In previous trip to Central Europe, I made brief stops in Bratislava. My longest stay in the capital of Slovakia was in early December 2013. The weather then was brutally cold. I did not venture out much. So it was with a renewed sense of excitement that I received another chance to return to Bratislava in a warmer season. But this trip also meant having to say goodbye to dear friends prematurely.
Beautiful clear sky welcomed me to the capital of Austria. A visit to downtown Vienna for lunch and a self-guided walking tour afterward. The weather was surprisingly hot; maybe too hot for this part of the world.
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| Johann Strauss, king of the waltz. |
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| MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Austria. |
Bratislava greeted my arrival with a clear and pleasant evening. Like in any large city in Europe, walking and taking public transportation were the best way to get around than driving a personal car. Finding a parking spot would be difficult and, probably, expensive. The streets of old downtown were for pedestrian only, making a promenade enjoyable. There were restaurants, shops and boutiques throughout.
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| Historic downtown of Bratislava, Slovakia. |
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| Historic downtown of Bratislava, Slovakia. |
While my days were taken up by work, my evenings were spent sampling many restaurants which advertised traditional Slovak cuisine. A few restaurants have very nice live music entertainment. One evening, there was a fashion in the middle of old town square, featuring a local designer.
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| Bryndzové Halušky is a national Slovak dish. |
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| Fashion show in old town Bratislava, Slovakia. |
Again the airline regulations require me to stay over a Saturday to qualify for a deep discount. The first morning of the weekend was spent visiting the Hrad Devín, a fortress just West of Bratislava. I was surprised by the large nearby sculpture depicting a prison breakout. Its backside is filled with bullet holes and its metal bars are bent "outward. This sculpture is a powerful and moving memorial to the people killed trying to break through the "Iron Curtain" in hope of reaching Western Europe.
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| Gate of Freedom Memorial in Devín, Slovakia. |
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| Hrad Devín near Bratislava, Slovakia. |
The rest of day was for more exploration of the Slovak capital on foot. Its parks were full of people enjoying the beautiful summer weather. I found the Blue, also known as St. Elizabeth, Church. It is a small but charming church. There was a beautiful wedding in progress when I was there. So I could not photograph much. I took the chance to go up the UFO restaurant at the top of the "New Bridge". The view of Bratislava from that vintage point is indeed breathtaking.
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| Colorful furniture and stalls for children at a park in Bratislava, Slovakia. |
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| Kostol svätej Alžbet, also know as St. Elizabeth Church. |
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| Bratislava, Slovakia. |
This trip to the charming capital of Slovakia could not be possible without the hard work of my colleagues to make it a reality. A few more pictures are at
https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/140608WienBratislava#. Also a collage of some of these pictures can be found at
https://plus.google.com/u/0/108013863525571472697/stories/276a0d3a-7fb1-396b-9063-f74aefc43485147a12e6c9e.
As customary, your comments and critiques of my blog and pictures are solicited to help improve my skills. And until next time, I bid you a great day and a safe travel.
Thank you & Enjoy,
Paul
