Trieste - Roman Quarter etc.

Having had 2 days of driving and sightseeing in Slovenia we concentrated today on Trieste. We commenced in the old washhouse where a lot of cultural activity has been going on during our stay. We can hear the music and the clapping every night. Today there was art going on and an art exhibition.

We had seen San Giusto Church and castle on our hop on hop off tour but decided a more thorough examination was in order. This involved much downhill, much uphill, many steps and lots of expletives as my feet were inclined to go from under me on the inclines.  At any rate we saw the war memorial up near San Giusto.

We had taken a photo of it from below on the hop on hop off tour.

We took a tour of the outside of the castle and of the cathedral.

Having viewed the Roman remains outside San Giusto we made our way down the precarious route and admired the Roman Amphitheatre.

Following our explorations and subsequent return to terra firma a coffee was required.  That took about 45 minutes! Then we went into the Greek Orthodox Church San Nicolo.

We made our way to the Tourist Information Centre as we had a number of questions that required answers. En route we hit Piazza Unita and clearly there was something going on. An area outside the Cafe of Mirrors was cordoned off and what I recognised as Viennese music was emanating from that area. There were quite a number of men and women in costume and others involved in dancing. We had arrived just at the end of a performance.

Another question for the Tourist Information Office. Our previous experience at said Office had been less than productive but today we got the answers to all our questions plus an explanation of what was occurring in  the square. It was a historical event as a tribute to Elizabeth of Austria. Elizabeth of Austria was the wife of Franz Joseph 1. She was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungaria. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia. From an early age she was called Sissi. At one stage Trieste was the harbour of the Hapsburg Empire and Elizabeth was probably the best-loved Queen ever. In Piazza della Liberta, in front of the station, her statue towers from its Karst stone base. We saw it on our hop on hop off tour but have not yet got there on foot. Anyway today's (and tomorrow's) event had historical dance, Hungarian music, Viennese dance and music, vintage carriages and horses and, for some strange reason, Argentine Folklore and an Argentine Tango Show. Our plans for the rest of the day were quickly revised and, following a seafood salad, a quick return home for leg elevation and a quick return to Piazza Unita. We were fortunate to get a seat at the Cafe of Mirrors, though the beverages were expensive, and there we viewed the dancers of "The Ferrara Circle of the Dance Company" perform waltzes, Quadrilles, Mazurkas etc. in period costumes. I loved it! It brought me back to my secondary school days when I had learned such dances. I'm sure Jim simply endured it but he was enthralled particularly by a rather hirsute man whose partner and he had obviously changed costumes since earlier in the day.

These outdoor events were being followed by an operetta for which you had to pay and which took place in the Caffe degli Specchie. it was time for home for us. There were more events on Sunday but we enjoyed what we had seen and were ready for somewhere new.