The boat did stop at Vienna, no uploads from there, I simply did not like the vibe nor the feel of the place it seemed a bit pretentious, too crowded and too falsely ornate. So here we are the capital of Slovakia.
Bratislava at the foot of the Little Carpathians, occupies both banks of the Danube. It has a claim to fame that as it touches both Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital to border two sovereign states
When in April 1945, Bratislava was liberated by the Soviet Red Army the Slovak Republic lost its independence and was reunified again with the Czech Republic as Czechoslovak Republic.
1989 saw the end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia which was split into separate states. In 1993, Bratislava once again became the capital of the newly formed independent Slovak Republic
The New Bridge as it was called was built between 1967 and 1972 to commemorates the Slovak National Uprising against Nazi Germany.
It is more commonly referred to as the UFO Bridge, it is a standout structure and is the world's longest bridge of its design. At the top is an observation deck and restaurant apparently.
But not for us, lets visit the old town
Which started out rather busy!
Nice day for a white wedding
Oh how we danced on the day we were wed; He is definitely punching
Leaving the happy couple and their families to continue with their dancing................
The pub's name, KGB, is a clever acronym for "Krčma Gurmánov Bratislavy," meaning "Gourmet Pub of Bratislava," and not at all related to the Soviet State Security, I wanted to go inside , but it was not open, I wanted to see the interior as it is full of Soviet-era memorabilia. I've never been lucky, I mean c'mon what self respecting pub stays closed until 4pm on a Saturday!
Something I learnt today, Slovakia is a forward thinking country, Bitcoin ATMs where users can buy or sell cryptocurrencies using cash or debit cards, via a crypto-exchange or wallet instead of a traditional banking system.... Way above my pay grade,what a brilliant way to hopefully beat the taxman in the UK and not feed the Govt. anymore money to waste and squander.
A circuitous route through the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, obviously not attractive to tourists, thankfully they are too busy stocking up on "local" made in China tat.
Amazing wander down the cobble stoned street of Kapitulska Ulica, “Church Street” So peaceful, the locals have nicknamed it “ghost alley.”
On the corner two sandstone lizards bask in the warm air, even though many believe the legends that they were created centuries ago, the okopník as they are known as, date back only as far as the 1980's
I thought it was just a piece of street art, looking it up it is in fact a memorial dedicated to a Slovak missionary nun and doctor, Sister Veronika Terézia Racková, who served in South Sudan, she was shot and killed in 2016.
Bratislava Castle:
A prominent landmark, overlooking the city which at the time of the Austro-Hungarian empire the seat of the Hungarian monarchy.
Cumil,a cheeky chap poking his head out of a sculptural manhole admiring all the ladies walking by, was installed in 1997.
The Ľudovít Štúr Statue to immortalise Ludovit Stur, a key figure in the Slovak National Revival of the 19th century.
The Apollo Bridge is one of Bratislava's six bridges spanning the Danube River.Constructed in 2005 it was the only European project nominated for the 2006 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award. An American quango, It didn't win, it was won by. No shit Sherlock, an American project.
The bridge is named after the "Apollo" oil refinery that was located in the area before World War II.
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