A weekend in Trieste.

With a free weekend in Ljubljana, I had thought to visit the slovenian coast. Forgetting to check the local buses, I found that the Flix Buses to Piran all seemed to change in Trieste. Not wanting to waste time on a layover, I decided to spend the weekend there. I thought it’d be fun to spend some time in Italy.

I chose an early morning bus to make the most of my time and walked out into a Ljubljana shrouded in fog. The holiday lights of the city took on a special glow in the misty light and while I had lamented getting up so early in the morning, I was so happy walk the empty streets and to see the city lit in such a way.

At the station, I confused the train station and the bus station. An attendent set me straight and it was in the small bus station that I realized there were local buses that could have taken me to Pirin in about the same amount of time as it would take to get to Trieste. I made a mental note to check them out next time.

A ticket seller pointed me to where the Flix Buses waited, a little outside the main bus lot. It was fifteen minutes or so until it was scheduled to depart, but as soon as I boarded the driver shut the door and we were off.

We arrived in Trieste in less time than advertised, pulling into the small station in the early hours of the morning. I walked across a small park to the hotel I booked to leave my bags as I set off to explore the town.

I walked southwest on a side street, crossing the Grand Canal and its reflective view of the Church of Sant'Antonio Nuovo en route to the Piazza Unità d'Italia.

The piazza was quiet, the tables at Caffè degli Specchi all but empty. I wandered the piazza, taking photos before heading towards the sea.

I walked along to the end of the Molo Audace, a stone pier originally bulit in 1751. People in sculls prepared for their morning workouts.

From there I walked back towards the piazza before heading into the city, following winding streets and alleys up to the Parrocchia di Santa Maria Maggiore, a Catholic Church at the foot of the San Giusto hill. A weekend market filled the small plazas and streets around it and I shopped idly as I walked up towards the church itself.

A map outside the church listed the sights in the area, and I was intrigued by the Edicola detta “Pontal de Cristo,” on the corner of one of the oldest streets in Trieste. A small sculpture of Christ sits in a windowed alcove of the building.

I decided to head up a different way and returned to the church and followed a road to the right. A sign pointed to the Arco di Riccardo, said to have been built in 33 BC and I made a detour to check it out and the plaza in which it sits.

Turning around I continue walking up the hill to the Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire. Ultimately, I am distracted by the nearby park and decide to wander inside. A woman at a ticket counter tells me that it’s free entry.

I walk down the path past scupltures to the Museo d’Antichità “J.J. Winckelmann,” dedicated to the German art historian, precursor of modern archeology.

I walk through the park back out the a street that runs behind the church. I walk back up and around, through a small opening to come back around to where the church sits. Inside, a mass is in progress and I keep to the back.

Next door there’s an entrance to the bell tower. I pay 2.50€ to enter and climb to the top. The viewing area is large and I walk from side to side to look out over Trieste. To the north are all the sights and places I’ve been. To the south, the town remains unexplored. Below me to the north I can see the castle and the Roman forum before it.

I walk back down and head towards the Monumento ai Caduti di Trieste, a memorial to the Trieste fallen of the First World War.

From there I walk to the castle, walking across its large courtyard to the museum housed in one corner.

From the basements of the castle I climbed the ramparts for the views out over the castle to the surrounding town and the sea, the sun warm upon me and the city.

I toured the other museums housed in the castle walls to admire the paitings and sculptures before stepping back outside the ramparts.

It’s nearing lunch and I walk back down the hill the way I came before taking a left and heading towards a pedestrian street in another neighborhood near the water.

En route to lunch I see a sign for a museum with Roman tiles. A stairway leads down into a basement with low ceilings and ductwork. I’m amazed that the building has been built over the tiles in such a way, or that the tiles have been found and excavated. I’m happy to have stumbled upon them myself.

I have lunch at a pizza place and then walk along the sea. Passing the Salone degli Incanti I see signs for a Steve McCurry exhibition hanging from the lampposts. Reading them I find that the exhibition is being housed in the building I’m just passing. I immediately look for the entrance and pay the entrance fee. It’s incredible to see so many of his photos printed. He’s been such an inspiration and I can’t believe how fortunate I am to have stumbled upon the show.

Back at the Piazza Unità d'Italia the Caffè degli Specchi is packed. I had hoped to take a coffee before heading back to the hotel to rest and change for dinner. Instead, I take a look at the bookmarked locations in my map and head away from the sea.

I end up at Caffè San Marco. It sits on a busy main street, but walking into the cafe feels like stepping into another world. I take a seat and order a cafe and sit and write postcards while resting my weary feet.

I take a quick nap before dinner. It’s dark by the time I get up and head back into the streets. While walking towards the main piazza I pass a group of carolers and join the crowd to listen to them for a bit before walking through a Christmas market and through a quiet area of town to Osteria El Cassettin. When booking my trip I had looked for a place for dinner and the restaurant had high ratings on the internets. When I asked for a reservation they said they’d move some things around.

The restaurant is small, maybe eight tables when they aren’t pushed together for large parties. I’ve ordered their seven-course tasting menu and am delighted at the seafoods and pastas they serve.

The next morning I stop by the post office to main postcards. I’m surprised at how beautiful the building is and stop in the small Museo Telegrafico e Postale della Mitteleuropa attached to it. Upon leaving, the attendant is so pleased I have come in that she presses a small booklet into my hands detailing the history of the postal service in Italy. I thank her and tuck it into my bag.

Crossing the Grand Canal, I walk past James Joyce, surprised at how short he is. I stop to take a photo before continuing on my way.

One of the major sights I had missed the day before was the Roman ampitheater, and I make that my destination in the morning. I had seen signs pointing the way during my Saturday walk, but they always seemed to be pointing in the opposite direction to which I am headed.

I take breakfast at the Caffè degli Specchi, sitting on outside overlooking the piazaz. They have a variety of international breakfasts and I can’t help but choose the American one: pancakes with fruit compote. They are delicious and come with a coffee and a shot of chocolate. The coffee comes covered and I think it’s a sugar bowl. I’m about to call the waitress to ask about my coffee when I peek under the lid and there it is.

After finishing, I take a few minutes to walk back to the sea for one last look before heading to the bus station. The next time I’ll be looking at the connected Mediterranean Sea it’ll be from the banks of Tunisia.

I retrace my steps, back over the Grand Canal to the hotel to pick up my bags. From there I walk back to the bus station to wait for the bus. It doesn’t come into the station, and fortunately I’m paying enough attention to announcements to realize they’re picking up passengers in front of the station rather than from within.

The ride back to Ljubljana is slightly longer than the drive to Trieste. Driving into the city I spot new views of the castle and I look forward to climbing the hill later in the day. It’s been a fun trip to Italy, but I’m glad to be back, reinstituting my routine. I only have another week. 🇮🇹