On our way to Slovenia we stayed in Gorizia for three days to see the far eastern part of Italy that none of us had ever visited.  Gorizia is a city divided in two, one part in Italy and the other in Slovenia.  It's a small, very quiet, civilized place.  Everyone is exceedingly well dressed and polite and it has a feel of the genteel to it.  We loved dining there as the food is wonderful, the wines amazing, the service great, (unlike the "doing-you-a-favor" service one gets here), and it costs much less than this area.   The only problem is finding a restaurant that is open.  Evidently, Gorizians don't go out much in the evenings.  The streets were deserted after dark, everything was closed and dining establishments were hard to come by.  But each dinnertime we managed to track down something and each place was lovelier than the last.  Nice little city, that Gorizia. 

One day we drove to Trieste, a huge port on the Adriatic.  It has the largest seaside square in Europe.  Apart from that and some very nice shopping areas the city didn't thrill me.  It has the feel of a port, grey and industrial.  In Trieste we walked up to the city's castle (as they all have at least one) to get the lay of the land.  There was some sort of military ceremony going on at the large chapel attached to the castle.  Dozens of old men in matching uniforms milled around in groups.  The Alpini, (mountain troupes), who are famous for their drinking, were passing a bottle in the parking lot.  GP wouldn't let me join them.

 Next Caves and Venice.  xxoo me

Alpini

Gorizia

Every holiday with my parents there are these @#%! stairs!

Gorizia's main square

I love this fountain in Trieste!  So do the birds.