04-06 July 2019
We saw signs for the Lipica horses on our drive to the Skocjan Caves the day before. The Lipica Stud Farm was right on our way to Trieste, making it a convenient stop. In case you are wondering, this did not get Bonnie up any earlier than normal.
Lipica Stud Farm
Located in Slovenia, the stud farm is quite an operation. They have about 300 Lipizzan horses on 300 hectares and are in continual operation along with events, a hotel, restaurant, cafe, and casino. The farm even has a chapel because it was once the summer residence of the bishop of Trieste. Italians take the short drive to gamble here because they are not allowed to do so in their country. If you stay at the hotel, you can arrange to ride the horses. (Not the expensive ones!)
The Habsburgs (Archduke Charles) established the stud farm in 1580 and began to crossbreed the local Karst horses with Spanish horses and later other breeds. At the farm, they raise their own hay on the 300 hectares of land (1 hectare = 2.47 acres). Works out to about 1 hectare per horse.
The breeding has been refined over the centuries since the farm’s founding. One unexpected tweak was selecting horses that would be born brown and turn white in maturity. There are exceptions. Until recently, when Vienna established its own breeding farm, the horses would be raised for several years here on the farm in Slovenia and then the best would be sent to Vienna for training. The tradition was to plant a linden tree every time this occurred, so the farm now looks lush and has the name Lipica. The name Lipica is derived from the Slovenian word for linden and remains today as the name of the breed.
We had a nice one-hour tour of the grounds, stables, and training area.
Trieste, Italy
Finally a town were the locals outnumber the tourists! But first a history lesson.
The Habsburgs ruled Trieste from 1382 to 1918 when it was annexed to Italy as a reward for fighting alongside the allied forces in WWI against the Austrians. Trieste flipped back and forth among several nations after that and during WWII. Trieste is a multicultural city because its port has been a significant hub in international trade routes.
Robert has always wanted to see Trieste. It is only a 1.5 hour drive from his Marchesin relatives to the west in the Veneto. We did not know what to expect of Trieste, but it turns out that the town is beautifully situated at the water with an expansive urban setting framed by exquisite buildings in hues of saturated pastel greens, yellows, oranges, and pinks. The population is modest, but the buildings and piazzas are remarkably large scale, making the city seem very cosmopolitan.
The Triestini know how to occupy the street with tables, chairs, and large canopies offering places to have their wine, beer, and snacks. It seems that these locations are never empty.
Bonnie had a bad cold on arrival, so Robert went out to explore on his own (gasp!) while Bonnie remained in the AirBnB to recuperate. Better the next day, Robert took Bonnie on an “abstract” of his tour the day before.
The highlights for Robert were a medieval church with an incredible abstract mosaic mural and the armory of spears, guns, crossbows. Pretty cool!
Wanderings
Chiesa Sant Antonio Taumaturgo
Chiesa di San Spiridione Taumaturgo
More wanderings
Castello di San Giusto
Basilica Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire
Bibite e cibo
Tips on gelato
If you see gelato in big, puffy mounds in bright colors, keep walking. It’s not the best. When you pass by the next day or the day after, you will see the same mounds, only slightly smaller, wilting in the heat. Not well cared for. One vendor in Split told us that at her previous job they imported their gelato from Romania! No gelato should travel that far.
You are looking for gelato made in house. Sometimes the word Artigianale tips you off, although the word is overused. Often there are unusual flavors, like elderflower, black sesame, or rhubarb. You may want straightforward vanilla, but the unusual flavors tell you that thoughtful gelato makers are at work here. And even at terrific gelato shops, the prices are reasonable.
Our big discovery is that good gelato is stored in stainless steel canisters with lids, so you don’t even see it, but it is carefully coddled at the right temperature.
Unlike in the US, gelato shops in Italy keep a scoop in each flavor. No cross-contamination. This may be possible because gelato is not as cold and solid as ice cream.
You can find opinions on the best gelato shops in, for example, Rome, on TripAdvisor, in travel guides, in articles in the New York Times, usually all contradictory. So there is lots of good gelato to try. Italians tend to agree that Sicily has the best gelato. Creamy and with vivid flavor.
Italians of all ages eat gelato most often in the late afternoon, around 5 pm, during the evening passaggiata. They seem to have no concern about ruining their appetite for dinner, so we are following their example.
