June 21 - Trieste

Castello di Miramare

I was in no hurry this morning. I slept in then had a leisurely breakfast. I noticed a flyer in the hotel's lobby for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. I have taken these before and they have given me a good overview of a city. Because I had no other plans and because I was at a loss at what to do in Trieste, I decided to get a ticket. The bus stopped across the street from my hotel, so access was very handy. When it arrives, I had to decide whether to sit on the main level which had air conditioning or on the top level which was open and had natural air conditioning. I started off on the main level then moved up when we reached the shoreline and it became slightly cooler. It is still blistering hot here.

The shoreline is lined with a wide walkway. Every 500 meters of so there are vendor huts selling coffee, cold drinks and snacks. A few trees populate the walkways, but they are scarce. Some of the hotels along the road have private beaches. The rest of the shoreline is for the public. Calling them beaches is an exaggeration. There is little sand. Most of the shore is lined with big rocks. There were hundreds of people along the way sunbathing and swimming. For the swimmers in the public area, it was a challenge to climb onto the rocks to go swimming. For the hotel set, it was easier with floats and ladders.

My first stop was at the popular Castello di Miramare. I had to walk along the shore for about 1km to get there. I discovered a beautiful villa along the cliff. You should click on the link to read about its history. There was also a large, heavily landscaped park that surrounds the villa that is maintained by the World Wildlife Federation. Lots of families and school children were there enjoying the cooler temperatures under the trees and alongside the sea. I spent and hour or so there and then walked back to the bus stop.

I rode the bus to the end of the line and then found a place to eat lunch. I had read about a restaurant called Siora Rosa on Trip Advisor and the guide on the bus was able to give me directions to get there. I was really happy with the experience. I sat outside under the shade of an awning. My waiter spoke English ans was extremely friendly, patient and helpful. He explained the daily menu and web chose a plate of cold sardines with cooked onions and maybe fennel. I also had a side dish of cold beets which were very sweet. It was an excellent lunch. I was so impressed with he service that I tipped the waiter. This is not the normal thing to do in Italy. During lunch, a priest sat next to me with another man. The priest was very outgoing, greeting most of the people walking by, asking them how there were doing and how we're there parents doing. He maintained a line of chatter throughout his meal. He even sent a bigger into the restaurant to get some takeout food. I was impressed.

I wandered around for a while before catching the bus again. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. When I boarded here us again, we went through the old part of town and then up to Parco Della Rimembranza where there was a monument to WWII solders, an old fort and an old church. Then we wandered through narrow streets and eventually back to the stop near my hotel.

An afternoon rest and cooling off period was called for. I did that and then left for dinner around 7:00 looking for a restaurant that might open early. The lady at the desk suggested one, but when I got there, I wasn't sure which one she meant. Besides it was too warm to stop in the area. I walked to cooler climes but eventually went back to her spot. I had prosciutto and melon along with spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and basil. After dinner I walked to a gelatoria around the corner from the hotel and had licorice and chocolate.

It's almost 10:00 and I am ready for bed.