Bratislava and Slovakia

Bratislava and Slovakia obviously did not receive the aid Vienna and Austria did after WWII. This city, just 50 miles from Vienna is just now recovering. Graffiti, dirty exteriors of buildings, broken curbs and sidewalks, missing cobbles, old decrepit cars, and filthy trams speak of the problems they still have. There are many empty lots filled with debris from buildings taken down recently. Some rubble walls are made from real rubble (bricks and stones used together, looking ready to collapse). People don't look at each other and nod while passing.

Stores in the neighborhoods have the basics and are fewer in number. Selection is limited. A cafe Bob stopped in looking for caffeine one morning, for instance, had coffee, coca cola products, dozens of baguette-sized loaves of white bread, some jams, and some cheese. A similar store in the west would have sandwiches, pastries, strudels, croissants, salamis, and sausages.

Rails on the tram lines are about worn out - noticeably thin and tapered on the curves. Architecture is a mish-mash of concrete block, 60's square glass Russian boxes, and the occasional grandeur of the 1800s.

All this sounds depressing but there doesn't seem to be any crime and except for a couple of street beggars the population doesn't seem forlorn, not really resigned, maybe just dull-eyed. Tough to describe, sorry.

But once you are in the old city center that all changes. It's pure tourist area, although only one square mile. An English bookstore. A dozen museums. 5 restaurants per block. Some really pricy hotels. Big cobblestone plazas and a strolling park with grass and trees. Walking tour groups. Little tour trains. Everything but horses and carriages. They've reconstructed this old section specifically to attract tourists.

Slovakia opened to the west really less than 10 years ago, long after the fall of the USSR, and this one square mile in the capital seems to be the showplace for the entire country. They're still building it and the distinctive sound of circular saws can be heard in empty storefronts until 9pm.

When you sit down at a outdoor cafe or a restaurant terrace or enter any shop, you don't hear any Slovakian "ahoj" (hello - pronounced ahoy), instead it's "German or English". They switch to your language business-fluently and give you a specific menu.

The restaurants are reasonably cheap, $3 for a plate of pasta and cheese. $8 to $13 for a meal-sized order of grilled rump steak with boiled potatoes, shepherd's pie, fish and rice, veal with cranberry sauce, prawns and fries, etc. Garnishes are invariably a small area of the plate with lettuce, tomato, corn, cucumber, and shredded cabbage. Sauces we've tried have included sour cherry, Roquefort, mushroom/onion gravy and a strange sweet and sour made with tomato and celery. A Moravian onion soup stands out in memory with crunchy black bread. Tea and coffee are under $2. Beer ranges from under $1 up to around $2.

There's an active nightlife with lots of tourists along with dressed-to-attract locals in cafes and basement nightclubs, some of which are open until 4am (we're told). Did we mention the Red Bull ads everywhere?

All in all, we've spent 4 days in Bratislava just relaxing from the hustle and bustle of Austria and particularly Salzburg and Vienna where there was lots to see and do. Left the car in the garage and mainly enjoyed the old quarter. Got in early Sunday and walked around downtown. Monday all the museums were closed so we just walked around old quarter. Bob took a tram to the outskirts - well, more on that later. Tuesday: slept in, saw 3 museums, chilled out, and ate a couple of times. Wednesday we saw 3 more tiny museums, chilled out, and ate a couple of times. Tomorrow we're off to Hungary and Budapest where the contrast between the two communist-dominated societies should be interesting.

Museums. They didn't allow pictures so more of this dull text will have to suffice. What do you want for $1.20 entrance fee?

The Primate's Palace has some rooms of old grandeur approaching but far smaller and less grand than the Residenz in Vienna. There's an interesting tapestry series showing lost love, cupid, and a woman in a tower finding a new boyfriend. A "Hall of Mirrors" talked up in the tourist guides is a room with two mirrored walls. Nothing special but local folks line up on Saturdays to get married in that room.

A Wine History museum has a fairly organized collection of wine paintings, barrels, tools, and a bunch of information about Slovakian wine regions in Slovakian. We were hustled out when the woman in charge went to lunch. What do you want for $1.20 entrance fee?

The Municipal museum rambled through one floor of a city block of old city government offices. These were built-up through 400 years from neighboring houses. The history of the city is told chronologically from the Neolithic era in Slovakian and English. Its fights with neighboring burghers, the neighboring castle, the Viennese, Napoleon, WWI, WWII, and the Soviets. The king was deposed in the 1800s after the American and French revolutions started a trend throughout Europe.

The Decorative Arts museum was 2 rooms of old furniture and wallhangings, including a reliquari which purports to have bones of Saints Urban and Valentine.

The Antique Clock museum was 3 rooms of old, non-functional clocks made in the area back in the 1700s, 1800, and 1900s. None seemed like they would be of any value at the Antiques Road Show.

The Jewish Culture museum is found by a fairly small wooden sign, behind a door, through a courtyard, through another door, up a flight of stairs, and through one more door. There, 2 people will take $6, give you a book published by the museum (Anti-Semitism at the End of the 20th Century) and let you walk through 5 rooms with English subtitles. It was one of the most interesting; with holy objects, the history of Judaism in Slovakia from the 14th century through WWII, and information about Jewish holidays and rituals.

Our second favorite cheap hotel chain, Ibis, comes up with a jewel occasionally. Most have quite small rooms with plumbing that is cramped and hokey at best and downright funky sometimes. But they run in the 45€ range upwards and cater to the business traveler.

The one in Salzburg was excellent even if it wasn't near the city center. There was a McDonalds next door for coffee.

This one in Bratislava is downright luxurious. To stay 4 nights we needed to take a big corner room at 98€ plus 10€ per night parking. That's a lot, but the air conditioning is superb and the bed is big. Room to work on this web page each evening and we even found a free wifi connection coming from a neighboring business and have their blessing to use it.

A highlight is the big corner window. Not only is there an interesting view (below), there's a potted plant unlike any we've ever seen. It's really 5 plants with their trunks braided into one.

There's cow artistry all over town right now. We suspect similar to the racecar statues in Indianapolis occasionally. This picture is for Omar Castrellon who writes "Why have I not seen any beautiful women? Did they disappear with the European Union?"
Hey, I'm with my wife. She won't let me publish any of the pictures of the topless babes running around all over Europe. Love, Bob.

Note the tram has single seating with lots of room for standing during rush hour.

Bob took a tram out to the east end of the city on Monday to see the European Seniors Table Tennis Championship going on all week. It is being held in three halls of an indoor tennis stadium and has 2000 participants. Smelled like you expect.

Lots of confusion, registration tables, ranking lists, schedules, players, wives and husbands, medical people, souvenir sellers (mainly pins), and a big presence by the Butterfly people.

Bob wandered around a bit finding the place and came across a fenced-in lake used only by local residents. The stone beaches don't stop people from swimming and sunbathing - mainly bikinis or bras on all the women and speedos on the men - both ranging in age from teens to their 60s. Shudder. Lots of park benches and small, forlorn (on Monday) stands selling beer and pop. Bet this place is hopping on the weekends.

You might be a tourist if:

You're standing in a group, all holding cameras, listening to one person holding a microphone.
You're pulling a suitcase.
You're wearing a baseball cap and a brewery T-shirt.
You're wearing New Balance tennies.

You might be a local if:

You're standing in a group, all holding signs, listening to one person holding a microphone.
You're pushing a baby carriage.
You're wearing a purple wig and Chicago Bulls jersey.
You're wearing 3" high heels.