Day 3 — Falling in Love with Trieste

Sometimes the best travel days aren’t the ones filled with famous landmarks.

They’re the days when a city quietly stops feeling like a destination and starts feeling like somewhere you could imagine living.

That happened to me today.

I started the morning at Caffè degli Specchi, one of Trieste’s historic cafés overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia. Sitting outside in the cool morning air with a cappuccino, sparkling water, and the surprisingly generous French breakfast special—egg, fresh salad and a warm ham-and-cheese panini—I watched one of Europe’s most beautiful squares slowly come alive.

The entire breakfast cost only €13, which somehow made the experience even sweeter.

After yesterday’s heat, the weather was perfect for walking.

Instead of chasing attractions, I simply wandered.

Through Piazza Cavana.

Past the Arco di Riccardo.

Up San Giusto Hill to the cathedral and castle.

Through the park.

Down toward the Roman Theatre.

No rush.

No checklist.

Just enjoying Trieste.

Lunch at Magna Bistrò turned out to be another wonderful surprise. A perfectly cooked steak with grilled vegetables and sparkling water for only €28.50—delicious, beautifully balanced, and exactly the right portion after a long morning walk.

Then came what I thought would be the biggest disappointment of the day.

I arrived at Madreperla, where I had made and confirmed a reservation earlier that morning, only to be told they had cancelled it because the restaurant was full. There was little explanation and even less apology.

For a moment I thought the evening had been ruined.

Instead, it became one of my favorite nights of the trip.

Just around the corner I discovered Skaramanzia, a small Greek restaurant with exceptional hospitality. My waiter brought several white wines for me to taste before helping me choose one from Campania that paired beautifully with slow-cooked lamb and vegetable caponata. Dessert was a delicate tiramisu cream that ended the evening perfectly.

Sometimes the backup plan becomes the memory.

In between meals I accidentally spent much of the afternoon building a little European wardrobe. After trying on dozens of pieces, I came home with several wonderful basics—but the clear winner was a pair of beautifully made patchwork linen pants. They somehow worked with nearly every top I owned, and back at the hotel I found myself happily creating outfit after outfit instead of worrying about packing.

By the end of the day I had walked nearly 17,000 steps, climbed 25 flights of stairs, and, surprisingly, didn’t feel tired at all.

The jet lag seems to have disappeared.

More importantly, something else happened.

Yesterday I admired Trieste.

Today I started falling in love with it.

Maybe it was the cooler weather.

Maybe it was finally settling into the rhythm of travel.

Or maybe Trieste simply reveals itself slowly.

It’s compact without feeling small.

Elegant without being pretentious.

Full of beautiful cafés, incredible coffee, wonderful little shops, and streets that invite you to wander without any particular destination.

For the first time since arriving, I caught myself thinking:

I’m actually sad that I’ll be leaving soon.