Italian Boot and Chinese Belt

摘要

More than seven centuries after Marco Polo set off from Venice on a voyage that would culminate at the court of Kublai Khan, the Italian city continues to tout itself as the westernmost point of the ancient Silk Road and China's gateway into Europe. Now it faces some competition from Trieste, an increasingly busy port city on the northeastern edge of Italy, whose contributions to commerce and culture include popularizing coffee by importing, roasting, and shipping the beans northward, to Vienna's cafes and beyond.