45° 38' 55" Nord 13° 46' 48" Est

There is a Heaven on the Earth and its name is Trieste

It’s not that I have travelled a lot in my life (there’s still time, I hope), but I’m sure Trieste is one of the most beautiful cities that exist! It’s hugged by Slovenia, flirting with Croatia, cuddling with the Adriatic see.  Wikipedia says it’s one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy. And, in fact, when visiting the city, you can feel the spirit of the empire of Austria-Hungary (said by someone really bad at history). It’s everything, but Italian. You can hear Italian language, people born here are called Italians and that’s all.

Trieste is a cradle of cultures, a lovely place where Latin, Slavic and German cultures meet. You can see it in the streets, smell it in the kitchen. It’s the place where Nothing SE POL, but everything is possible. There’s something magical in its sunsets, in the air, in Bora (that I still cannot stand), in that wonderful deep blue see, in the colorful and warm Carso. Its main square, Piazza Unità leaves everyone wordless.

I used to meet my great Serbian friend during the spring/summer, after work. We would take a gelato and go to Molo to have our girl talk and watch the sea and the sunset. The sky is different here, the Sun is warmer, the air is lighter. There are beautiful places for trekking, great roads for cycling, lovely ski centers. The only thing Trieste doesn’t have is the city center. It doesn’t really exist. The only annoying thing about Trieste is Bora. Everything else is like a dream.

Today was D-day for sailors. It’s Barcolana, the symbol of Trieste. You can read more about it on Wikipedia.

Training in Trieste

On Strava and Garmin Connect you can find my favorite running and cycling tracks. This summer I used to run to the sea, swim a bit and then go back home running. There are a lot of athletes in Trieste. What I like most about my morning runs is when I meet other runners and we say hi one to another. I like waking up before the sunrise and putting my heels on only after running 10K in the morning. I feel energized, vivid, awake, satisfied and proud of myself. I like running 5K hills before my morning coffee. Ah, that’s another thing about running in Trieste! You can find both flat terrain and great hills, asphalt or ground. Whatever you prefer. There’s nothing more you could ask for. As for swimming, as far as I know, there are just two swimming pools (closed during the summer), always full, so it’s almost impossible to do a planned workout.

Angels  in Trieste

Trieste is famous for its impolite and rude sales stuff. Fortunately, there are a few lovely stores with great personnel. One of them is a bike center Mathitech. You can find everything you need for your riding buddy and amazing guys that will help you take care of him. I like taking Pedro there. Recently, they opened a bike coffee shop, where you can take a break and buy yourself gels and protein bars. I think that was a great idea and I hope their business is running well. I am really grateful for all advices they gave me and all time they dedicated to me and Pedro. I will be happy to go back there and I will certainly advise everyone to visit them!

I met a guy who told me about one triathlete club in Trieste named Sport Pool Trieste. I found them on FaceBook, wrote to them, telling them I was looking for other triathletes in Trieste who I could train with and who I could ask for help regarding trainings and races. They were happy to give me a warm welcome to their club. I am not yet their member, but I’m on their mailing-list and I hope I will meet soon some of them. They seem like a really nice group. I am already friend with some of them on Strava and we always give Kudos to each other. It’s nice to have such a support.

I used to go running with a group of people from work before they left Trieste and moved to Milan and Paris. I got to know better a few people this summer when I was considering whether to try my hand at triathlon or not. I asked them for advice when choosing my bike and my equipment and all of them were eager to help me! My Ireland friend even went to the store with me, helped me choose everything I needed and went for a very first ride with me, teaching me how to unclip my shoes and not fall from Pedro. He had a lot of patience.

I cannot but to mention the guy from Sportler, a triathlete, that helped me choose my new goggles and swimming cap. He was so enthusiastic when I told him I was a triathlete beginner. Although the store was closing, he was full of patience and incredibly gentle.

I haven’t met yet impolite athletes in Trieste. They were all angels, ready to help. Please, make them your role model, be someone’s support, be someone’s role model, someone’s angel in your city! Don’t forget that the more you give the more you will get!