I had a really welcome riverside walk with Lottie off the lead this morning. Even though I was in the city centre, the birds were twittering and you could see snow-capped peaks close by.
I came across Mur Insel, a beautifully-designed performance/exhibition space on an island in the middle of the river. Like everything else I saw in Graz, every effort had been made to ensure it was accessible and blended in with its surroundings, with top design and build quality.
At the end of this quick glimpse into life in a truly smart and enlightened city, I stepped onto one of the trams and was deposited at the station in minutes – after passing through Esperantoplatz (what else?). No fewer than three helpfully-placed and clearly marked lifts helped me and my baggage along the way to my platform and the train arrived exactly when it was supposed to, at 10:48. By that time I expected nothing less.
The train ride from Graz to Trieste was relaxing and spectacular on a beautiful warm, sunny day. I didn’t have to get off in Ljubljana, even though it technically counted as a change. We hung around for about 15 minutes while a bit of shunting and coupling went on, then we set off again.
During the journey, I finished a translation about the embroidery of the Ursuline Sisters in Trieste and chatted to a young Portuguese couple who are missing the dogs they’ve left back home. They want to take them travelling next time and were full of questions about my experience.
The train rolled into Trieste exactly on time after a final section along the coast with great sea views. It was a quick trot along to my apartment so I was able to dump my stuff and head out in time to catch some great sunset views.
Coming to Trieste feels like coming home because it’s Italy, because the city has a great buzz with lots of bars and eateries – and because my most long-standing client lives here and I’ve been translating stuff about exhibitions, conferences and public buildings here for over 20 years.
2022 and all that 