Bratislava, Slovakia

We stopped at the Ridder cafe in Vienna for breakfast before heading to the train and, yes, the waiters are always wearing tuxedos and the food is served in style. And we are off...It doesn't take to long to get from Vienna to Bratislava.  Vienna and Bratislava are supposedly the two closest capital cities in the world, only a short 64 km or 40 miles away and the local trains depart often. Bratislava is a city of 1/2 million people located on the Danube river.   It is the political, cultural and economic center for Slovakia. Our visit was only one night so we choose to focus on the historical center or old town.

Surrounded by the modern city this walled in section is a refuge to the city noise. Entering through the St. Michael's Gate we are thrown back in time. We wandered the small allies to the main square and we found a place for lunch under the  shadow of St. Micheal's spire.

Rena ordered duck and I had the traditional Bryndzove Halusky, which is a big name for small dumplings made of potato dough with sheep cheese and topped with scrambled bacon....delicious, and of course a Saris dark ale to compliment the entrees!  It was a bit cold today so we decided to stroll the allies after lunch, stopping into little boutiques and seeing the historical sites of the Church and Convent of St. Claire, St. Martins' Cathedral, and  Old Town Hall  to name a few.

 

 

 As evening approached we headed up to the Bratislava Castle which stands on a strategic hillside overlooking the Danube. It has been strong hold as far back as the 450 BC and the south east tower of today dates to 13th century, so we had to climb on top of that!  It is a beautiful place to get an overview of the city and reflect on the day.

 

On our way down, and needing to warm up we stumbled upon a tavern dating back to 17 century. Looking a bit more like someones home we were hesitate to enter. Sure enough this tavern was incredibly homely. Some of the furniture and decor probable has been there since the 1600's. What better a place to indulge in some authentic absinthe, and munch on some authentic Slovakian chips...And some of us stumbled out of the tavern as well!

(this is a staged staggered photo)

 Now it was time for dinner and we found a great place with wood fired pizza (of all the thing) and since living in Turkey this specialty was quite a treat.

Tomorrow we are off to Budapest....