Soggiornino a Trieste

During our travels in western Slovenia we were often so close to the Italian border we could have waved to people living across the way. It was enough to make us realise we missed Italy, so we packed ourselves off for a short break in Trieste.

The capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region is only a couple of hours from Ljubljana, and while we enjoyed our short visit to Trieste, what we most enjoyed was simply being back in Italy.

After three months away from Italy, arriving in Trieste felt a little bit like coming 'home'

This is not a city full of big-ticket, must-see attractions, but Trieste has a charm that makes it worth visiting

Set beside the Adriatic Sea, Trieste was once a wealthy and strategically important port

That history is evident today as you wander through the city's lovely piazzas and pedestrian streets

Of course it's no surprise that in Trieste you find a castle (Castello di San Guisto, 1468)

And the remains of a Roman amphitheatre (1st century AD)

For us, though, Trieste was a chance to reconnect with all things Italian - especially the food!

And the language - after being away you think you've completely forgotten what little Italian you knew, but then the words somehow seem to reappear just when you need them most (yes please, we'd really like that prosciutto and that cheese and that delicious pasta too!) 🙂

One of the best things we saw in Trieste was this wonderful street puppeteer

With only a couple of simple puppets and a very basic, home-made stage, this man told funny and whimsical little stories

No music, no dialogue, no big set and no flashing lights - this was simple, clever storytelling at its best and we loved it

So after our little soggiorno in Trieste we felt 'topped-up' and ready to set off again - on to the next adventure