| I finally found Internet access here in Graz. | | | | restaurant called "Delfin". My brother of |
| Not the easiest thing I have to admit. Had to | | | | course had fish, one of the local |
| ask 3 people and finally went to the tourist | | | | specialities. I ended up picking up a stomach |
| info who competently directed me to an | | | | virus and on Sunday and Monday I was dealing |
| Internet Cafe. | | | | with some very unpleasant symptoms. Sunday |
| | | | morning we checked out and continued our |
| The last few days have been interesting. The | | | | journey towards Italy. |
| first day my sister-in-law and I took a | | | | |
| little tour through my home town of Weiz, and | | | | After about 30 minutes of driving and |
| in the 8 years that I haven't been here there | | | | basically no border check at the |
| has been a lot of change. New buildings, | | | | Slovenian-Italian border we ended up in |
| renovations, traffic reorganization. It | | | | Trieste, a city of 270,000 people, and a |
| almost felt like being in a different place. | | | | major industrial and port city at the north |
| | | | end of the Adriatic. Trieste used to be part |
| On Saturday my brother, sister-in-law and I | | | | of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the |
| started our little weekend tour to Slovenia | | | | architecture is very reminiscent of many |
| and Italy. We drove on the highway to | | | | Austrian cities. We visited the main square |
| Austria's border with Slovenia (only about 45 | | | | with the City Hall, checked out the "Canale |
| minutes from my home town). Then we continued | | | | Grande", an outlet of the sea that stretches |
| on for about another hour and 15 minutes to | | | | into the city. |
| the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. We parked | | | | |
| the car by the river and took a little walk | | | | On the harbourfront there was some sort of |
| to the central market. The place was just | | | | exhibition by the Italian Navy, the Military |
| packed and you can buy anything from fresh | | | | and various police organizations. 3 war ships |
| bread to meat, sausages, fish, vegetables, | | | | were parked in the harbour and apparently |
| fruit, flowers. People were out in full | | | | people were able to go on tour inside the war |
| force, even shopping for candles for the | | | | ships. All sorts of military and police |
| annual trip to the cemetery. After all it was | | | | vehicles were parked in the harbour area and |
| the weekend of All Saints Day and people take | | | | sailors, soldiers and policemen and women |
| their cemetery duties very seriously in | | | | were available to answer questions, pose for |
| Central Europe. | | | | photos etc. |
| | | | |
| We walked through the old town with its | | | | After our short stop in Trieste we continued |
| cobble-stoned streets and then started the | | | | our Northern Italian tour and stopped in the |
| steady climb up to the castle hill. At the | | | | town of Cividale, a medieval town that was |
| top is an old castle with a renovated tower | | | | originally built by the Germanic tribe of the |
| that can be accessed. You get to the top | | | | Langobards. It also has an old town core with |
| through a really interesting winding | | | | ancient churches, narrow cobble-stoned roads |
| staircase and once outside, there is a | | | | and the most famous sight is the "Tempietto", |
| beautiful 360 degree view of the surrounding | | | | the little temple that was built many |
| area, including the limestone outcrops of the | | | | hundreds of years ago by the Langobards. |
| Julian Alps. | | | | |
| | | | After lunch (where I couldn't eat any of the |
| After a brief lunch in a local pizzeria we | | | | Italian delicacies due to my stomach |
| continued our drive towards the Slovenian | | | | problems) we continued our way home through |
| coast. I couldn´t keep my eyes open since | | | | the Italian Val Canale, past Udine, Tolmezzo |
| I was so tired, so I missed a good part of | | | | towards the Austrian border. It had been |
| interesting landscape. The Postojna mountain | | | | raining for several days and it was still |
| pass is always interesting and after that we | | | | pouring and all the mountain streams were |
| got close to the Adriatic coast. We drove by | | | | very close to overflowing. Waterfalls |
| the Slovenian towns of Koper, Strunjan and | | | | overflowing with water were shooting down |
| Izola and finally ended up in Piran. | | | | from all the mountains and the major river, |
| | | | the Tagliamento, looked like it was going to |
| Piran (formerly Pirano - in Italian) was a | | | | flood the area in the very near future. |
| town that has changed hands many times among | | | | |
| many people. Most of its core was built by | | | | About 3.5 hours later we finally arrived back |
| the Venetians and on the hill above town | | | | home in Weiz, after driving through the |
| there is a clock tower whose style is very | | | | pouring rain. Sunday night and yesterday I |
| reminiscent of the Campanile in Venice. | | | | had to take it easy since my stomach was |
| Beside the harbour is a beautiful square with | | | | still bothering me a great deal. Today I |
| houses dating back several centuries. We | | | | finally took off, picked up my rental car at |
| checked into the Hostel-Hotel Garni Val, very | | | | the airport in Graz and I have spent the last |
| similar to a youth hostel, where we could | | | | 2 or 3 hours rediscovering my university |
| stay for Euro 20/night. My sister-in-law and | | | | town. I checked out the castle hill |
| I stayed in a room with 4 beds (2 of them | | | | (Schlossberg) in the middle of town, walked |
| bunkbeds), and washrooms/showers were in the | | | | up to the Uhrturm (clock tower), the symbol |
| hallway. | | | | of Graz, and looked at all the medieval |
| | | | remains of the old fortress castle on top of |
| We went on a beautiful stroll through town, | | | | the hill. I also walked through the town´s |
| again nice cobble-stoned streets, the weather | | | | centre, across the Hauptplatz (the main |
| was gorgeous, we had blue sky with about 20 | | | | square with its market, which also houses |
| degrees. Of course we climbed the belltower | | | | City Hall) and finally, after some extended |
| which gave us a beautiful 360 degree view of | | | | searching, ended up in this Internet cafe. |
| town and the Adriatic coast to the north, all | | | | |
| the way past Trieste. I almost got a heart | | | | So the last few days have been quite |
| attack when the bells of the clock tower | | | | exciting, Austria, Slovenia, Italy. The |
| started ringing right next to my ears. They | | | | beauty of Europe are the small distances |
| were unbelievably loud. | | | | between all the various places. A perfect |
| | | | place for a sightseeing aficionado. |
| We had a nice dinner in the evening in a | | | | |