In every Italian city, the day's rhythm begins at the cafe. But in Trieste, a city on Italy's north-east coast, that rhythm comes with a twist. Wander into any cafe here and, in addition to the familiar clinks of cups and hissing of steaming milk, you'll hear people ordering "capo in b": a mini cappuccino served in a glass that's a favourite of Triestini.

It's one of the many reasons why this city sandwiched between Slovenia and the Adriatic in the top ruffle of the boot is unlike anywhere else in Italy. "I thought I needed a PhD to order coffee when I first moved here!" said Maria Kochetkova, editor of In Trieste, an English-language magazine for the city's many expats. "Instead of a 'caffe' (espresso), you order a 'nero'; for a cappuccino you say 'caffelatte'."