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A shot in the dark

To savour an espresso in the shadows of a trieste cafe is to sip from the source of italian culture, writes Alan Taylor

CONTRARY to what Starbucks and others of its ilk may believe, it takes a lifetime to perfect the art of espresso-making. No-one knew this better than Ernesto Illy, who died last month aged 82. Illy was evangelical about espresso, which is the essence of Italy.