A Day Trip to Bratislava

Today was bright, sunny, and HOT (nearly 86 degrees Fahrenheit), so we decided to take a cruise on the Danube to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. Only about 60 km away, Bratislava and Vienna are considered to be the closest in proximity to each other of any two nation's capitol cities.

We arose and took the U Bahn to the Schwedenplatz station where we boarded a large hydrofoil (carries about 125 people) operated by Twin City Liner (www.twincityliner.com). Tickets to ride on the top deck were 22 Euros per person. We boarded amidst a crowd that didn't seem to know that seats were assigned. I observed one couple from the time we boarded, shoving and cutting into line with no regard for fellow passengers. When we arrived to our seats, they were being removed from seats in front of us by the crew. They eventually were directed to a sort of combination life-preserver / park bench type of configuration on the side of the boat. Probably the worst seats on the boat (karma?). Our seats, however, were on the sun deck. The last row, from we could see the canal as it emptied into the Danube in over the two streams of water generated by the powerful engines, proved to be perfect seats.

Preparing to leave from Vienna. We were on the top deck in the last two seats beside the rail. We had an unobstructed view of the river as we passed.

As the craft departed from the dock, we travelled backward for a short time till we reached a wider spot in the canal. The captain then executed a nifty turn-around and cranked up the two diesel engines (2 MTU diesel engines + 2 Hamilton water jets generating 1960 HP to a max speed of 37 knot. We left a pretty wide wake as we cruised at about 70 km/h toward the river. As the canal emptied into the river, along the shore, small houses on stilts could be seen. We assumed that they were vacation / fishing houses. We encountered river cruise ships, barges, and small watercraft. The Danube itself was probably 1/4 to 1/2 mile wide. Just a note here: it was NOT blue. More like a greenish color.

Leaving Vienna; this is the canal that flows into the Danube. People in the rear of the lower deck can be seen in the lower left.

Leaving the canal and entering the Danube; the city of Vienna is behind us.

We have gotten good at imposing on people that we surmise would be nice enough to take our picture and were rewarded by a nice couple from Holland. Wilifred took our picture and then we chatted with him and his companion, Katy as we cruised. He had a powerful Canon camer with which he took our picture also and we exchanged emails so he could send the pics that he had taken.

The stern of a larger river cruise vessel as it passes on its way to Vienna.

Along the hour and fifteen minute journey, we saw evidence of both 21st century (including a barge transporting dozens of new cars) and that of centuries past. Castles and fortifications lined the river and were visible as we cruised. At some point, about 3/4 way to Bratislava, a Slovakian flag was raised, signifying our entry into the neighboring country. Soon, the modern city of Bratislava could be seen. Overlooking it was the Hadr Castle (pictured at the beginning of this blog) which has guarded the city for centuries.

The ruins of hilltop fortifications are visible from the river in the background. A "more modern" church steeple stands in the foreground.

Ancient fortifications. A wall accentuated at each end with towers; atop a hill along the Danube. Below; a modern hotel and cafe.

We said our goodbyes to our new-found friends and proceeded to wander along the river. We fell in behind a tour group and soon saw a sign directing us to the historic old city center. We passed by various sculptures and parks and walked down meandering cobblestone streets no wider than a typical alley one would find in any US city. Buildings standing 4-6 stories lined the narrow streets like canyon walls as we passed wine cellars, bakeries, cafes, and souvenir shops. Although Bratislava is called a twin city to Vienna, the pace of life in the particular part that we visited was markedly slower and laid-back.

A dramatic sculpture in a park near the national museum. It depicts an armed soldier holding a dead or wounded comrade. Wreaths and flowers can be seen at the base.

Susan in front of unidentified sculpture near the old city center.

Perhaps the oddest sculpture ever. A monument to sewer workers.

Near the restaurant; sculpture of a paparazzi surprises us. Is it weird that I have a picture of a sculpture taking our picture?

Picture of the sculpture-paparazzi as he awaits his next celebrity.

As we evaluated outdoor cafes to decided where we would dine, we found an Italian (ish) restaurant that appealed to us, sat down and ordered. We ordered a pizza to share; and in keeping with trying new dishes, Susan ordered a spicy sausage about 3/4 inch in diamater that came wrapped in a tight coil and pierced completely through with a long skewer. I am sorry that I have let the name of the dish slip from my memory but the english word for greasy should have been in the description somewhere. I will say however, that it was tasty. (I guess grease is an internationally accepted food group.)

Susan at an outdoor cafe in the historic Old City Center of Bratislava, Slovakia

Just before our food was served, the couple we had befriended earlier came walking by and we hailed them; soon they joined us at our table. We compared travel experiences and tales of our respective countries. They had both been to America, but not to the vacation wonderland that is Oklahoma. They were very fluent in English and we really enjoyed listening to and learning from their stories. They had planned to eat later in the day and as we finished our drinks, we bade them farewell (again).

Nice folks.

Wilifred and Katy. From Holland.

As the day was winding down, our quest became locating a cheaper mode of transportation back to Vienna. We had travelled on the river to our destination but figured we had "been there, done that" and could save some money if we travelled home by bus. We struck out to find a location that we had absolutely no idea of its location. We noticed a sign that pointed down a street so we followed it. The old town gave way to the new town and somewhere along the way, we saw no bus station. At this point, I want to interject my observation. The Slovakian signs may point you in the general direction, but don't always stay "on task". A number of times, our trail went cold. I broke the age-old man-tradition of not asking directions when I stopped two teen boys. They were walking advertisements for a cell phone service and were each carrying a large cardboard "cell phone" (about 4 feet taller than they) on their backs. They gave us adequate directions in broken Slovak-lish and we thank them and promptly went the opposite direction in a frantic search for a long overdue bathroom break. When that requirement was fulfilled, we struck out following the boy's directions. Again the signs we viewed tempted us with promises of our destination but seemed to be only mirages. Finally, I asked a Policia standing along the street. He pointed directly across the street to a distant building. That was it. The station. Thank you Mr. Policeman!

Standing in line at the Bus station.

We entered the bustling station and again, no clue. We picked a line for tickets and the lady charged us 7.70 euros for each ticket back to Vienna (as opposed to the 22 euros each that we paid to ride the boat). We met our bus and arrived back in a very noisy and dirty part of Vienna that had much construction going on. The welcome sight of the white "U" on a blue background signaled that I could now find my way home. We arrived back at the "Villa" just before dark with more great memories to add to this amazing experience.