The Beauty Of Being A Tourist In Your Own City

Reading Time: 7 minutes

words and photography: Alessandra Ressa

Unfortunately for him, Mark Twain never visited Trieste on an icy Bora day. He would have otherwise come up with his best quote yet, far surpassing the ever-popular “coldest winter-summer in San Francisco” catchphrase.  

Twain may have missed this hidden gem of the Adriatic, but his fellow San Franciscan James Chiang managed to experience and survive Trieste in its most iconic version: freezing Bora winds sweeping Trieste at over 120 kilometers per hour in just as freezing January temperatures.

As soon as he got off the train from Florence at Trieste Centrale on Friday night, James was instantly sorry he had decided to travel light and carry a single change of clothes in his backpack.

“I’ll have to wear everything I have brought layer upon layer -he thought – including my pajamas!” And so he did. And boy, was it worth it.

I met James on a Muni electric bus in San Francisco in the early 1990s while attending college at U.C. Berkeley. I used to live on the top floor of a rent-control rundown studio in a Victorian building on Washington Street, in Pacific Heights. It had magnificent views of the city and a glimpse of the Bay Bridge (or was it the San Mateo?). He lived just one block away, in another studio, on Jackson Street, near the Presidio Park. Every morning, we met on the bus going downtown. He was a young computer engineer just off MIT, heading to his first professional experiences which would lead to a successfull career in Silicon Valley, while I rushed to catch the Bart subway to Berkeley. We soon became friends. He introduced me to the delights of authentic Chinese cuisine, I introduced him to the wonderful world of opera, which we enjoyed together in San Francisco.

As our lives went separate ways, thousands of miles divided us in our quests for love, happiness and career. 23 years went by without our paths ever crossing again (technology, however, allowed for us to keep in touch) until last weekend, when my friend James finally made it to Trieste for the first time. He couldn’t have chosen a better moment, as you don’t get to experience icy Bora so often anymore. Although he admittedly remarked on the cold weather several times, this did not stop us from being brave tourists, enjoying in a little over a day some the best sightseeing in Trieste.

I must admit it is great fun to be a tourist in your own city and I am sorry I don’t do it more often. There is so much to see and do, and even those sights you think you know, in extreme weather assume different perspectives. With the typically Bora-swept light cobalt blue of the sea and the gray skies, the colors of Trieste become surprisingly brighter, the atmosphere in the cafes more cheerful and familiar, and the smell of coffee more intense. Going around corners is a real challenge for newcomers: the sudden, unexpected gusts of wind make you lose your balance, but it all seems so hilarious when shared with good friends.  

We started our tour along pedestrian Viale XX Settembre to Piazza Ponterosso. A brief stop to look inside the beautiful Serb-Orthodox church of St. Spyridon and off to Teatro Verdi. James was amazed at the beauty of our opera theater and at the rich season program. Unfortunately, although the ticket office was open, we were not allowed to take a quick look inside. I explained that this was actually part of the authentic Trieste experience, “NO SE POL” (can’t be done) for no apparent reason. He found that very amusing.

I was able to catch on camera the puzzling look of my friend after seeing the beautiful Art Decò Casa Bartoli in Piazza della Borsa with its enigmatic signs “USA and UK come back”. After I explained the meaning of the sign, the fight for independence from Italy of the political movement behind all that, he was just as puzzled. A quick glance at Piazza Unità and Molo Audace, and off we went through Cavana with its narrow alleys and curious history. We passed ancient Riccardo arch and climbed up Medieval San Giusto hill to visit the castle and the beautiful cathedral.

Although I have visited San Giusto cathedral many times, it never ceases to amaze me. The rich golden mosaics on its three apses which cover almost a thousand years of local history shade the beauty of its elaborate floors, whose early Christian design greatly resembles that of Aquileia. We stood in wonder at the massive wrought iron gate which encloses from floor to ceiling the altar dedicated to the patron saint of Trieste, Giusto. It was made in Ljubljana in the early 1600s. What an impressive work of art.  

Time for a Triestino lunch at the traditional Buffet da Pepi, where the staff is always unexpectedly friendly despite the constant flow of tourists and locals alike trying to get hold of one of the very few tiny tables. This little restaurant, which is one of Trieste’s iconic destinations, has been serving delicious local food since the late 1800s. Pig is the main ingredient, cooked in a traditional caldaia way, that is, boiled in stock and spices in a special metal container at the the counter for hours. The fats of the meat, which mean every part of the pig, including sausages, cotechino and bacon, are never removed but kept boiling while new meat is added to the stew. Beef tongue is also an unmissable ingredient of this Triestino dish, most commonly known as bollito misto. To make it really local, one should add hand-sliced steamed ham and tons of grated horse-radish, sauerkraut and mustard. There is an incredible story of bravery and endurance behind the origins and ownership of this restaurant, which greatly suffered during the two world conflicts.

Time for another walk in the freezing weather to digest our delicious, but not exactly light, lunch. We sneak inside the amazing former RAS insurance building in Piazza della Repubblica, today’s Double Tree by Hilton. There is an event and it is not open for visits, but we just walk in and pretend we are guests. My friend is astounded at the beauty of its marble stairs, richly decorated wooden floors and great crystal chandeliers. To think that these luxurious halls had once been offices… it gives you an idea of the glory and wealth of Trieste while part of the Austrian Empire. The feature of the building I like best is, however, the elevator, which is unfortunately under renovation.

Off to Porto Vecchio for a stroll towards Barcola (the stroll ends up to be real short and we have to go back because of road construction). So we drive to Miramare instead and enjoy the beautiful castle, the views, we walk around the park and reach the incredibly picturesque Miramare train station. My friend now appears to be really cold so it’s time to head back into town, check out the imposing synagogue off via Battisti and rush inside the 100-year old San Marco Caffe for a hot drink. While we are there, I grab a copy of Jan Morris’ Trieste, or the meaning of nowhere, the best book ever written about the city. The author was able to capture and expose its very naked soul. Funny that it was an expat who managed to do that. I have it gift wrapped and give it to my friend.

We conclude the day with a lovely fish dinner at Menarosti in via del Toro, another iconic restaurant in Trieste, one of the oldest in town with its 120 years. James greatly enjoys his appetizer of steamed spider crab served in its own shell, while I can’t have enough of my marinated gurnard fish in saor, with onions and vinegar. While we sip a glass of Portuguese ginjinha I have recently brought from Lisbon in front of the fireplace in my apartment and listen to the howling of the Bora outside, I collect my friend’s impressions of Trieste. He really likes the unique architecture of the city, “so Vienna-like, with just a little touch of Italy”. He wishes some museums would have more flexible opening hours (some museums are only open Thursdays 10 to 12!), and that the history of the local Jewish community, as well as of the past glory of the port, would be better explained throughout town. “I could totally live in Trieste – James says – it’s a beautiful city, multicultural, surrounded by so much nature and woods, and so near Slovenia, where I would like to go and fish marble trouts…. as for the weather, it was definitely more challenging than I expected, I guess I’ll just need to dress more appropriately next time!”