Trieste: Fog, Coffee, and a Whole Lot of 'Huh?'

okay, so trieste. i didn't plan on trieste, honestly. it was a last-minute "let's just…go" kinda thing after a gig in ljubljana fell through. and wow. it's…a mood.

first off, the *weather. i just looked and it's…damp. perpetually. like someone's constantly misting the entire city with a very subtle, melancholic spray. the temperature's hovering around 10.63 celsius, but it feels colder, like 10.12. the humidity is insane - 91 percent. you can practically taste the moisture. it's not unpleasant, just…present. the air pressure is a solid 1000, and the sea level is, well, sea level. the ground level is a bit lower, 978, which explains why my ankles feel perpetually soggy.

and the neighbors? well, if you get restless, vienna is a train ride away, and zagreb isn't too bad either. but honestly, trieste feels like it wants to keep you in trieste. it's got this weird gravitational pull.

someone at the bar - a tiny, smoky place near the Piazza Unità d'Italia - told me that the locals call the fog "the white lady." apparently, she's a bit of a gossip and knows everyone's secrets.

i spent most of my time wandering, getting lost in the labyrinthine streets. the architecture is…intense. a mix of austrian, italian, and something else entirely. it's like the city is having an identity crisis, but a really stylish one. i stumbled upon this amazing little antique shop, full of chipped porcelain and dusty books. the owner, a woman named elena, barely spoke english, but she gave me a strong espresso and a knowing smile.

coffee, by the way, is a serious business here. forget your pumpkin spice lattes. this is proper, dark, bitter espresso. i found a place called Caffè San Marco (https://www.caffesanmarco.it/) that's apparently been around forever. it's a bit touristy, but the coffee is worth it. i overheard someone complaining that it's gotten "too fancy" lately, but honestly, i didn't notice.

i also tried to find some good restaurants. i heard from a guy at the hostel (a surprisingly decent place, check out the reviews on https://www.hostelworld.com/) that Trattoria Nerodiseppia is the place to go for seafood. apparently, it's a bit pricey, but the portions are huge. i also saw some good reviews for Ristorante Al Vecchio Porticciolo (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g194705-d789999-Reviews-Ristorante_Al_Vecchio_Porticciolo-Trieste_Friuli_Venezia_Giulia.html) on TripAdvisor. i didn't make it to either, mostly because i kept getting distracted by pastry shops.

a local warned me to be careful walking around the Rive at night. apparently, it's not dangerous, exactly, but "things happen." she winked. i didn't ask for details.

honestly, trieste is a bit of a puzzle. it's not conventionally beautiful, but it's…compelling. it's a city that rewards slow exploration, getting lost, and embracing the damp. it's a place where you can sit in a cafe* for hours, sipping espresso and watching the world go by. it's a place that will probably leave you with more questions than answers. and honestly? i'm okay with that. if you're looking for something different, something a little bit weird, check out Trieste. you might just fall for it. you can find more info on the city's official tourism website: https://www.turismofvg.it/en/destinations/trieste. and if you're into local events, this board is pretty active: https://www.yelp.com/trieste