A Walk in Trieste

Kristen and I are sitting in a famous Trieste bar (coffee shop) called Caffe San Marco right now as I write this blog post. More on Caffe San Marco later. On our way here we decided to take advantage of a break in the rain and go for a walk in a part of Trieste that we hadn't been to yet. We found this beautiful park that we didn't know about: Giardino Pubblico "Muzio de Tommasini".

The park, named after the Italian botanist Muzio Tommasini, is a small botanical garden right in the middle of Trieste. Famous for studying the flora of the Julian Alps, Tommasini was also an important political figure in Trieste during the Austro-Hungarian Empire when he founded the city's first botanical gardens. The park has moss-covered paths that wind through trees and gardens passing by busts of famous Triestinos.

In the center of the park is a pretty pond with fountains and bridges, a nice place to relax when the weather gets better next spring. There were lots of birds singing in the mini-forest oasis surrounded by concrete buildings. I think Kristen's looking up at some in this photo? Little did she know there was a turtle in the water right behind her, probably watching her watch birds.








We were very happy with our new find!  But our real destination for today was Caffe San Marco...

Originally constructed in 1914, Caffe San Marco has been a popular jaunt for many famous writers for a century. Of course, being in Trieste, James Joyce is one of the most notable writers who put his pen to paper here while sipping a "cappo in b". More recently, the famous Triestino writer Claudio Magris can be seen working here regularly. I've heard he likes to talk to anyone who approaches him. For a recent history of the bar see this link:

Recent History of Caffe San Marco



Here's the inside of the bar. Recently renovated after years of neglect since WWI, one step through the front door and you're taken back 100 years to the height of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when Trieste was one of the world's most important ports. The marble tables that are here today are likely the same ones where Joyce wrote...I like this a lot. Many places in Trieste claim to be where Joyce wrote, kind of like places where George Washington slept back in NJ, but this place feels like the real deal.




Salute to all our friends and family back in the US!

p.s. There's still time to come visit us before we move back this summer. So come have a cappuccino with us at Caffe San Marco while you can!