Getting Lost and Found in Trieste Italy

September 9, 2017

We have had a wonderful stay in Koper at the Student Apt. /Hostel Villa Domus. The facilities are extraordinary and certainly don't resemble what we recall of student housing from our days at University.

The staff at the hostel were amazing! Notably, Appolonia who went out of her way to help us.

A fully equipped kitchenette, nice bathroom and spacious room for two with floor to ceiling windows giving a panoramic view of the old town and the waterfront on each end. It is a nice touch that it is also air conditioned.
We liked that we could walk out our door to sightsee, stroll along the waterfront or half a block to supermarkets and mall (movie theatres as well!!).

Our panoramic view from our studio apartment at Hostel Villa Domus

Mary Ellen waving from our room on the 5th floor of the hostel

We had read that Koper is an undiscovered gem - the unknown cousin of the much visited Piran. We concur and agree that it is well worth a visit.

This muskrat waddled out of the canal in Koper and had a good grooming and yummy breakfast

It was a big debate whether to head to Trieste along the coast route (via Ankarnan, Muggia) or to follow the D8 (Peranzana rail route) across the middle of the peninsula, up and over to Trieste. We decided to do the latter and it was a good choice.

We encountered three groups of kindergarten and grade two kids out for a walk with their teachers. When we told them that I had been an elementary school teacher in Canada they were very excited and a bit incredulous that men teach early primary grades. They were also envious of Barry's status as a pensioner.

The ascents were gentle and followed an interesting route through villages and forest.

Things got complicated near Muggia, Italy however, as we suddenly came upon a cluster of cyclists not knowing where to go. The GPS track tells you to go down the hill on the main road, but there are huge signs telling you not to enter. Where to go? Finally we found a map that had arrows directing us back a ways and to follow the freeway. It was not a good route, but it got us to where we needed to go.
We felt bad for one couple - Mary Ellen tried to show the fellow the right way to go on the map, but he insisted that he only will do what the GPS shows. His wife gave us a knowing look and we wished them well.
Signage disappeared in Trieste and the GPS track made no sense. In vast old European cities, it can be a bit of a maze to find your way as the streets are curved with no grid to follow. We ended up going in a bit of a circle. Finally, we braved the main road and got in to the centre.
Trieste has a beautiful main square and the core looks worthy of spending time here. However, we just looked around briefly, had an Italian ice cream cone and started heading out. Being a Friday, we didn't want to get caught in a rush.

The massive and most impressive old town square in Trieste. We took a series of panoramic photos and it is impossible to capture the extensive detail and beauty of the square.

As it turned out, that was not possible. The traffic was fierce and we simply had to "white knuckle" it and find our way. At times, there was a bike lane on the sidewalk, but the bumps from tree roots and the curb at intersections, forced us to give up and go back on the road.

When we crossed over into Italy the quality of the bike path became a little suspect. First we got lost, along with the other cyclists, on the downhill approach to Trieste, as the road pattern changed to one way and was dangerous. Finally we found a way to backtrack and follow a narrow sidewalk along the freeway. Then we encountered obstacles like this on the route. In cities, the way can be challenging, so we will take to the road. We like it better in the countryside as we can opt for secondary roads.

Delicious Italian ice-cream. It was worth lining up for

To escape the Friday traffic, we decided to stop and stay on the outskirts of Trieste. Hotel Tritone was a good choice and is located in a beautiful spot across from the sea, parks and an expansive pedestrian way which will be good for us to ride on tomorrow.

We went for a long walk along the sea and found a family run Allimentaire (grocery/deli). What a find!

The waterfront promenade is a wonderful place to explore

Miramare Castle is an iconic landmark in Trieste.

We watched these marine birds sunning themselves on the rocks. Like us, they are enjoying sunshine again.

The owner works behind the deli and his charm and enthusiasm helped us find what we needed to have dinner in our room. Freshly picked apples in the housemade strudel for dessert (first things first, after all!), a slab of his favourite cheese from Trieste, slices of freshly roasted ham, 2 ciabatta buns and Italian red wine. Yum, we can't wait to dig in to our first Italian meal.

This neighbourhood Allimentaire is full of quality, house made specialties - many choices for dinner.

The owner was very enthusiastic about his food and carves some freshly roasted ham for our dinner.

Dinner in our room, courtesy of the Allimentaire.

Our hotel is very quiet and we are located on the back which gives us a view of the steep hills behind. A wonderful end to an interesting day.

Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 2,240 km (1,391 miles)

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