Making Each Day Count

After a few wonderful days in Ljubljana, we bid goodbye to the beautiful country of Slovenia. We walked to the bus station and braced ourselves for a long travel day ahead. Our FlixBus ride was scheduled for 9:15 AM, bound for Trieste, Italy. But as the minutes ticked by with no bus in sight, we could not help but feel anxious. A train ride awaits us in Trieste, and we were nervous we might miss it.
At last, around 10:00 AM, the bus pulled in. With a sigh of relief, we boarded and relaxed as we rode on toward the Italian border.

In less than two hours, we arrived in Trieste. We admired the elegant seafront architecture, with the Adriatic Sea adding to its appeal. We couldn’t help but wish we had more time to explore, but the railway schedule called.

From Trieste Centrale, we boarded TrenItalia that would take us to our next stop. The journey was not direct and included two train transfers. The first transfer was at Venice Mestre, and the second transfer was at Verona Porta Nuova. If I were to describe the transfers in one word, it would be “hectic.” We found ourselves racing through train stations, rolling our suitcase behind us, hoping to make it to our platforms before the trains departed. It did not help that our platforms were at the far ends of the stations. Thankfully, we made it on time for both changes. Once we were finally on the train from Verona to Brescia, our final destination for that day, we relaxed again.

We arrived at Brescia at 4:30 PM. With only a night to explore the city, we booked a hotel just a few hops away from the train station for convenience. After a quick check-in, we stepped out to make the most of our limited time.

Brescia, though often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, surprised us with its quiet charm and history. We began our walking tour at the Piazza dei Due Duomi, just in time for its two cathedrals ringing their bells.

We first entered the Duomo Vecchio (Old Cathedral). It is a striking round Romanesque church.

Next door was the Duomo Nuovo (New Cathedral), which has a grand Baroque facade.

We wandered next to Piazza della Loggia, where Renaissance buildings framed the lovely square. We indulged in a gelato as we sat and watched people go about their early evening activities.

After our gelato, we walked on to Piazza Vittoria, where a curious sight caught our eye. We saw a suspended rhinoceros. It was quirky and oddly delightful.

We ended our mini-tour with a bit of cardio as we climbed up to the Castello di Brescia. It is a hilltop fortress that offers panoramic views of the city.

On the way back, we grabbed a light dinner at an Italmark grocery store before heading back to the hotel. We knew another long travel day awaited us the next morning.

Stay tuned and join us on our next destination.