - and expensive too!
The upside was that I was able to be in Trieste in time for the Back to School BBQ at Chris and Dodi's house! The memories of the bad journey faded quickly with cevapcici (like a Balkan seekh kebab), terrano wine, and a jam session in the garden and inside as the sun set over the sea in the distance...
Magical way to come home to Trieste!
The upside was that I was able to be in Trieste in time for the Back to School BBQ at Chris and Dodi's house! The memories of the bad journey faded quickly with cevapcici (like a Balkan seekh kebab), terrano wine, and a jam session in the garden and inside as the sun set over the sea in the distance...
Magical way to come home to Trieste!
Agriturismo and Antas
We got back on the road after brekkie – curling thru the hills again this time towards Oristano. It's a nice town, very quiet but we had an interesting stop in the cathedral with grass all around the altar – very unusual. Had cappucini and pastries in the main square. Very good and reminded me of Macau.
Then onto the road again, heading for the south. We stopped at agriturismo near Buggerru (ok, oher places were closer, but I love the name!) for pasquetta lunch – delicious and so kind of the guy to squeeze us in at the last minute.
Then onto the temple of Antas, near Fluminimaggiore – very interesting to see the temple in lovely position –although first restored in 2something AD it was built in 500 BC – in a beautiful valley – v interesting.
From there, onto Isola S. Antioco but nothing special from what we could see so doubled back to an albergo connected to a rest in the slow food guide = in Giba. Restaurant was closed and albergo nothing special – its been a long time since I saw wardrobes covered with 1970s floral wallpaper. Hopped in the car to the furthest south point we went to – Porto Pino = beautiful white sands and the mediterranean sea.
Then dinner at an unimposing pizzeria with great mussel soup and pasta – and scrummy tomatoes, before heading back to the 1970s travel lodge and watching Grease on the TV – dubbed into Italian. All the songs were translated – sometimes with interesting results!
In the morning we realised that the restaurant must be famous - Jacques Cousteau and Frankie Di Tori had both signed the walls after a dinner there.
We went off to the local cheese factory to buy some pecorino to take away with us. And later continued the shopping at the Argiolas vineyard for Turriga and Korem wines - delicious.
Then onto the road again, heading for the south. We stopped at agriturismo near Buggerru (ok, oher places were closer, but I love the name!) for pasquetta lunch – delicious and so kind of the guy to squeeze us in at the last minute.
Then onto the temple of Antas, near Fluminimaggiore – very interesting to see the temple in lovely position –although first restored in 2something AD it was built in 500 BC – in a beautiful valley – v interesting.
From there, onto Isola S. Antioco but nothing special from what we could see so doubled back to an albergo connected to a rest in the slow food guide = in Giba. Restaurant was closed and albergo nothing special – its been a long time since I saw wardrobes covered with 1970s floral wallpaper. Hopped in the car to the furthest south point we went to – Porto Pino = beautiful white sands and the mediterranean sea.
Then dinner at an unimposing pizzeria with great mussel soup and pasta – and scrummy tomatoes, before heading back to the 1970s travel lodge and watching Grease on the TV – dubbed into Italian. All the songs were translated – sometimes with interesting results!
In the morning we realised that the restaurant must be famous - Jacques Cousteau and Frankie Di Tori had both signed the walls after a dinner there.
We went off to the local cheese factory to buy some pecorino to take away with us. And later continued the shopping at the Argiolas vineyard for Turriga and Korem wines - delicious.
Buona Pasqua in Bonacardo
In Alghero we had a great meal on the waterfront as the sun set over the lighthouse we had sailed past earlier in the day – a good way to forget the stolen bag! All the lights are covered with red cloth, giving Alghero a magical feeling. In the morning the grand prix was on the TV, and seemed to attract more people than the Easter church activities.
All of Alghero were out in the town – the streets were busy but shops all closed – a shame as some lovely things to buy from the look of the windows.
Then we went onto Bosa – lovely but not a lot of time to look around.
After a fabulous drive along windy roads, like a car ad, and so much fun in the Alfa!, we went to Bonarcado for lunch. Recommended in the Slow Food guide – a list of the best restaurants in Italy where they still cook in traditional fashion with the best local ingredients - one of our major resources for the trip.
Having arrived and seeing it was gorgeous, we ordered a litre of the house red, so decided to stay the night. Accomodation was in a small cottage with a lawn outside and sheep in the fields all around. We had a fabulous lunch, and very relaxing afternoon reading mags and relaxing in the sun – with the Italian guests all playing footy. Dinner was back in the same restaurant - very chilled out.
All of Alghero were out in the town – the streets were busy but shops all closed – a shame as some lovely things to buy from the look of the windows.
Then we went onto Bosa – lovely but not a lot of time to look around.
After a fabulous drive along windy roads, like a car ad, and so much fun in the Alfa!, we went to Bonarcado for lunch. Recommended in the Slow Food guide – a list of the best restaurants in Italy where they still cook in traditional fashion with the best local ingredients - one of our major resources for the trip.
Having arrived and seeing it was gorgeous, we ordered a litre of the house red, so decided to stay the night. Accomodation was in a small cottage with a lawn outside and sheep in the fields all around. We had a fabulous lunch, and very relaxing afternoon reading mags and relaxing in the sun – with the Italian guests all playing footy. Dinner was back in the same restaurant - very chilled out.
Alghero Dolphins and Thieves
Slow start on day 2 with jet lag kicking in for Mum and Dad. Beautiful views to Castelsardo in the morning – and out to sea. Sun shining brightly.
On the way to Alghero, we stopped off the superstrada at the Sella & Mosca vineyard – its beautiful but enormous! We bought a bottle of red and a bottle of white to drink throughout the trip.
Then across the road from the vineyard we went to Anghelli Ruju - neolythic tombs. They are very interesting – and about 5,000 years old so we stopped for about 30 minutes.
But on returning to the car, which we parked in the shade, a shock – we had been broken into and they stole Mum’s new bag (about 3 days old) containing wallet, bank cards etc. In many ways we were lucky though - Dad had the passport, me her BlackBerry and the rest of the things in the car, more monetarily valuable. It was a horrid feeling though, and I am just pleased that they got not even one Euro (I hadn’t given Mum the money I owed her yet) so there was HK$200 and a supermarket card more or less.
Special mentions to Mum for being so cool about it and not letting it ruin her day, to the 2 guys at the Anghelli Ruju with us who took us to the police station, to the poliziotto who let me do a denuncia even though it was after closing hours, and to the lovely guy at Europcar at the airport who changed the car without a question, and even upgraded us to an Alfa.
But things then started to look up. We drove away from the airport and caught a boat to Neptune’s Grotto. We had no desire to go into cave, so spent lovely hour in the sunshine, bobbing about on the waves whilst the rest of the group went in. Then a scoot around Cormorant Island on the way back (called that because cormorants nest there). On coming back towards the lighthouse, the luck changed – 2 dolphins were jumping out of the waves in the sunshine in front of us! The first time I have seen them in the wild. If I was a dolphin though, I would have been there – beautiful sea miles deep, few boats and sunshine.
Then we tried to get into an agriturismo – all full – before ending up in Alghero town at a little hotel. We had a lovely evening walking around Alghero and dinner on the waterfront. Delightful.
On the way to Alghero, we stopped off the superstrada at the Sella & Mosca vineyard – its beautiful but enormous! We bought a bottle of red and a bottle of white to drink throughout the trip.
Then across the road from the vineyard we went to Anghelli Ruju - neolythic tombs. They are very interesting – and about 5,000 years old so we stopped for about 30 minutes.
But on returning to the car, which we parked in the shade, a shock – we had been broken into and they stole Mum’s new bag (about 3 days old) containing wallet, bank cards etc. In many ways we were lucky though - Dad had the passport, me her BlackBerry and the rest of the things in the car, more monetarily valuable. It was a horrid feeling though, and I am just pleased that they got not even one Euro (I hadn’t given Mum the money I owed her yet) so there was HK$200 and a supermarket card more or less.
Special mentions to Mum for being so cool about it and not letting it ruin her day, to the 2 guys at the Anghelli Ruju with us who took us to the police station, to the poliziotto who let me do a denuncia even though it was after closing hours, and to the lovely guy at Europcar at the airport who changed the car without a question, and even upgraded us to an Alfa.
But things then started to look up. We drove away from the airport and caught a boat to Neptune’s Grotto. We had no desire to go into cave, so spent lovely hour in the sunshine, bobbing about on the waves whilst the rest of the group went in. Then a scoot around Cormorant Island on the way back (called that because cormorants nest there). On coming back towards the lighthouse, the luck changed – 2 dolphins were jumping out of the waves in the sunshine in front of us! The first time I have seen them in the wild. If I was a dolphin though, I would have been there – beautiful sea miles deep, few boats and sunshine.
Then we tried to get into an agriturismo – all full – before ending up in Alghero town at a little hotel. We had a lovely evening walking around Alghero and dinner on the waterfront. Delightful.
Olbia - La Maddalena - Castelsardo
After a journey to forget, (plane cancelled, ferry delayed for 3 hours, no dinner) I finally arrived in Sardegna. Olbia is under construction – will be nice when its finished – if it ever is! Good shops, prosperous and trendy but cement mixers everywhere – all building at the same time
There are though, still touches of old Sardegna - a special mention to the octogenarian woman in the tabaccheria in Piazza Regina Madonnina with a jet black rinse in her hair, thick 1960s glasses and fuschia lipstick – fabulous!
We picked up the hire car and got on the road at last and up to the Costa Smeralda. Wrong turns took us past resorts nestled in the hills, invisible from the road, snuggled against the rocks and beneath the trees – really beautiful. The sea is spotless, and you can see down to the bottom, and the blue of the sea plays off the green of the hills and the yellow-tinged rock making each colour seem all the more vivid.
We pushed onto Palau and then with the car on the ferry to La Maddalena. I have no doubt it is bustling in the summer – all establishments were painting, washing, and sprucing up in advance of the May season kick off. The ferry is so easy – there are 3 companies, and 3 ferries an hour. For E42 the 3 of us and the car went there and back and the trip in the sunshine was beautiful – if anything, maybe not long enough!
Lunch was at a hotel recommended in one of the 3 guides I was dragging around with me – and was excellent! Fish that tasted as if it had just been caught that morning, and Mum and Dad managed to get past the visual impact of the large pieces of octopus to actually try it – and enjoy it!
We walked over the road to see the sea and admire the rocks. La Maddalena – and in fact a lot of the coast – looks like one big sculpture project. The rocks have been crafted by time and the wind into the most amazing shapes. The weather must be pretty wild out here at times to have this much effect on the stone.
The weather was settling in in the afternoon, and Dad was making the most of some open road country driving so we zoomed through the countryside slightly inside the coast to Castelsardo where we stopped for the night. The landscape changes dramatically off the coast – with it looking less like the Hong Kong outlying islands, and more like the north of Scotland. Mum was itching to get into an Agriturismo.
Our home for the night in Castelsardo was the grandly named Hotel Il Castello. It is true that you can see the castle from here – and maybe the name comes from the fact that the furniture hails from the same century – the 12th! It’s a bit eclectic – the owner is older than my granddad, and equally sprightly! And we had to be careful on the way in of the moss on the terrace (slippery when wet)! But it was good value and comfy for all its madness.
In the evening we went for a walk around Castelsardo – nothing special – but the view from the castle at the top is lovely and worth the climb. Then onto a pizza place for dinner and a bottle of the local red wine – the first of many!
There are though, still touches of old Sardegna - a special mention to the octogenarian woman in the tabaccheria in Piazza Regina Madonnina with a jet black rinse in her hair, thick 1960s glasses and fuschia lipstick – fabulous!
We picked up the hire car and got on the road at last and up to the Costa Smeralda. Wrong turns took us past resorts nestled in the hills, invisible from the road, snuggled against the rocks and beneath the trees – really beautiful. The sea is spotless, and you can see down to the bottom, and the blue of the sea plays off the green of the hills and the yellow-tinged rock making each colour seem all the more vivid.
We pushed onto Palau and then with the car on the ferry to La Maddalena. I have no doubt it is bustling in the summer – all establishments were painting, washing, and sprucing up in advance of the May season kick off. The ferry is so easy – there are 3 companies, and 3 ferries an hour. For E42 the 3 of us and the car went there and back and the trip in the sunshine was beautiful – if anything, maybe not long enough!
Lunch was at a hotel recommended in one of the 3 guides I was dragging around with me – and was excellent! Fish that tasted as if it had just been caught that morning, and Mum and Dad managed to get past the visual impact of the large pieces of octopus to actually try it – and enjoy it!
We walked over the road to see the sea and admire the rocks. La Maddalena – and in fact a lot of the coast – looks like one big sculpture project. The rocks have been crafted by time and the wind into the most amazing shapes. The weather must be pretty wild out here at times to have this much effect on the stone.
The weather was settling in in the afternoon, and Dad was making the most of some open road country driving so we zoomed through the countryside slightly inside the coast to Castelsardo where we stopped for the night. The landscape changes dramatically off the coast – with it looking less like the Hong Kong outlying islands, and more like the north of Scotland. Mum was itching to get into an Agriturismo.
Our home for the night in Castelsardo was the grandly named Hotel Il Castello. It is true that you can see the castle from here – and maybe the name comes from the fact that the furniture hails from the same century – the 12th! It’s a bit eclectic – the owner is older than my granddad, and equally sprightly! And we had to be careful on the way in of the moss on the terrace (slippery when wet)! But it was good value and comfy for all its madness.
In the evening we went for a walk around Castelsardo – nothing special – but the view from the castle at the top is lovely and worth the climb. Then onto a pizza place for dinner and a bottle of the local red wine – the first of many!
Offline
Sorry for the delay - I was away in Sardegna so offline for a bit! Here are some updates on the hols and the things that have been going on since the last post - 9 days ago!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Il Mercato
The market is back in Trieste.
When I first came here a year ago, there was a market all along the canal, and the place was bustling with shoppers.
I assumed when I returned in the summer, that it was just on summer break - but found out later that it only comes once a year at Easter!
So it is a strange reminder to see the stalls out again - it seems a lot longer than a year ago when I was here. How the stalls are coping with the blustery wind today, I am not sure, but I am about to run out of school and head downtown so I will find out then.
Tomorrow I am off at the crack of dawn to Roma, and onto Sardegna for a holiday for a week. So TriesteTrasmissione will be going on tour too... more updates either on the road, or when I return.
Buona Pasqua a tutti!
When I first came here a year ago, there was a market all along the canal, and the place was bustling with shoppers.
I assumed when I returned in the summer, that it was just on summer break - but found out later that it only comes once a year at Easter!
So it is a strange reminder to see the stalls out again - it seems a lot longer than a year ago when I was here. How the stalls are coping with the blustery wind today, I am not sure, but I am about to run out of school and head downtown so I will find out then.
Tomorrow I am off at the crack of dawn to Roma, and onto Sardegna for a holiday for a week. So TriesteTrasmissione will be going on tour too... more updates either on the road, or when I return.
Buona Pasqua a tutti!
Flat Stanley
Yesterday after a 6 hour session on creativity and lateral thinking we were asked by Karoline, the school's marketing manager to colour in some 'Flat Stanley's for the kids in her Mum's kindergarten class in the States. The idea is that the children send out these little characters to be coloured in and sent back with names and nationalities on the back. Unfortunately the kids didn't know anyone overseas, so we are their international rent-a-crowd. The children of Racine will now be getting coloured in Flat Stanleys from Hong Kong, Romania, Slovenia, Italy, Mongolia, Costa Rica, Turkey - the list goes on....
Here are some pics of MBA students reverting to their childish roots and getting creative!
Here are some pics of MBA students reverting to their childish roots and getting creative!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Piccolo Paese
Massimo's family house in the country is beautiful. Saturday night we cooked, drank wine, sat around the fireplace, talked, laughed (a lot!) played some silly games (laughing a lot more) and eventually collapsed into bed. Sunday morning we woke up to the sounds of the birds singing, and the smell of the fresh mountain air scented with pine.
Incredible, really. Its a side of Italy that not many people see for real - in a small paese with a house with beams and a cellar, and stocks of wine and salami, and a wood burning stove. With nothing for miles around. Its completely relaxing and just what was needed after all the exams and everything.
The pics don't do it justice, but here are some anyway....
Incredible, really. Its a side of Italy that not many people see for real - in a small paese with a house with beams and a cellar, and stocks of wine and salami, and a wood burning stove. With nothing for miles around. Its completely relaxing and just what was needed after all the exams and everything.
The pics don't do it justice, but here are some anyway....
2 Postscripts
2 things I need to note:-
One of the other blogs in Michael's top 10 list is not for the faint-hearted, or the under 18s, or for you Mum, or Dad, or Grandad...
The other is that poor Chiara, the IMTL secondee to the MBA women's footy team broke her arm playing on Thursday night. Get well soon Chiara - I feel quite guilty given that I gently encouraged her to play in the first place. (She assures me that she will still play again - as soon as the cast is off!)
One of the other blogs in Michael's top 10 list is not for the faint-hearted, or the under 18s, or for you Mum, or Dad, or Grandad...
The other is that poor Chiara, the IMTL secondee to the MBA women's footy team broke her arm playing on Thursday night. Get well soon Chiara - I feel quite guilty given that I gently encouraged her to play in the first place. (She assures me that she will still play again - as soon as the cast is off!)
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