Trieste, Italy

March 1st

After a weekend in Bologna with my parents, a flat tire, a rental car swap out and a week in bed with the flu, I was ready to hit the road yet again.  I decided to head out on a loop through Eastern Europe that would take me through northern Italy, Solvenia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany.

My first stop was Trieste, Italy.  Located on the Adriatic Sea in the northeast corner of the country, it lies on the border of Slovenia.  It's a gorgeous seaside port town that was part of the Roman Empire, the Hapsburg Empire, occupied by French troops during the Napoleonic Wars and part of the Austro- Hungarian empire until World War I.  In fact, it was the chief seaport of Austria-Hungary.  It's a city with a fascinating past and gorgeous views.

I started out by visiting and old roman theater in the historic city center.  It looked like a tiny replica of the Colosseum in Rome!

Next, I toured the Capitolo Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire, a gorgeous church set at the top of a tall staircase.

And then I wound my way down to the most famous piazza in trieste, the Piazza dell'Unita d'Italia.  This unique piazza has huge government buildings on 3 sides and is open to the Adriatic Sea on the 4th side. The buildings are so massive, they look like wedding cakes!

And on the 4th side of the square, the Adriatic Sea....

When I was in this piazza, it was insanely windy. I could barely keep from being blown into the Adriatic. I wonder if it's always this way, or if this was a fluke.

One thing I love is that most piazzas in Italy have statues or fountains in the middle. I thought this one was particularly gorgeous.  

After leaving the piazza, I walked over to the canal area and had lunch.  I also came across this statue of James Joyce, the Irish novelist and poet.  I learned that Joyce made Trieste his home from 1904 to 1920 after leaving his home in Ireland.  It was here in Trieste that his children were born and from this city,  he worked to get The Dubliners published.  Trieste so loved James Joyce, they placed the statue of him on the Grand Canal.

I had to get a photo with him!

And just like that, it was time to leave Trieste. I would certainly come back here again. I think the sleepy town on the edge of the water would be amazing in the summer!  It's just the right mix of coastline, water, ancient ruins, and a wonderful smattering of cultures.

Next up... I'm headed east... towards Zagreb, Croatia!
Ciao!