Feeling better this morning, I popped out early to the local bakery to pick up coffees and breakfast. We then all bundled into the car and headed for Hungary. Hungary? Yes, Hungary… it turns out that you can get from Vienna to Bratislava (in Slovakia) by a slightly longer route through Hungary. So, we took it (though Libby and I have been to that country before), because we could! Even with the detour, we made it in about an hour.
What a worthwhile place to visit! While the historic city center of Bratislava is diminutive in scale and lacks ‘major’ sights per se, we all found it utterly charming. It’s smartly restored, slightly arty, utterly accessible, not overly crowded, and full of friendly locals. We especially enjoyed the numerous statues that dotted the town, which added a note of whimsy to the classic facades. In short: Bratislava is a winner. I’d highly recommend it as a day trip from Wien or as a stop between Budapest and Vienna. We followed Rick Steves’s self-guided walking tour of Bratislava and added a few shopping stops to pick up souvenirs. Libby was especially taken by a silver and garnet ring, which she now owns.
Main Square -- Bratislava
Statues dot Bratislava's historic center...
For my part, I was struck by some images that I happened to notice inside of a little café near the town’s main square. It turns out that the café was run by a non-profit service organization that helps the intellectually challenged. The art work (made out of woven strips of construction paper to form multi-colored geometric patterns) was created by members of the organization as well and was for sale in the shop (at 5 euros, including frame and handmade gift bag). I found the people delightful in the café and the entire project to be very touching. The staff was clearly pleased to have sold their work, and I’ve probably never been happier spending ~$6.50 in my life.
My 'art' purchase in Bratislava...
After our successful morning, we returned to Vienna by 1:00. We grabbed lunch and took a nap. In the late afternoon, we headed to the Prater (a large public park near our hotel that’s very popular with the locals), which includes a Tivoli-style amusement park. We took a ride on a miniature train throughout the park, enjoyed a number of other amusements (including a traditional horse-drawn carousel), and wandered around the grounds enjoying the atmosphere. We then found a promising looking (and packed with locals) biergarten at which we enjoyed a tremendously awesome and insanely cheap (for Europe) dinner of bratwursts (with the most heavenly senf), frankfurters (for Emerson), potato salad, tomato salad, fresh bread, and drinks.
Fun at the Prater...
Pilot Emerson... ready for take-off!
We had ice cream—a sweet ending for a sweet day—as we walked through the park back to our hotel.
Tomorrow we depart Austria for Poland via the Czech Republic.
Today’s box score: +1 country (Slovakia)… +2 for Emerson!