I had completely forgotten until a friend reminded me today that Trieste was travel writer Jan Morris favorite city. I had read her book years ago and it was only when reminded that it all came back to me

Trieste is an anomaly. A city tucked into the NE corner of Italy that seems strangely not very Italian. Until it was lost after WW1 Trieste had been part of the Austrian empire. It had once been the base of the Austrian navy as as a result it is full of Hapsburg imperial structures and wide plazas

It is also the cafe capital of Italy . Like Vienna the city is chock full of artistic coffee shops and like Italy full of great restaurants.

I spent the day wandering through the city from the waterfront up to the Castelle San Giusti overlooking the city. I was really surprised by the pulse and feel of the city. I stumbled into the cathedral and watched as a family with 5 kids baptized their 6th and a group of kids celebrating their holy first communion stood for pictures.

In Trieste I felt this was a real city , a former imperial city but a real city that exists not for tourists but for its citizens. I liked it very much