BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA (Week 3)

QUICK LOOK:

Location: Stare Mesto (Old Town)

Main Attractions: Presidential Palace, Maximilian's Fountain (Roland Fountain), Cumil (Man at Work), Michael's Gate, Bratislava Castle, St. Martin's Cathedral, The Blue Church (The Church of St. Elizabeth)

Transportation: Walking

Holidays: Presidents' Day

BRATISLAVA - After about an hour-long train ride from Vienna, we made it to Bratislava (Slovakia's capital and most populated city, yet one of Europe's smallest and youngest capital cities) where old European architecture coexists with sleek, concrete buildings of the Soviet era. We made it just in time for lunch and stumbled upon Papaya (a Vietnamese restaurant), which was located nearby the Presidential Palace and brimming with guests. Although I am not the best one to judge and we still haven't been on the Vietnam leg of our tour, Papaya had some of the best Vietnamese food (according to our unaccredited standards). A few days later, we would have Vietnamese food at another restaurant and it would not compare. We will definitely need to go back to Papaya before our return to Vienna.

The next day (our first full day), we decided to head to the main square of Stare Mesto (Old Town) and see the sites. Since we were already staying in the Stare Mesto neighborhood, we could walk to the square in minutes. From the rows of sleek, concrete Soviet-era buildings emerged the grandeur of Gothic and Baroque architecture letting us know that we had made it to the main square. We walked through Michael's Gate, took photos with Cumil (the "Man at Work" statue), and sat by Maximilian's Fountain (Roland Fountain). For lunch, we went to Lino's without giving it too much thought. It was nearby, not crowded, and appeared to have decent prices. Not to sound too surprised, but it was delicious, especially the hummus (as the girls would say, "We're a hummus-loving family"). Lino's made for a perfect spot for right before our uphill climb to the Bratislava Castle.

With our bellies and hearts full, we ventured upward toward the castle. We saw on the map that there was a playground near the castle, so the girls were determined to climb every cobblestone step. Thanks to Brad, we found the playground nestled just inside the castle walls with the castle to one side and St. Martin's Cathedral to the other. The girls played for hours with this lovely backdrop before heading back down. On the way home, we picked up dinner (at the not-as-good Vietnamese restaurant) and stopped by Kik (an inexpensive "everything" type of store) to pick up tape and two activities of the girls' choosing. They wisely chose a set of play dough and rubber stamps—two versatile and transportable activities—that I could later say were well worth the euros spent.

Our second (and final) full day, we headed to the Blue Church (The Church of St. Elizabeth), which was still in walking distance and then to a nearby playground. Compared to all the other wooden playgrounds the girls have played on during our travels, this one was by far the most colorful. After, we enjoyed a croissant (and espresso for Brad) while heading to Eurovea, a large shopping mall. We actually hadn't planned to head there, but we saw it from afar en route to the Blue Church and thought it would be a nice indoor area to eat and relax. Sure enough, it was! Once again, got some delicious hummus and falafels (among other things) and even let the girls get out more energy in their indoor kid zone (the machines are coin operated; but, thankfully, our girls are content with playing on the mechanical machines without having to have them turned on). Since it was our last evening in Bratislava, we ate dinner in the main square. It was definitely more lively than on the Monday evening we had arrived. It was quite beautiful to see the square lit up and alive.

The next morning, we headed back to Vienna and, just as planned, we stopped by Papaya. Yes—still some of the best and a great way to end our trip in Bratislava.

Zbohom!