We crossed into Slovenia with the greetings from a jovial border guard who welcomed us with the words: “ Americanski! Ahead is paradise! All is free!”
Our hotel – Barbara Piran is a modern hotel directly on the beach in a cove around the corner from Piran itself. We walked the kilometer along the shore into the village – another little seaside port clutching to the craggy coastline. More lovely piazzas and waterfront and we discovered a gem of a restaurant specializing in seafood where I had my first calamari of the trip.
Today a long awaited visit to Trieste (just 30 or so km away) and it didn’t disappoint.
The largest square facing the sea in Europe – Piazza Unita d’Italia
Cattedrale di San Giusto Martire sits on a hilltop overlooking the city. The 14th-century cathedral built on a Roman temple for Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, known for its elaborate frescoes & Ravenna mosaics.
The Grand Canal was carved out in 1754 in order for ships to bring goods directly into the city center to warehouses.
The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, built in 1784 so merchant seamen had the freedom to worship openly.
We walked out on Bold Wharf which was built over the capsized vessel San Carlo in 1740. We saw this strange looking ship out in the harbor and discovered its ownership.
From Chat Gpt:
That distinctive ship—with the three very tall, bare masts and sleek white, almost “submarine-like” hull—is the famous superyacht Sailing Yacht A.
It belongs to Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.
A few quick identifiers that confirm it:
- It’s the largest sailing yacht in the world (about 143 meters long)
- Has three enormous carbon-fiber masts (~100m tall)
- Designed by Philippe Starck with a very futuristic, minimalist look
It’s one of the most recognizable yachts on the planet—if you see that silhouette, it’s almost certainly this one.