From Graz, the journey leads south via the A9 to Maribor, then around Ljubljana and further before Trieste, turn right, through Montefalcone and finally to Grado. In the low season, this region of northern Italy is a quiet place away from the tourists. This is when the real life of this Italian town and its inhabitants comes to the fore. In the evening, stone houses form cool shady valleys until the glowing sun finally sinks into the Gulf of Trieste. At this moment, the condominiums glow blue, the Basilica of Sant'Eufemia shines bright yellow and the piazzas are flooded with black lava.