April 29 - Bologna
Today is for Bologna. We checked out a few churches in our neighborhood, picked up some beautiful pastries at Cuppi, and headed back to the “mosh pit” – the historical center. Again, it felt as if we were caught up in a human migration of very slow moving people as we all made our way up Via dell’Indipendenza. There was a smaller crowd around the Neptune Fountain than the other afternoon so we stopped for the obligtory photo, and then made our way into the Duomo. It was filled with gorgeous morning light as well as the voice of a little one who had discovered the joys of shrieking and its resonance in that space. It reminded me of the time my niece made the same discovery in a large mall in Los Angeles. I had to smile.

We moved on toward the anatomy theater , but DH had grown “allergic to crowds” and didn’t want to stand on line for the tickets. I kicked myself for not making arrangements ahead of time, but we didn’t know until quite late when we would meet our friends in Modena. Some times you need to know when to “fold ‘em”.

Our walk over to Santo Stefano proved much more rewarding, and we spent about thirty minutes wandering through the complex. Well worth the time. As we had some time left before our lunch reservation we looked for A. Pezzoli Enologia, a wine supply and cookwares store we had read about on Katie Parla’s website. She wrote that the store stocked brass pasta tools, so how could we not be intrigued? We had a blast in this little store cram packed with all kinds of enticing cookware, and had some difficult decisions to make. Did we need brass pasta tools? No, but one look at the pinked-edge, spring-loaded pasta stamps of many sizes convinced us our life would be better with one. The edges were sharp, and the ingenious design had a spring center that molds over the filled pasta. We can’t wait to play with it. The store also has some of the most creative and sturdy cookie cutters so we bought some of those for gifts. They’re made in Germany, so not really an Italian souvenir. We got to thinking later that the heavy, sharp ravioli press would require us to check our bag on the way home.

Leaving Pezzoli on our way to lunch we were in the thick of the narrow streets crowded with shops and restaurants where we spied another cookware store Katie Parla mentioned, but the shutters were being pulled down, and the closed sign was put out as we passed by. We passed all kinds of salumerias in tightly packed streets filled with a good energy until all of a sudden we were out of the bustle, and on our way to Osteria Bottega – mentioned in the NYT, as well as in Parla’s Bologna City Guide. We had tried for a dinner reservation, but all we could get was a late lunch which turned out perfectly as we were ready to have some quiet, to sit and eat what we were told would be a great traditional meal. Sitting outside under a covered boardwalk we enjoyed a nice lunch and great service. I started with the mixed greens and then had the classic tagliatelli with ragu. DH had the lasagna followed by a lamb steak with artichoke. The lambrusco by the glass is what gives lambrusco a bad name! With water, no cover charge, the total was 89 euros.

Of course we were too full for dessert until we came across Maritozzi e Gelato di Barbara e Renato at Piazza San Francesco. This was exceptional gelato with an incredible array of flavors. I had crocante – highly toasted almonds with cherries – and DH had the Sicilian – ricotta ice cream with lemon and pistachio. They were both so good and unique. A small was 3.50 euros, but worth every last penny. I would return to Bologna for this gelato. We then made the thirty minute trudge back to our apartment to relax before heading out into the neighborhood for passiagiata.

We had no need for dinner, but hoped to find a place with some aperitivo snacks. We went back to the Mercato Albani which was jumping on this non-Monday night! Several bars were open, and it appeared that the entire neighborhood was there after work. We found an empty spot outside of Spando – Box 31-32 where we ordered excellent negronis. There was no large snack assortment, but we were given a plate of bread drizzled in olive oil and salt. Totally satisfactory. Afterward we wandered our way home to catch up on photos before bed.
To be continued ...

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Neptune Fountain, Bologna - DH photo
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Basilica of San Stefano, Bologna - DH photo
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Street scene, Bologna. Note the modern store front under the old building sign. DH photo

Thoughts about Bologna

Bologna didn’t rock our boats. To be fair, I had done little research so I know we probably missed out on some great things. We loved our apartment, which worked well for getting in and out of the city, but perhaps a closer-in area would have been better. We had thought the location would be fine as we could use mass transportation, but the bus schedules always indicated riding would take the same amount of time, or more, than walking.

April 30 – Travel day to Ravenna

We tidied up, packed, purchased pastries for breakfast, emptied all the various trash types, and were out by the required 10 a.m. One note that will make me seem curmudgeonly: it is irritating, after paying a cleaning fee, to sort the garbage, take it out of the building, cross a busy intersection, and use a special key card to open the bins. Ok, rant over.

We just missed the 10:07 train, and waited at the station for the next one. DH researched restaurants during the trip, and skeptical due to its location, wanted to check out a highly rated one across the street from the Ravenna train station. We located it, and walked about 8 minutes to our inn where we were able to check in early. La Maison du Theatre, located a straight shot from the station and moments from the sights of Ravenna, was elegantly comfortable for us. Our room was large, and the bath room was enormous. The dark paint and lack of sufficient reading light were drawbacks, but it was all as pictured. The breakfast was quite basic. The hostess was charming, helpful, and her communications to us were clear and thorough. If you want a full service hotel, pass this one up. If you want a well-located room, do your research, and give this one some consideration.

First up was lunch just down the street from our inn atPasticceria Fellini. DH had a piedina – a sandwich in a folded up pita – and I had a tuna salad. Both were nice, and then we were off with the general plan to locate the spots of our reserved timed admissions. Not knowing when we would arrive in Ravenna, I had reserved one of the last slots of the day for the mausoleum, and the first slot of the next day for the baptistry. The other sights on the tickets were open to us from 9-6. I reserved these tickets before we left home, especially as we were going to be in Ravenna over a holiday.

Dante’s Tomb is a lovely little space at the end of an alleyway. There is a bell that is rung 13 times at dusk, and volunteers take turns reading from the Divine Comedy at 6 p.m. We made sure to stop back at the end of our afternoon’s wandering to catch the reading. Just around the corner from the tomb is the Church of St. Francis. Frankly, I don’t remember much about this, but I have a note that there was a beautiful Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. The Tourist Information is in a building on the same square, just to the right as you face the church, and I stopped in for a map.

We continued to follow a not-quite-straight line to locate the baptistry for our visit in the morning. While there we entered the Duomo with its over the top gilt and carvings, the Madonna of Sweat and Guido Renni’s Moses Collecting Manna amidst the Jews. From there we made our way across the historic district having decided to visit the Basilica di San Vitale before our 5:30 time slot for the mausoleum.

The San Vitale complex, even from the outside, is stunning. Inside – WOW. We’ve been to Monreale in Sicily as well as the Palantine Chapel in Palermo. Though smaller, this can compare. Packed with school groups and tours, at one point it was so noisy that a tour leader went over to a group of kids and shouted, “Allora!” as in be quiet! There are a few ranks of pews where you can sit which made craning the neck a bit easier. We still had plenty of time before our timed entry to the baptistry so we wandered off to find a place for an early apertivo. In a courtyard just off via Cavour we found L’incontro, and had a very relaxing half hour or so with a glass of moscato and an aperol spritz (they’re growing on me). The drinks were served with chips and olives, the day was warm and sunny, we were on vacation. Bliss.

We were able to walk right in to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. There were no crowds whatsoever. We really lucked out because at most there were six of us in the small space, and it didn’t seem like there was any hurry for us to leave. It was wonderful to be so close to the lovely works. It was approaching closing time so I suggested we head back to the Basilica as the tours, and definitely the school groups, should be gone. Once again, we had the entire space pretty much on our own. It was absolutely quiet and solemn. What a difference from the noise earlier in the afternoon, and from the long lines we had seen earlier at the mausoleum.

We had dinner reservations at Osteria di Paiolo, the restaurant DH had found from Google reviews. The outdoor dining was fully booked, but we had a fortunate table inside where we could watch all the action as the chefs prepared really good food. I ordered an appetizer of burrata with anchovies, toasts and cherry tomatoes, followed by a pasta with shrimp and truffle. DH had a scallop grantinee, and a pasta dish with morels. With a bottle of Verdicchio and water the bill was 86 euros. We were so full it was painful! The welcome was warm, the meal was excellent, the show watching strips of pasta turn into various hand-rolled shapes was fun. As far as we could tell, we were the only non-locals in the place, and we made a reservation for the following night.
To be continued ...

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Basilica di San Vitale - DH photo
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Mausoleum di Galla Placidia - DH photo
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Yummy appetizer - DH photo

Isn't Ravenna wonderful? I spent two nights there in 2019, and I think I'm glad that was before you had to have reservations with timed entries. You just went to one spot, bought a combo ticket for all the spots, and went on your way. I really liked the town as well as the mosaics.

PJTravels, it is interesting what you said about Bologna. We just returned from a 5-week trip to Italy which included some of your stops. We spent 3 nights in Bologna, and it didn't "rock our boat" either. In fact, it was our least favorite destination, but I am still happy that we visited. I plan on writing a TR in July and will elaborate more. We loved Parma (stayed 1 night), and I wish we had more time there.

Thanks for the great TR. You covered a lot of ground and your trip seems so well organized. I especially love Parma, Trieste, and Modena and am glad you enjoyed them, too. (I spent a few months working in Bologna some years ago and have been back for a few short stays since then. I can appreciate why you and a few other here find it less appealing than some other cities in Emilia-Romagna. Much as I enjoy the food in Bologna, I feel the same way, i.e., it's a "like" rather than a "love it" city for me (and that's partly because there are so many amazing smaller cities in the region). On the alerts from your home security company-yikes, though glad it was a false alarm. That kind of thing is my travel nightmare. I just returned from two nights in Milan and also stayed at Spadari al duomo. I found it as wonderful as you did.

Thanks for your wonderful report and gorgeous pictures!

Thanks to those of you following along on this trip report which is unwinding slowly.
May 1 – Ravenna

It was a national holiday, and we didn’t know what to expect in the way of crowds, but it turned out not to be that noticeable except for a festival at the park. I had booked the first time slot of the day for the Baptistry of Neon (Battistero Neoniano) in anticipation of crowds, but there was hardly any line, and again, we felt as if we had the place to ourselves with no rush to move along. A posted sign indicated that the maximum number of people was 50, with a 5 minute time limit. We spent about 15 minutes inside with a very easy flow of people in and out as others arrived. Whether it was the time of year or the time of day we felt so fortunate that we were able to visit Ravenna’s beautiful heritage sights with plenty of elbow room.

Leaving the Baptistry we went back across town to use the last of our reserved ticket visiting the Basilica di Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. I really enjoyed this large rectangular space with its beautiful mosaic processions on the upper walls. Zig-zagging through town again, we toured through the Archiepiscopal Museum and Saint Andrew Chapel connected to the Duomo. It is filled with interesting ancient stone work, and the centerpiece of the collection the 6thcentury carved ivory throne of Archbishop Maximium.

It was time for a break and we headed to an interesting casual restaurant we had seen the previous day, Fish Market on via Carlo Cattaneo 8/12. Orders are placed inside with a one woman fry cook, order taker, cashier and then you choose a table across the street. Our lunch was 25 euros for a large water, anchovy frito which was piled about 3” high, and my fish and chips. The fish and chips included 3 large pieces of fish, 3 large shrimp, some vegetables and lots of fries. It was all pretty good, better than ok, not great.

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The three kings, Basilica di Apollinare di Nuovo, Ravenna
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Archiepiscopal Museo, Ravenna
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Archangel Michael, Church of Saint Mary of the Port, Ravenna
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Mosaic by Takao Hira, City Art Museum, Ravenna


After lunch we went to the Domus dei Tappeti di Pietra which turned out to be far more interesting than I thought it might be. There is one large section of a decorative mosaic floor from the 5th-6th centuries. It’s similar, though smaller, to the floor mosaics we’ve seen in Sicily at Villa Romana del Casale, and in the terrace houses in Ephesus.

After a brief rest we stepped in to the Church of Saint Mary of the Port. The late afternoon light highlighted the statue of Archangel Michael perfectly. Next to it is the City Art Museum with its interesting display of modern mosaic art. Finally, we visited the public garden which was filled with people enjoying the sunshine, food vendors, and all kinds of used clothing market stalls.

Dinner was a repeat at Osteria di Paiolo. This time we shared the burrata salad. I had the spaghetti con vongole, and DH had agnolotti with gorgonzola and nuts. With a bottle of white wine from Mount Etna, a shared tiramisu, and water the bill was 85 euros. We’d paced ourselves this night, and gladly accepted the limoncello offered with a smile.

May 2 – Travel day to Padua (Padova)

After a quick breakfast we were off to the station. We had very clear communication with our next host regarding the bus to the hotel, and it was at the terminal when we arrived in Padua. The hotel, Padova Suites C20, on Piazza San’Antonio with a view of the cathedral, was a short walk from the bus stop. The Pallo delle Valle is a quick walk away in the opposite direction from the bus stop. An online check-in had been arranged, but the owner was there to greet us. Of note, before our arrival he had made clear that luggage could be stored on either end of our visit. While we didn’t need to take advantage of this option, it’s always nice to know. Our room was compact, very functional, modern, clean, and soundproof with the windows closed. The bed was comfortable, and the shower was great. The room might be too tight if you travel with multiple large suitcases. The only negatives were the fact that the towel rack was inside the shower, and the safe had no directions. Our view over the piazza was amazing, only marred by the fact that Donatello’s enormous horse statue was in shrouds for restoration.

We were parched and hungry, and decided to grab a quick something at the bar/bistro downstairs. It was close to the end of service, and we didn’t want the offered three-course lunch. Unfortunately, service totally fell apart at this point, and we had a long waits for menus, orders, water, etc. My guess is this was due to the hour, as I have read positive reviews of the bistro.

We toured through the enormous Basilica di San’Antonio with its ornate painting and chapels. By this time in the trip we had been in numerous churches, but this one struck me as it was so different in many ways – the domed architecture, and the ornate painted decoration to name the most outstanding to me.

For dinner we walked up to Osteria al Prato on the Prato della Valle. There was gorgeous, golden light across the Prato and the domes of a nearby church, which we unthinkingly assumed was San’Antonio. For starters we had a tuna tartare and baby shrimp fritto, followed by spaghettoni with lemon and a raw fish that was amazing, and a very good potato gnocchi. With water, a bottle of vermentino from Sardinia, and espresso the total was 112 euros. Given the beautiful setting, and the quality of food and service we thought this was an excellent value. After dinner we walked around the corner to the much touted Gelateria Portogallo where the line stretched across the street and down the block. Okay, let’s see what this is all about. Once we had cone and cup in hand we found this gelato to be dense, very creamy, and with intense flavors. We chose licorice (the house favorite), mint, pistachio (which turned out to be peanut due to a miscommunication), and lemon with basil. I actually didn’t like any of it. Licorice is a favorite of mine, but this was too strong for me. The peanut might have been good, but not when expecting pistachio. DH wanted to return the next day to try some more standard flavors. Better gelato would be in our future.

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View of Basilica San' Antonio from our hotel room.
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The convergence of beautifully painted arches in the domed rooftops of Basilica San' Antonio.

May 3 – Padua

We slept in, and as we had a 10 a.m. entry to the Scrovegni Chapel we decided to walk the 25 minutes or so, looking for pastries on the way. Nothing on the main street seemed to be open, and we soon found ourselves in the beautiful Garden of the Arena that surrounds the chapel. While the chapel can be seen from this garden, there is no entrance from the garden so we had to backtrack, arriving at 9:30. We were told to begin with the museum and report “no later than 5 minutes before” our timed slot. A quick stroll through the beginning of the museum proved that we would want more time to see the holdings.

The Scrovegni Chapel tour begins in an isolation room where humidity is removed to help keep the paintings in good condition. During that time – 15 minutes? - an excellent video is shown describing the murals. Thirty people at a time are guided into the chapel for 15 minutes. It is absolutely stunning with beautiful colors, especially the blue. It seems as if 15 minutes might not be enough time, but it was for me. I felt I had plenty of time to take it all in, to take the photos I wanted, and to spend time in quiet admiration. The group we were with were all respectful of each other’s space, they were all quiet, and there were none of the obnoxious selfie takers. That is my hope for all visitors!

After our tour, and a longer visit to the museum, we were hangry. We walked back to Piazza Garibaldi and sat at the first empty table we found at a restaurant with lots of people. DH had a Greek salad, and I had an unremarkable sandwich. Fortified, we headed to the Duomo. I have no notes or photos of the Duomo, but the Baptistry next to it knocks your socks off. I felt assaulted with color and images. Tickets are required, and the tour with audio guides are on the half hour. After the Baptistry you go through the Bishop’s Palace and Diocesan Museum which I found unremarkable, except for a deceptively modern looking Madonna and Child, which was painted by the same artist, Menabuoi, who painted the Baptistry, in the late 1300’s.

From there we followed the pedestrian streets to the synagogue where an appointment is required to visit. We had contacted them requesting a tour on Sunday, our last day, but had not heard back. We wanted to locate it in case we did get a response. We then made our way back through the weekend crowds in the pedestrian/expensive retail zone to the Prato della Valle for an aperitivo, where I had an aperol spritz. They do seem to be growing on me.

The Prato was filled with market stalls, all kinds of stuff, and we wandered through them to the garden and food sections, purchasing some delicious strawberries, and exiting the area through a parking lot. One of us, neither one remembers, said “Oh, look. We’re at the back of San’ Antonio. We can just walk around the outside of it to the piazza and across to our hotel.” So off we went without a thought, until we found ourselves on tree-lined streets that were totally unfamiliar. Google to the rescue, we were 25 minutes away from the hotel, but we found ourselves at Piazzale Pontecorvo and Galateia Gelateria. Of course we had to stop for fortification after our arduous “mis-wanderings! This gelateria turned out to be one of the top three of our trip. I usually stick with cafe and pistachio, but our discovery of croccante has led me down a new path. Galateia’s Croccante di Mandorla all’ Amarena had huge chunks of cherries, little squares of chocolate, almonds, and if you get a cone they put chocolate sauce in the bottom. Bliss!

Once back at the hotel, we researched to find that the church we had been headed to is Basilica Guistiana – a similarly domed, but much smaller look-alike to San’ Antonio. Dinner was at Fradei Kempes, a restaurant DH found that was highly rated for simple,traditional dishes. We were warmly welcomed, service was great, the food came quickly, but I found everything to be meh. We shared a bufala caprese which had green tomatoes. My order of grilled vegetables was disappointing. They had been grilled in advance, and then slightly rewarmed with no seasoning. DH had pasta putanesca. Together with cover, water, and a half pitcher of wine the total was 57 euros. DH says it was solid home cooking. I disagree. The reviews seem to slant his way. We returned to Galateia. I had two scoops this time – croccante and salted caramello. Looking at the menu now, I realize that someday I need to return for the ricotta with caramelized fig.

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Garden of the Arena, Padua
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Scrovegni Chapel, Padua


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Madonna and Child, Menabuoi

PJ, do I take it that you didn't need to buy the tickets for the Baptistry ahead of time?

Correct. We walked in, paid, and the tour left about 5 minutes later.

Thanks!

A wonderful read, thank you, and the photos are fabulous.

Agree that your photos are beautiful.

Looking forward to your impressions of Trieste. We've been several times; friends we knew in Vienna had their home there and I/we would head down for long weekends, especially for Barcolana.

Thank you all for your compliments and encouragement! And, Fourfortravel, we will have 5 days in Vienna this fall after our Austrian Alps and Dolomites hiking, so I may have questions for you once I read your TRs. Trieste is coming soon in this TR.

Following along as we plan to visit northern Italy next year, and interested in Trieste as well. Wonderful report!

Still following along and enjoying your report and photos. We loved the Basilica Santo Stefano and Piazza Santo Stefano in Bologna, too. . It was our favorite area in Bologna.

The Ravenna mosaics are amazing! Although by the 4th one my husband was getting a bit burnt out. We visited as a daytrip from Bologna so it was a lot to absorb for one day.

The Scrovegni Chapel is gorgeous. I love all that blue!

May4 – Padua

We had a quick breakfast of pastries and orange juice at a little coffee shop just off the Piazza on via del Santo called Lilium. The counter staff were very pleasant and patient while we learned “the code.” Yes, order here at the counter and then go sit down. We will serve you. I had an incredible, shatteringly crispy laminated triangle filled with sweetened ricotta and orange. It was so good we had the same thing the next morning. Fresh squeezed juice and coffee. A great way to start the day.

We walked to the Botanic Garden which was beautifully laid out, but I think we were about 2 weeks too late for the bulbs and the peak of the roses. There was a laburnum in full bloom spilling over a brick archway that was a delight to see. If you go, do not miss going down the hedge-lined walkway that opens out into a large complex of enormous climate controlled buildings housing five different biomes.

From the garden we walked to Santa Giustiana, the church we mistakenly took for San’ Antonio the day before, but it was closing until 3 just as we got there. We walked all along the streets surrounding the Prato looking for to-go sandwiches or an open table before deciding to head back to a sure thing – Lilium. We then made a quick tour back through San' Antonio which had far fewer tourists than previously. Maybe there are no tours on Sunday? Back at the hotel we could hear and see an interesting outdoor service at the cathedral. There were guitars, drums, chanting and some dancing. It reminded me a bit of services we’ve seen in Mexico. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out what the service was for.

We finally made it back to Santa Giustiana, and it was freezing inside! Mass was being celebrated in a side chapel, but the few of us not attending were allowed to remain. It was quite the enhancement to hear beautiful music and singing while taking in the majestic main altar and painting by Veronese framed in lots of gold.

Diner was at Vinet. One of the best meals of the trip. The restaurant is lovely, the service was attentive, the food was great, and we were offered good suggestions for wine pairings. We preferred our pasta dishes over the meat entrees, but we have gotten out of the habit of eating much meat, and that has a lot to do with it. For me, a piece of meat on a plate has to have something really special going on for me to want more than a few bites. DH had the evening favorite of pasta with tropea onions, tomatoes and bottarga. My asparagus ravioli was served with a rich grana padano custard and lemon crumbles. We followed this with veal and boar. With cover, water, and 4 glasses of paired wine, the total was 97 euros. Exceptional value. We finished the evening with one last stop at Galateia. My order was still a piccolo, but both scoops were croccante. DH had croccante and coffee.

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Laburnum in the botanic garden - Padua
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Main altar, Santa Giustiana - Padua - DH photo
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Best dish of the day! Vinet - Padua - DH photo

Loving the photos from Ravenna and Padua! During my mosaic classes I stayed right near Sant' Apollinare Nuovo and am glad you got there and also appreciated it. Sant' Apollinare in Classe is thought by locals to be even more impressive mosaic-wise, but it's a bit out of the way and really tough on a day trip; you got to a lot of the great art and so glad you made it to San Vitale and Galla Placidia--we just got to Monreale in April and I agree San Vitale and it are similarly fabulous.

May 5 – Travel day to Trieste

Trieste was the lynch pin of this trip’s planning. Once our flights had been booked and I knew how many days I had to play with, we seemed to keep adding nights to Trieste. Our thinking was that we might not get there ever again, and that we might use some of the time to pop into Slovenia or Croatia. At least it seemed that way when we were planning. We were also intrigued by how different the accounts of Trieste seemed to be from the other parts of Italy we had been to. I wasn’t able to find much in the way of accommodation or restaurant recommendations, so other than some superficial information we were flying blind.

After a quick breakfast we trundled our carry-ons around the corner and down the street to the bus/tram stop. The bus to the station was arriving just as we did – easy peasy. Our train was delayed so we waited outside and watched as train after train began to disgorge a seemingly endless parade of young people, all marching off in the same direction. I can only assume they were university students. Once on the train for the 15 minute ride into Venice Mestre, we grew increasingly anxious as our train slowly lost time from our already tight connection. Once stopped we dashed down stairs, passed construction obstacles, raced through a hall, stumbled up more stairs, silently shouted, “Out of my way!” Whew, we made the train just in time. Safely aboard, DH mentioned that he should calculate the cost of data usage on the 2nd class trains versus the extra cost of booking the Freccia Rosa. As a side note, we only booked first class tickets for trips around holidays, or for long rides. We never had a problem finding seats in second class, and both times we booked first class seats on this trip we were in totally full cars.

Our ride into Trieste was uneventful with ever-changing views past fields of poppies, then vineyards, up into hills of deciduous forest, and then high above the long harbor of Trieste. Trieste Centrale was a mess. The entire interior seemed to be under scaffolding with plywood surrounds. We had no luck finding a place to leave our luggage, so we walked next door to the bus station which was almost pitch dark inside, but offered a restroom as well as a tiny tabac with a left luggage. The very helpful clerk checked our bags for 4 euros, which seems to be the going rate. We only needed it for as long as it would take us to find some lunch and check into our apartment.

We began our search for lunch by walking along the waterside street, but the shock of several noisy swift moving lanes of traffic was horrific, so we made our way one block away from the water, and Eureka! I saw a sandwich board at a corner vinoteca featuring salads. Just what I wanted. Giovinoto, has all high-top tables, but a great friendly welcome in an interesting space. We enjoyed our time there so much, as well as the anchovy and white bean salads, that we decided to return at some point to further investigate the offerings.

We headed back to the station to retrieve our bags in a day that was becoming increasingly windy. There are many bus stops in the streets next to the station, so we had to google which bus and where to pick it up. Once that was sorted we were on and off in no time at all. We had rented an apartment for 5 nights (with no laundry what was I thinking?!). The management company had what I thought was an onerous online form to complete, PLUS we had to show up at their office which we couldn’t find. It had an odd number address, and was no where among all the other odd number addresses on the street. I finally called. The office was across the street, in a sliver of a building wedged in a corner with a very small address number painted way up high. Once we arrived, it was difficult to make our way up to the office because the lift could only hold one person, no luggage. I swear the entire width of the building’s entrance was an arm span. DH walked up the circular stairs, I sent the luggage up in the lift for him to wrestle, and then finally made my way up once the lift came back down. So why were we required to show up in person even though all the passport information and payment information had been taken? So they could collect the city tax. Then while we stood there the clerk texted the door codes to us. Sheesh. Then we had to wrestle our bags and ourselves back down, out, across a plaza, down a few streets to our apartment.

The apartment was San Nicolo 14 Tirabora. It had many pluses, and a few negatives which would be revealed over the first night and days. The location was great – close to most of the major tourist attractions of Trieste with lots of transportation options nearby. It was large, the bed was comfortable, the shower was great, and while we didn’t cook, the kitchen seemed well stocked. Upon arrival we couldn’t enter the bedroom due to an overwhelming smell of dirty socks? Mildew? Management immediately sent over someone to replace all the bed linens. The house cleaner actually mentioned that there was no air circulation in the space where the linens hang to dry. So … this is a known problem! After leaving our apartment, we noticed that the house cleaner went into the next apartment with an armful of linens.

Once that was settled we headed out to explore our neighborhood and to locate a grocery to pick up breakfast supplies. I was astounded at how inexpensive groceries were. For 13 euros I purchased two large containers of yogurt, a quart of strawberries, a box of cereal, a box of tea, and a package of taralli.

By this time we decided not to bother researching dinner options, and walked back to Giovinoto. We arrived just as the sky opened up, and were able to spend the next few hours, warm and dry, enjoying a tasty charcuterie platter, and a lovely bottle of wine for 56 euros. I highly recommend this place for the quality of ingredients and the friendly welcome.

The rain had stopped by the time we left, but it was very cold and windy as we crossed the Grand Canal back to our home for the next 5 nights. We were awake at 3 – there were no black-out shades in the room, and the exterior shutters did nothing to keep the streetlight out. Time to dig out the sleep mask.

To be continued.

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A lovely bottle of wine at Giovinoto, Trieste - DH photo
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The Grand Canal, Trieste - DH photo