Tuesday, December 31, 2019: It’s New Year’s Eve day. I work on my blog at the local library (Paola doesn’t have the internet at home), but it’s very frustrating because I’m having computer issues, and the process of downloading photos from my phone, writing the blog online, and then uploading photos onto the blog site is quite challenging and time consuming, and did I already mention frustrating? Ugh!
Formaggio brie al tartufo. 
Mini desserts from Pasticcería Michele Lionetti.
The library closes early because it’s New Year’s Eve, so I pack up and go grocery shopping at my favorite Despar, one of many stores in the Dutch international grocery chain founded in 1932, now known as Spar in Holland but still called Despar in Italy, well, at least in Trieste. There are 13,112 Despar, or Spar food retail stores in 48 countries. I say that it’s my favorite Despar because it has a lot of specialty items, and I can always find fantastic food and gift-worthy items, and there’s a helpful, professional staff. I buy a Brunello to contribute to Paola’s “wine cellar” and a formaggio brie al tartufo, or truffle brie cheese. A truffle cheese is any type of cheese that has been flavored with truffles, a highly prized, edible fungus that grows underground and has an earthy, garlicky, nutty flavor. Then I walk a couple of blocks to Pasticcería Michele Lionetti, my favorite pastry shop in Trieste, and buy eight mini desserts. Nearly every day that I’m in Trieste, I walk to this pastry shop to buy a piece of their amazing apple strudel, a specialty of this city because of its Austro-Hungarian history.
Manuela, my favorite attendant at Pasticcería Michele Lionetti. 
My usual.
At home, for our New Year’s Eve dinner, we start with i aperitivi and Paola’s famous herring dish, followed by Prosecco, anchovies mixed with butter placed over melted mozarella and then spread onto bread squares, the tartufo on crustini, an amazing pasta dish (whose ingredients I forgot to write down), and finally a simple fish dish served with shallots cooked in a sweet sauce (I think…I forgot to write this down, too.).
Aperitivi and our table spread. 
The herring dish with bay laurel and juniper berries, olive oil, etc. 
Anchovies and mozzarella. 
Pasta dish. 
Fish dish.
Near midnight, our friend Roberto comes over with another bottle of Prosecco, and we toast the new year and watch fireworks from Paola’s balcony. We can see the pyrotechnical display erupting from many, many points up and down the Adriatic coastlines of Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. Happy New Year!
Jean's Journey 