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May 6- Trieste
Up for showers to find no towel racks. One review of the apartment mentioned this, but they commented the apartment had been newly finished and there were still some odd jobs to complete. My bad for making the assumption that towel racks would be one of the odd jobs. We hung the towels on hangers, and hoped for the best. The first order of the day was to go to the tourism office for a map, and to find out about any walking tours. Guided walking tours are only given on the weekends, but there is an audio guide for rent that comes with a map of Trieste’s best hits. I plunked down my ID and set off. DH didn’t want to bother with the audio, and it soon became apparent that we were not going to be able to stay in sync with me listening to the history of what we were seeing, and him just following the map at a pace faster than the audio allowed. We should have just gone our separate ways for the morning. Suffice it to say, that from the parts I listened to, the guide is worth your few euros if you are interested in the history of the key sights in Trieste. We made a little wander in the byways around Piazza Unita d’Italia before heading uphill to the Riccardi Arch, and then continued up a pretty, tree-lined, steep approach to San Guisto Martire as it began to rain. The Cathedral is beautiful inside, and it is well worth paying to illuminate the side apses with 12th and 13th century mosaics. From there we continued on to an overlook, then up to the fort’s entrance just to seek a bit of shelter from the rain. Leaving, we found ourselves walking downstream through many school groups of teens who did not give an inch. We’re finding it’s true what they say about the invisibility of older persons. This was our experience with every school tour that came upon us in Trieste. We were pressed into the sides of buildings, or engulfed at intersections. Continuing to make our way back down to the Piazza della Borsa we visited the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, located Gelateria Marco for later reference, and found ourselves at Bar Urbanis for a quick lunch. It’s a beautiful old bar where DH had a pasta special, and I had a toasted sandwich – not a panini as I assumed, but a sandwich on toasted bread. But of course – if I’d ordered a toasted sandwich at home I would be surprised if I were served a panini. A brief stop at the apartment and we were off to the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Spiridione, which was absolutely gorgeous. Never having been inside an Orthodox church before I was most taken by the rank of enormous, person-sized candlesticks leading to the altar. The paintings were all in gold. Lots of stunning bling, totally serene during our visit. We continued on to the Church of San' Antonio which sits proudly at the end of the Grand Canal, although it is very plain inside – especially compared to what we have been treated to on this trip. We continued on to locate the Synagogue. It was posted that visits can be arranged on-line, so we made plans for the next day. Dinner was at Alla Sorgente. I began with a garden salad while DH had a huge bowl of tasty mussels. We followed that with the roast fish of the day for two with potatoes and vegetables (at 30 euros/person), water, and a bottle of Malvasia all for 117 euros. This meal featured good, solid cooking with great ingredients, but no pizzazz. I am learning that “traditional” generally means quality ingredients well prepared, but nothing WOW. Would I recommend this restaurant? Yes. Everything was as advertised, the service was extremely pleasant, the food was good, but nothing to write home about. Except I guess I just did … The narrow alleyway in front of the restaurant was filled with tables that would be a lovely way to have dinner on a warm summer evening, which this wasn’t. To be continued. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...94b2355f8a.jpg Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Spiridione, Trieste - DH photo https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8601cd3657.jpg Lots of gold in St. Spiridione, Trieste - DH photo https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f492d4c815.jpg Chocolate shoes, Trieste - DH photo |
What a splendid report. Thank you for the time to do this. I've just caught up with you in Trieste and look forward to joining for you for the rest. Italy has so much to see and eat through, much of it I haven't reached yet.
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May 7 – Trieste and Grotto Gigante
We caught an early bus to Grotto Gigante. Once off the bus there is still about a ten minute walk to the ticket office where we picked up our reserved tickets. Our bi-lingual guide was informative and highly energetic. After an orientation lecture, in Italian and then English, we all headed down, down, down 500 steps at what seemed at the time to be break-neck speed. No photos are allowed while descending, and I, at least, needed all my wits about me to just make sure I didn’t hold up the persons behind me, or bump into the person in front. The guide stopped at two points for photos and to give various descriptions of what we were all seeing. Then the Italian speakers were sent forward, continuing to the base, while the guide gave a similar, but seemingly much shorter, description in English. Once we were all at the base there was plenty of time for photos and questions. The Grotto is the second-largest-in-volume public accessible single-room cave in the world. So there. However, unless you really dig caves, especially if you have been to the Frasassi Caves in the Marche, or Carlsbad Caverns in the U.S., my opinion is the Grotto could be skipped. DH felt the same way. The sheer size of it is truly impressive though. Choose your own adventure. Don’t forget there are 500 steps to return to the surface. These can be taken at your own pace. We returned late in the afternoon so we headed back to Bar Urbanis for a quick refresher before our 4:30 tour of the Trieste synagogue. The tour itself was unexceptional as it was difficult to hear the guide, but we’re glad that we were able to see the building. The synagogue was consecrated in 1912 to consolidate the four older synagogues in Trieste. At the time, there were 6,000 members (peaking at 7,000 in 1938). Today there are less than 500, and the gallery is no longer used. We skipped dinner as it was a cold, rainy night. We couldn’t muster the energy to go out, which we would have done if we had had the foresight to make reservations. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...398c22b5f0.jpg One small section of stairway, Grotto Gigante - DH photo https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f82f042fa.jpg Trieste synagogue |
May 8 – Trieste
The plan for today was to check out the Revoltella Museum and to follow up on possible dinner leads. The best laid plans and all that, but there turned out to be a silver lining. After a pleasant stroll from our hotel leading to via Toriro and the museum we discovered a sign that the museum was closed until May 14, except for the first two floors of the residence – entrance around the back. As we were making our way around the huge building I spotted an interesting sign – a stylized fish – and hoping it was for a restaurant, we made for it. Standing outside in the morning sunshine we peered at the interesting looking menu, and looked up reviews – all great. The website for Trattoria NerodiSeppia recommends reservations be made by phone between 9 and noon, so we called right away. They were booked for dinner both our remaining nights in town, so we booked lunch for the following day and continued across the quiet street to the Revoltella. The part of the Revoltella that we were able to see was the over-the-top residence of a mover and shaker of the time – a financier of the Suez Canal, among many other entreprenuerial pursuits. There was an intriguing type of peep hole where the Baron could look down onto the street without the passersby knowing he was at home. The library, and all the crystal chandeliers are visual treats. It’s a pity that the art collection was closed. Eataly was a short walk away on the waterfront so we went there to get ideas for souvenirs. While there we got to thinking that we might not be back from our excursion the next day in time for lunch so we dashed back to the trattoria to see if there was still a table for that day. Then we had one of the best meals of our trip - probably in the top three. We started with fried anchovies and grilled scallops on an asparagus cream. We each followed with pasta topped with stracciatella, bottarga and pistachios. All that, along with water and a half bottle of a Malvasia Istriana was 80 euros. The gracious co-owner/hostess, Valentina, offered a genuine welcome, suggested wine pairings, and generally made us feel as if we were in her home. She also knew that we were the ones who had called that morning for a reservation for the next day, and wanted to know if we wanted to keep it. But of course, no doubt about it, but would we have enough time to visit Castelo Miramonte and be back in time? She suggested we push the reservation for half an hour and that should be ample. After our fantastic lunch we went back to Eataly – mostly for chocolate, and we thought about getting some bottarga. Standing-in-the-aisle research indicated not to use the dried, grated kind, so money saved there. The rest of the afternoon was a blur other than we joined the after school crowd at Marco for gelato. They must get slammed at times as you are required to take a number outside and wait for it to be called before entering to place your order. We thought it was good, not great. It's hard to compare with our favorite in Padova. There was no need for dinner, and once again it was raining heavily so we stayed snug. To be continued. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0c960a4797.jpg A fun sign for a cocktail bar, Trieste - DH photo https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...746410c658.jpg The library at the Revoltella, Trieste - DH photo |
I am enjoying your report and photos about Trieste. I really don’t know anything about Trieste. We probably won’t visit because if we return to Italy, it will be to Sicily and Southern Italy, so I am happy to “visit” Trieste vicariously through your report.
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Fantastic. Going to Parma in 2026 (I hope), so you've provided great info. Spectacular photos, too. Thanks.
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I'm considering a day trip to Trieste from Venice, just to see the city. It's a two-hour train ride, but I'd be there mid-January; any thoughts on priorities to see?
I've spent a lot of time in Venice so could give up a day to get there. |
Originally Posted by annw
(Post 17662346)
I'm considering a day trip to Trieste from Venice, just to see the city. It's a two-hour train ride, but I'd be there mid-January; any thoughts on priorities to see?
I've spent a lot of time in Venice so could give up a day to get there. Thanks for following. It's taking me quite some time to get this TR done. |
Thanks a million, PJ. It's a place I've always wanted to see, maybe inspired by the wonderful local Cafe Trieste here, but have never quite gotten to that corner of Europe, and I'm unlikely to get there as DH's mobility is unlikely to improve much. (I cover a lot of ground on my own though!).
Thanks also for the restaurant rec -- I checked the menu and they have veg options (I'm not able to eat seafood) so I will put that on my list. If the weather isn't atrocious, I'm leaning toward making that trip! |
May 9 – Trieste and Castello Miramare
We got an early start in order to be back in time for another meal at Trattoria NerodiSeppia. The bus was jam packed almost the entire way. There wasn’t even enough room to reposition one’s feet. It reminded me of the bad old days riding the N-Judah from San Fransicso’s Haight to the Financial District. A few stops before the Castello, which was the end of the line, almost everyone got off. It turned out there was a conference at the ICTP – the International Center for Theoretical Physics. (I only know this because a young man said to his companion, “I can’t imagine all these people are going to the ICTP conference.” Wrong he was.) We were deposited at a marina and the stairs going to Miramare were in plain sight. Once up the hill, the Castello is still not in view, but there are many paths in a vast parkland. The day was gray, but warm, and we decided to opt out of a tour of the building and just meander our way around the paths and pretty gardens. It was just what the doctor ordered after so many days of pounding the pavement of streets and museums. Back on the bus into Trieste we could see out the windows this time, and there appear to be some nice paths, parks, and cafes along the beach front. Summertime visitors, take note. Back at the restaurant, I started with a prosciutto of smoked tuna served with buffalo mozarella and eggplant fries. It was fabulous! DH said he would get a deep fat fryer just to make those fries. It truly was a fantastic dish, and I could have stopped there. We both had the linguine con vongole, which was not what we expected. Rather, the baby clams were served out of the shell along with some broad beans, and I think some peppers. It was well prepared, but nothing on the par of our other dishes. DH had the roasted grouper which was very nice. Dessert was a pistachio crusted tart with a layer of orange marmalade. With water and wine, the bill was 96 euros. Valentina once again checked in with us, remembered our wine preferences, and asked about our visit to Miramare. She told us that she grew up in the hills above the Castello, and her playmates lived on the grounds. They all treated the Castello and the grounds as their private playground. We finished the afternoon by wandering back up into the hills, walking through the remembrance park, and back down the other side of the hill San Giusto is on to try to get a sense of the non-tourist side of the city. No dinner, no need. We packed our bags for an early get away. Thoughts about Trieste. We’re glad that we took the opportunity to visit Trieste, and we enjoyed what we did and the people we met. It was incredibly easy to walk, and the bus system was great. It’s not a city we need to go back to. There aren’t museums like in other major cities that entice visiting again. We had cold, windy days, and rainy evenings. If the weather had been warmer, I imagine we would have lingered in the many outdoor cafes and been perfectly content. It might be fabulous during beach weather. Originally, we had thought we might take a day trip into Slovenia or do some cycling, so perhaps we didn’t make the best use of our time. We are adjusting to the fact that we both need more down time when we travel than we used to. The apartment we rented was perfectly located on a pedestrian street around the corner from most of the major tourist sites. We had some issues, and I think that in the future I will try to avoid renting from a management company, but seek out a personal connection. To be continued. And, thanks for coming along! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8fc1087b1e.jpg The formal garden at Castello Miramare, Trieste - DH photo https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1757ba028c.jpg Memorial plaques in the sidewalk, Trieste - DH photo |
Very informative, PJ; thanks again.
(And, I used to ride the N Judah to/from work!) |
May 10 – Travel day to Vicenza
We were up early to tidy the apartment, and then were off to the bus for the short ride to the train station. Thankfully, the bus was not crowded as we had our luggage with us. As we rode past the Grand Canal, the many cafes along it were filled with people enjoying the warm sunshine – something we wish we had had more of during our time in Trieste. Our train passed through Venice – Mestre so we have no idea why we needed to transfer in Venice – St. Lucia, but it was fun to see Venice come into view over the water. As we settled into our seats for the final leg into Vicenza we watched in amazement while many people wrestled enormous suitcases and trunks onto the train. There was a slight contretemps when late borders pulled our bags out of the storage area, put their own in and left ours in the aisle. It’s hard to have an argument in a foreign language! Vicenza shows a good face immediately upon arriving as the street leading from the station to the historic center bisects parkland. We needed lunch and decided to take a flyer at one of the well-attended restaurants along the way just before entering the town gates. Finding a Turkish pizza/kebap place, Istanbul City, I sat at an outdoor table with the luggage while DH navigated the ordering process. Once the decision to order a pizza had been made the topping choices were vast, so DH finally told the counter person to make one as if he were making it for himself. By this time he and the counter person were like old friends. We ended up with a totally satisfying and tasty lunch, although the salad or wrap version of the pizza we got might have been easier to eat. The “pizza” came on a cracker like crust with shawarma lamb, sauce, lettuce, red onion, topped with competing swirls of both a spicy sauce and a yogurt sauce. Big spenders - lunch was $11 euros with water. Then we checked in to our hotel, the Palazzo Scamozzi, just a bit inside the city gate on the main street. The Scamozzi is a lovely hotel, and perfectly located for a visit to Vicenza. Our room was large and comfortable, the staff were all great, and the breakfast was quite good. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting our bearings, locating some restaurants on our list, and window shopping. I purchased some beautiful linens from a little home goods store called Maison Marguerite, and the owner let us know that the next day, Sunday, an antiques market would be set up all over the city. The day was warm and clear, and we noticed many people carrying enormous bouquets which we assumed were going home to Mom for Mother’s Day. We visited the Duomo, and also the Chiasa di S. Lorenzo with it beautiful cloister. A choir was practicing while we were there so we took a video of the cloister just for the beautiful music. Dinner was at Osteria Bertoliana – a Google find. The restaurant is small, and off the beaten path. Our sweet waitress struggled to describe the special salad until utilizing all of our Italian, French, and English we determined it was a beet salad. It was very good. Later, when the table of newcomers next to us was trying to determine what the salad was, we heard “aubergine”, so we had to interject. After splitting the beet salad, DH had bucatini with a cow’s milk blue cheese, and I had a beautifully prepared omelette with green garlic. With water and one glass of wine the total was $56 euros. As I paid the bill I remarked on all the yummy cookies displayed on the counter. The waitress asked me if I wanted one, and putting a finger to her lips, she handed me a delicious biscotti. We ended the day with a gelato at Capo di Latte. Of course we had to try their award winning crocantina. It was very good, but our favorite might still be the one in Modena, or perhaps Padua, well maybe the one in Bologna. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00b7d6d3dc.jpg Chiesa di San Lorenzo, Vicenza - DH photo |
Lovely visit to Vicenza! Looking forward to further impressions of Vicenza, a city I really liked.
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Originally Posted by annw
(Post 17663972)
Lovely visit to Vicenza! Looking forward to further impressions of Vicenza, a city I really liked.
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May 11 – Vicenza
We had a very nice breakfast at the hotel, although I researched how to ask for soft eggs – morbido – for the next day, and asked for “molto morbido” the following day. We headed out into a pleasantly warm day, and being Sunday, we found ourselves perusing menus as we toured the town. True to word, it seemed as if every piazza was filled with stands of antique dealers, as well as a fair number of junk and vintage clothing dealers. There was a nice buzz of activity as we made our way down the Corso Palladio and through to Piazza dei Signori, the main piazza. Almost the entire piazza was filled with umbrellas shading sellers’ stalls, the cafes were filled, and there was a great jazz group singing on the steps of the Basilica Palladiana. We listened to a few songs and purchased one of their CDs before winding our way back to the main street ending at the Piazza Matteotti. Piazza Matteotti is the site of two of Vicenza’s main attractions – the Teatro Olimpico and the Palazzo Chiericati. But it is also the site of one of the Tourist Information offices where we stepped in for a map and tickets to the sights. We purchased what is called the Silver Museum Card good for 8 days and 4 attractions. Many sites would be closed the following day, Monday, so we needed to prioritize and plan. We began our official tour with the Teatro Olimpico. It doesn’t take long to see the theater, but it was wonderful to sit on the ancient tiers of seats, imagining the actors performing up and down the streets of Scamozzi’s set. From there we went across to the city museum and art gallery, the Palazzo Chiericati. It is filled with lots and lots and lots of religious art. A highlight for me was a Venetian triptych from the 1300’s. Our ticket was good for two more visits, but as it was close to 3 we skipped the Santa Corona (in retrospect a poor decision) and thought to get something for lunch before checking out the Basilica Palladiana. We never did get anything for lunch, but we were rewarded with the significant views over Vicenza high above the crowd, and directly across from the Loggia del Capitaniato. There was a display on the main floor of famous theaters – many we have been inside of – that was interesting. Dinner options on a Sunday, holiday evening, were limited. Our hotel suggested two places nearby. One was closed for a private event, so we headed around the corner from the hotel to Cafe Naturale. It’s a very casual, pleasant place with some outdoor seating. More of a lunch spot, but we were satisfied. We split a nice green salad. I had a very good dish of gnocchi, and DH had a mushroom fettucini. We ended the evening with another gelato at Capo di Latte. We shared a three scoop cup of nocciola and two other flavors (more than likely chocolate and pistachio or coffee) for $5 euros. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...56abc76caf.jpg A glimpse of the sky in Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20f6865d22.jpg A view over Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza - DH photo May 12 – Vicenza After another good breakfast we headed off into a gorgeous, sunny, spring day. This was a quiet day in the historic center after the weekend energy. Lots of stores were closed. We remarked that while it was quiet it wasn’t deserted, and many residents were out walking their dogs. It was pleasant to wander the center, sharing it with its rightful owners. We popped into a store that had fascinated me as it appeared to sell only candy and junk food, similar to one we had seen in Milan that had been jammed with people purchasing Easter chocolate. I’m not talking about a 7-Eleven size store, but much larger. I was seriously tempted by the giant bags of Bonele gum drops, but resisted. We did purchase a numbered birthday candle for our granddaughter’s upcoming celebration. After that we went to a real grocery store just outside the city gate in order to get taralli – the tiny round bar snacks – and dried porcini. Yes, you can get dried porcini at home, but in Italy they are larger and much less expensive, and they make great little gifts for foodie friends. They are also light-weight, and pack pretty flat. We then took a round-about way to the park just outside the city walls and across the river – Parco Querini – a lovely spot with pathways around a large green leading to an island topped with a temple. We spent quite a bit of time watching a school group running relays. Let’s just say they need a lot of training on baton hand-offs before heading to the Olympics. We took another round-about way back to the historic center, and it looked like there could be much more of interest in the surrounding town for a tourist who had more time than we did. Our chosen lunch spot, Il Ceppo, was closed so we headed back to Cafe Natural. It was satisfactory. We then went to the Diocesan Museum which includes in its collection a splinter from the Crown of Thorns. Dinner was another one of the “best of the trip” meals at Antico Guelfo. We had saved it for last because it is open on Monday, but we soon found ourselves wishing we had another evening to dine there again. DH had a spaghetti with a sauce of reduced yellow cherry tomatoes, straciatella, bread crumbs and pistachio. I had an herb ravioli, and we split the tenderloin of deer. We also split a tiramisu, mostly because it was our last “real” night of the trip. With cover, water, and a bottle of Lagrein the total was $99 euros. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6cecc96394.jpg One section of the "Junk Food" store, Vicenza - DH photo https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a71156d8d5.jpg Parco Querini, Vicenza - DH photo May 13 – Travel Day to Milan We are sad to be leaving Vicenza. We left so much undone, but totally enjoyed our time in this pleasant small city. It is extremely walkable, and I liked the fact that there are several piazzas, each with its own flavor. I wish that I had done a bit of study before arriving. Here is a good website for the area. Today is all about repositioning for home. While it is possible to get from Vicenza to Malpensa in time for a late afternoon flight, we are too risk averse for that, so after a final breakfast of molto morbido scrambled eggs we were once again on a train. Arriving at Milan Centrale, we checked our bags and had a late lunch a few blocks away from the station. We then took the train to Malpensa where we called for the shuttle to Hotel Cardano Malpensa. DH found this hotel the last time we needed an overnight near the airport. It has been newly renovated, is reasonably priced, has a decent buffet breakfast, and shuttle service. The biggest draw for DH is that about two blocks away is Mastropizza. Pizza he had been thinking about for a few years. We split a 14” pizza and had two beers for $23 euros. The variety of quality toppings is overwhelming. The dining room is spare, about what you would expect from an order-at-the-counter place. May 14 – Malpensa to SFO We took the hotel shuttle to the airport, and ate lunch in the Star Alliance lounge which had pretty good food – far better than Frankfurt. Our itinerary was Malpensa - Frankfurt – San Franciso – BART – Lyft – Home! This was a great trip. Thanks for following along! DH’s photolog has far fewer words and far more photos if you are interested. |
Originally Posted by annw
(Post 17662629)
Very informative, PJ; thanks again.
(And, I used to ride the N Judah to/from work!) |
Grazie Mille. This is a fantastic report and allowed me to learn about parts of Italy I didn't know much about.
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Glorious report, and photos!
I want to visit Trieste just to eat at Trattoria Nero di Seppie..and the prices seem so reasonable. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this...superb job!! |
Great report! Thanks for doing it.
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