Trieste, a not-quite-Italian city nestling in the armpit of Adriatic, is an unusual holiday destination. As unusual as it may sound, we’ve learned how exceptional she is for us. Originally, we had planned only to stay overnight, wander somewhere near, then board on a bus to Croatia the next afternoon. But with a change of plan due to Croatia’s terrible weather, we ended up staying for two nights. And thankfully we did. A melting pot between 3 countries with layers of convoluted history, Trieste has always been the capital of trade, culture, music, and literature. She’s not ashamed of opening out onto the Adriatic, giving you a pleasant seaside walk to soak up in the sunny spring breeze. She offers a great deal of urban open spaces with laid back atmosphere and ‘mature’ citizens. I’m pretty sure you will encounter some of the nicest Italian in Trieste, where lives a lady who was unusually happy to help travellers on a bus, or a jolly Santa Claus train staff who helped them chose the best train solution to get back to Bari. 

Stefano, the owner of B&B Trieste Plus who was about our age, favoured us one of the best stays in Italy with a surprise Easter apple pie. Trieste is very enviable in terms of high quality of life. It was unparalleled and we certainly will find a way back here when we’re old and grey.