On arriving in Trieste, I always have to remind myself that I'm actually in Italy. This buzzing, cosmopolitan melting pot prospered for 500 years under Austrian rule as the vital maritime port of global trade for the Habsburg Empire, and only officially became part of modern-day Italy in 1954. It feels closer in spirit to Vienna than Venice, even though its immense city square, lined by opulent palaces with one side magnificently opening out onto the Adriatic Sea, bears the solemn name Piazza Unita d’Italia.
When I first started coming here, this was an edgy, moody city at the frontline of the Balkan conflicts, but the Trieste I discover today is transformed into an exciting Central European crossroads, with lively literary cafes, a vibrant arts scene and fabulous seafood.
The summer is marked by funky music festivals, while yachting regatta, the Barcolana – designated the World’s Largest Sailing Race by the Guinness Book of Records – fills the harbour each year with more than 2,000 sleek racing boats. But above all, Trieste remains stubbornly under the radar, one of those rare destinations that is still spared the mass tourism that invades many of Italy’s more famous cities.
There is nowhere better to take the pulse of this seductive city than in one of its literary cafes. Tourists are invariably tempted by the sumptuous Art Nouveau salons of the Caffe Tommaseo or the mirrored walls of Caffe Specchi, but my favourite is the buzzing Caffe San Marco, an Art Deco jewel and a favourite haunt of writers such as James Joyce, who wrote Dubliners when living in Trieste.
While older residents faithfully read the newspapers in this famous landmark, students sit hunched over their laptops, with everyone enjoying some of the best coffee in Italy – this is the home city of Illy Caffe – accompanied by to-die-for sachertorte and strudel. “We aim to make the San Marco a cultural hub of the city again, with its own book shop, art exhibitions, poetry readings and music,” explains Eugenia, who owns the cafe with Alexandros.
As for the culture scene, while there is always a blockbuster art show featuring the likes of Banksy or Frida Kahlo at Salone degli Incanti, an immense exhibition hall in the ancient fish market, I prefer to head to the discrete Museo Revoltella, where its splendid collection of Italian art is showcased in a grand palazzo renovated by one of the 20th century’s most innovative architects Carlo Scarpa.
Down by the picturesque Canal Grande, a whimsical statue of Joyce looks out over waterside bars and cafes, packed to bursting for the evening ahead. Opposite the provocative Irish writer stands the towering marble facade and pastel domes of San Spiridione, a Serbian Orthodox church with glorious Neo-Byzantine interiors that remind me more of exotic Istanbul.
And to illustrate this city’s harmonious integration of multicultural immigrants, a short walk then takes me past San Nicolo dei Greci, a splendid waterside Greek Orthodox church, followed by the Ar-Rayan mosque – centre of a thriving Muslim community whose roots here date back centuries to the Ottoman Empire – and the ancient Jewish ghetto, now a rabbit’s warren of antique shops, osterie and fashion boutiques.
A steep hike up the San Giusto hill comes out at an imposing 1,000-year-old Romanesque cathedral, its floors covered with delicate mosaics. The perfect spot for a sunset panorama over one of Europe’s great natural harbours encircled by wooded hills that tumble down to the Adriatic coastline as it stretches into Slovenia.
Trieste offers numerous day trips, eco-slow travel at its best, with no need to hire a car as low-carbon local transport is very efficient. To reach the fairytale Miramare Castle, I take a leisurely 4km stroll on the Lungomare, a popular beach promenade along the Adriatic loved by locals for swimming, sunbathing, picnics and parties. The dazzling white castle sits on top of craggy rocks like an ornate wedding cake decoration, created as the sumptuous residence of Maximilian, brother of former Austrian emperor, Franz Josef. Sadly, he never got to spend a single night there; he declared himself emperor of Mexico only to be executed there before returning home. It is just another of Trieste’s typically quirky tales.
Further along the coast, on the rugged Carso peninsula, lies Duino Castle, owned by aristocratic relatives of the immensely wealthy Thurn und Taxis family. The castle and its park are open to the public, and this is also the point to set off on the Rilke Trail, a hike through the Carso’s forests, limestone outcrops and caves, dedicated to the romantic poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who was inspired to write his mystical existential poems, the Duino Elegies, while staying in the castle.
My favourite excursion involves jumping on the public ferry that chugs past imposing waterfront palaces, then the busy commercial port, right across the Gulf of Trieste to the scenic port of Muggia. I step back into the past, when this was part of another empire, the Republic of Venice. The architecture here is distinctive Venetian Gothic, marked by carvings of the Lion of Venice, and the local dialect is close to Venetian. Bobbing boats line the tiny harbour and as Mauro Glessi unloads crates of wriggling squid, crabs and sardines, the young fisherman recommends I have lunch at the nearby Il Corridoio, where his mamma Sabrina is the chef.
The friendly trattoria is a brilliant discovery, genuine cucina casalinga – or home cooking. She certainly whips up a storm in the kitchen and we feast on Venetian specialities such as spaghetti smothered with clams, polenta topped with baccala mantecato (creamy salt cod) and a fritto misto of crispy calamari and prawns.
It all goes to show that Trieste remains a surprising destination for ever caught in an intriguing limbo between its Italian and Central European heritage.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20366hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E550Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESix-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh360%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5