Day 26. Final day! Another hot night, luckily this time with air-conditioning. A lovely breakfast and at 7h20 I am leaving. After 10 minutes up in the first woods I find a wallet on a bench. Open but cards and ID are still there. I walk back into town to a cafe and am advised to go to the carabinieri, the police. Two minutes later I ring the door to be very unfriendly advised through the interphone that they open only at 9am. They don’t understand what I am saying so I head back to the cafe and give it to the staff who promise to bring it to the police later. So much about wanting to help, at least at the café they are friendly and thank me. 

Now it’s really time to go! Again I take the beautiful Rilke trail, called so after Rainer Maria Rilke who lived some time at the Duino castle and loved to walk along the coast. The hike along the cliff offers great views back to the castle and ahead to Trieste. I cannot quite believe it’s the last day and I will really be finishing today!

Soon I reach Sinistre, then a short hike along the road but luckily up again to more cliff hiking and some nice forest. A tower offers an even better view and time for a second breakfast. I am astonished how nicely the final day isn’t much following the road but offers great cliff and forest trails. 

Trieste is getting closer and bigger on the Napoleon trail, an immense project to build a wide road to Trieste under Napoleon that wasn’t completed though as it was far too expensive. 

And then it’s a steep road downhill towards the Trieste signpost. 

And a few kilometers further the Piazza dell’Unità, the ending of this trail. I am happy I made it and offer myself some ice-cream to celebrate! Would be nicer to share this moment with someone but at least my friends and family send some virtual congratulations.