 |
| Trieste’s Piazzia D’Italia |
Tucked neatly away in the far northeast corner of Italy is the city of Trieste. Five miles inland and to the east is Slovenia. Go 19 miles south of Trieste and you’ll be in Croatia. If you take a few steps westward from the Piazza D’Italia (the cities main square) you’ll be swimming in the Adriatic Sea. The 200,000 residents of Trieste live in a beautiful and serene part of Italy.
 |
| With my new haircut and without my glasses we could be twins. There are statues of people who have shaped Trieste’s history located throughout the city. |
We ended up in Trieste thanks to a huge change the city of Venice made in 2021. Concerned with overcrowding and a destruction of the foundation, which was leading to increased flooding, Venice banned large cruise ships from docking in its port. “Large cruise ships” by their definition is any ship over 25,000 tons. This is practically all cruise ships with the exception of “river cruise ships” and very small, exclusive ones. It was a bold move, but in my opinion, the right move. The canals of Venice are very delicate and need to be protected for both residents and future visitors.
The ban created opportunities for other cities with suitable ports close to Venice to improve their tourism economy. Trieste is one of those cities that has benefited from Venice’s ban. Seems like it’s been a “win-win” for all parties.
 |
| Sunrise over the city of Trieste and the mountains of Slovenia. |
Trieste was the end of the first of our “back to back” cruises. When we docked, we, and 96 others staying on board for the next cruise, steered clear of the 2,500 or so passengers that were disembarking. Some of our fellow “back to backers” have been on since the Pearl left New York in mid-April. They should apply for a job on board.
 |
| The Grand Canal of Trieste. |
Because we booked the cruises separately we had to change rooms. This isn’t a big deal since we travel pretty light. We simply had to pack things up and leave the bags in the room. The cabin stewards moved them to the new cabin sometime during the day.
While the cabins were being prepared for the new passengers, who were arriving mostly from Venice (about 80 miles away), we were enjoying our day exploring Trieste.
The city is scenic, and very walkable. The ship docked less than a quarter mile from the city center. There is a tourist information center in the main square (Piazzia D’Italia) that provided a great map and suggested walking route.
 |
| There were both Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches near the city center |
 |
| The Roman Theater ruins. Construction on the theater began in the 1st century BC. |
 |
| It’s a walkable and “sitable”city! |
We enjoyed walking a bit on the lower section of the city before stopping for a cappuccino break. Trieste is famous for their coffee and it certainly lived up to its expectations. Fully caffeinated, we then made our way to the Castillo do San Goisto, which is a fortress castle that sits high above the city.
 |
| Castillo do San Giusto |
 |
| Cathedral do San Giusto is located next to the castle |
 |
| A delicious lunch of Italian tapas at Palato deli near the city center |
We finished the day back down the hillside in the old town area. Speaking of old……when we got back on the ship we were much older. The demographic had changed dramatically. Spring has given way to summer and the Norwegian Pearl is now full of families with school and college age kids. We’re now the old folks on the ship!
We hadn’t studied the map of the cruise itinerary very much. We knew where we were going and their approximate locations. As we waived goodbye to Trieste we didn’t realize that in two days we’d be back within walking distance of Trieste……but that’s a story for another blog!
