James Joyce lived la vita bella in Trieste and began charting Leopold Bloom’s course there.
Probably eating crispy frico lollipops, Toc’ in braid, Spring asparagus orzotto and soft frico bites on a roasted polenta tartlet.
While he put Dublin fare and choice words in the mouth of Leopold.
The inner organs of beasts and fowls, thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs and fried hencods’ roes.
While most of all Joyce tells us ‘he liked grilled mutton kidneys.’
Pinocchio’s by a nose
Thankfully the good folk of Trieste had the senza to showcase their city in an Italian setting at Pinocchio’s in Temple Bar with best Italian fare.
With Friuli Venezia Giulia chef Manuel Marchetti creating pizzas especially for the occasion.
With toppings consisting of San Daniele Prosciutto and alpine smoked ricotta.
And for dessert, creamy tiramisù, a dessert born in Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Strucchi (no us neither but was gorgeous).
Grazie Ryanair
Using Joyce as an entry point Trieste presented the new Ryanair seasonal route.
Available twice weekly until 28 October, with one-way fares start from €19.99pp.
And how Giacomo Joyce as he styled himself in Trieste could have done with a low-fare airlines then.
Portrait of Trieste
Joyce had taken a circuitous route to Trieste where he penned A Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Man.
To take up a job as a tutor to a young girl Letitza, daughter of Jewish writer Ettore Schmitz.
Whom it is said he based Leopold Bloom around.
With Joyce also so smitten with Ettore’s wife Livia that he remodelled her as Anna Livia a representation of the River Liffey.
Alongside which today’s tourist hub and stag and hen central Temple Bar flows.
Vino de vici
As indeed did the Italian wine. No Leopold Bloom glass of Burgundy ecco grazie on Pudding Row.
No, Ireland’s greatest author. Si, si… it was how Joyce lived la bella vita in Italy.