Two Cities

What a day.  It started early and it is ending late.  Our host in Bologna, Nicola, had invited us over for lunch, but he had a dentist appointment until almost 1, which meant if we accepted, we would take a later train back to Trieste, the place we'd decided to return to for the last few days of our trip.  And who could turn down such an offer?  We delayed our departure for mid-afternoon and tied up some loose ends before arriving at Nicola's.

In uncharacteristic fashion, we actually got up, finished packing and were out the door by after 9:00.  

The first thing we did was return to the covered market.  It was more chaotic than the last time we were there.  Groups of marauding shoppers, mostly women in search of bargains, crowded around particular stalls loudly vying for the attention of the shopkeepers  probably negotiating bulk discounts.  It was a lively colorful scene.  

A and N found a seat against a nearby building so I could try a few things on.  Sadly, I just didn't have it in me this time either.  I half heartedly tried a couple pairs of shorts but had no luck so gave up almost immediately.  Realistically I had very little room in my suitcase to add anymore clothes and in fact had to jettison a couple of tops at one point.  Here are 2 phots of the market, one from within and one looking at it from the safety of the arcades across the street.

Lunch was great.  Nicola's housekeeper, Elena, made and served a simple pasta and salad in the dining room.  A few days before Nicola had given us a tour of their house.  In the previous post, the picture that shows the entry hall to our apartment has a gated door onto a garden at the end of the hall.  Their house is out in that garden.  Nicola grew up in this house and it's been in their family for hundreds of years.  

I'll make a long story short.  After lunch, Nicola called us a cab and we took that to the train station.  We had assigned seats this time and found ourselves sitting in a little private compartment with a family of three from Vermont.  We spent the entire three and a half hour trip talking.  It was sad to part but we exchanged information and maybe one day we'll see each other again.

We arrived in Trieste in time and after stashing our belongings set out for dinner.  We found this funky restaurant around the corner that's known for its amazing food and impromptu music scene.  The owner, Edoardo, gave us a little history of the building.  You can't see the floors in these pictures but suffice it to say they are this incredible mosaic of old tiles salvaged from churches.  I took a little video and can show you more when we get home.  We had seafood and more seafood for dinner.  N had home made gnocchi with goulash.  Sigh.

No one was there to eat tonight just hang out and talk to Eddie.  At one point his wife, the cook, was outside talking loudly to a police officer.  Not long after, the officer came in, stood near our table, removed his belt complete with holster, placed the whole contraption on the floor near me and then looked around.  I was sitting right there not three feet away and had no idea what to do or expect.  Well, he sat down at the keyboard and started to play improvised jazz, of course.  So A picked up a bass that was sitting close by and Eddie climbed in to the drum kit and they started playing as if it were something they did all the time.  

But they do sit around and play all the time.  The restaurant is set up for just that.  I'm not even going to try to describe this place...you'll just have to look closely at the pictures...it's almost 1:00 and I'm just too tired.  I've been up for almost 24 hours!  Don't worry I took some video of their jam sesh (and more views of the restaurant) but you'll just have to wait until we get home to see it.