Spring in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
Note: Like much of the world, Italy has been on a nationwide lockdown due to the devastating coronavirus COVID-19. Although the activities and events listed below will almost certainly be…
Soups of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
In centuries past, the people of central and northern Friuli-Venezia Giulia were typically poor and often plagued by famine. This was especially true during the long, brutal winters in the…
Winter in Friuli: Top 10 Things to Do
1. Ski the slopes of Monte Santo di Lussari Among the towering, snow-capped peaks of Italy’s Giulian Alps, Monte Santo di Lussari stands out like a precious gem. Near the…
Gubana, Putizza, Presnitz: Deciphering Friuli’s Spiral Pastries
While doing research for Flavors of Friuli, one of my most nagging questions was this: is there any difference between gubana and the similar-looking spiral pastries from Trieste, putizza and…
Eat Your Way through Friuli–Venezia Giulia (Part 4): Pasticceria Penso
This review was originally published in the September 2010 issue of Dream of Italy. My fondest memory of Trieste will always be the day I first stepped into Pasticceria Penso.…
Returning to Udine
Since I had gone to bed so early the night before, it had taken me hours to fall asleep. When I finally drifted off, I experienced a bizarre dream: my…
Trieste and Duino
After a rather restless night of sleep, I was awakened by the sun streaming in through the curtains, the first glimpse of sunshine I had seen in days. My mood,…
Trieste: Marzapane and Horse Meat
It was dark and cold when I woke at 7:00am, the final morning of Daylight Savings Time made even more somber by the layer of gray clouds that had rolled…
Trieste: Ristorante Al Bagatto
Since it had been several days since I had done any grocery shopping, I spent the early part of my morning picking up milk, bread, and another can of tuna…
Trieste: Putizza
With no more day trips planned, I allowed myself the luxury of sleeping in until 8:00am. While brushing my teeth that morning, I was startled by a loud ringing—presumably the…