When I woke up this morning, the ship was still moving. It was nice to have breakfast and watch the countryside glide by. The view offered towering mountains in the distance and smaller hills closer to the river. I was so busy looking across the water that I didn't realize we had docked. We were now in Bratislava, Slovakia.
After breakfast, Linda, Kathleen, and I gathered our things for a walking tour of Bratislava. We met our guide at the end of the gangway and headed into town. She told us that some of the buildings dated back to the 13th century. Here are some of the sites she pointed out along the way:
After breakfast, Linda, Kathleen, and I gathered our things for a walking tour of Bratislava. We met our guide at the end of the gangway and headed into town. She told us that some of the buildings dated back to the 13th century. Here are some of the sites she pointed out along the way:
1. The opera house and concert hall.
2. A park in the middle of Bratislava that was once a canal but has since been filled in with concrete.
3. The historic Carlton Hotel, the predecessor to the Ritz-Carlton.
4. The place where Mozart stayed while visiting Bratislava.
2. A park in the middle of Bratislava that was once a canal but has since been filled in with concrete.
3. The historic Carlton Hotel, the predecessor to the Ritz-Carlton.
4. The place where Mozart stayed while visiting Bratislava.
5. Pressburg Bajgel, home of the famous Hungarian pastry called a bajgel.
6. The home of artist Adolf Franco.
7. The place where Franz Liszt stayed.
8. The narrow streets of the Old Town, which were quite fascinating.
6. The home of artist Adolf Franco.
7. The place where Franz Liszt stayed.
8. The narrow streets of the Old Town, which were quite fascinating.
9. The Gate Tower, with its very distinctive roof.
10. The Fountain of St. George and the Dragon.
11. A house with a cannonball embedded in the front. According to our guide, many houses were destroyed during wartime. A law was supposedly passed stating that if a cannonball was lodged in your house, you did not have to pay taxes. As a result, many homes were later built with cannonballs displayed in their facades.
12. The Roland Fountain, also known as the Maximilian Fountain, located in the center of the town square. The story goes that Roland will bring you good luck if you can prove two things: first, that you were born in Bratislava, and second, that you have never told a lie. We figured that only babies qualify—and only until they start talking.
10. The Fountain of St. George and the Dragon.
11. A house with a cannonball embedded in the front. According to our guide, many houses were destroyed during wartime. A law was supposedly passed stating that if a cannonball was lodged in your house, you did not have to pay taxes. As a result, many homes were later built with cannonballs displayed in their facades.
12. The Roland Fountain, also known as the Maximilian Fountain, located in the center of the town square. The story goes that Roland will bring you good luck if you can prove two things: first, that you were born in Bratislava, and second, that you have never told a lie. We figured that only babies qualify—and only until they start talking.
13. A statue of a soldier standing in a guardhouse, representing the old guard that no longer serves there.
14. A church that somehow doesn't look like a church and a city hall that somehow does. I will say that the windows were quite colorful.
15. Man at work or Čumil
14. A church that somehow doesn't look like a church and a city hall that somehow does. I will say that the windows were quite colorful.
15. Man at work or Čumil
Our guide left us in front of the opera house with directions on how to get back to the ship. Linda, Kathleen, and I headed to Pressburg Bajgel to try the traditional pastry. These pastries are shaped like horseshoes. We split one poppy-seed and one walnut bajgel three ways. Our guide had told us these were the most traditional flavors. I only wish I could have brought some home with me—they were that good.
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Next, we did a little shopping and then started back toward the ship. Along the way, we saw a unique umbrella canopy and a symbol of the city gate suspended above the street. About this time, we realized we were slightly off course from where we had been told to go. Thank goodness for Google Maps, although we still had to ask someone if we were headed in the right direction.
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Back on board the ship, we went to lunch, and then Kathleen set off on a hike to Bratislava Castle. Her main comment afterward was that there were an awful lot of stairs, making the climb quite challenging.
I settled in to work on the blog.
Our friend Annette visited the UFO Bridge and went up into the tower. Because there was a restaurant there, she was not able to look out from all of the windows, but she did share a few photos with me.
I settled in to work on the blog.
Our friend Annette visited the UFO Bridge and went up into the tower. Because there was a restaurant there, she was not able to look out from all of the windows, but she did share a few photos with me.
The evening activity organized by the crew was trivia. Twenty-five questions were asked, and we worked as a group to write down the answers. When the scores were tallied, we had answered 14 correctly, which was good enough for third place.