Bratislava and Beyond

Fri 27th Bratislava and beyond
We woke to the gentle movement of the boat as it made its way upstream in quite a strong current , the weather outlook promised a lovely day and it didn't disappoint.

We arrived in Bratislava at 12.30 so straight after a buffet lunch we boarded buses to be taken up the hills for some sight seeing and castle looking , Bratislava was under communist control for some 44 years and it shows. Some of the buildings leave a lot to be desired in build quality and design.
The Castle affords a magnificent view across the city and after we completed the bus tour we walked with our guide through the old town which is being renovated slowly but due to the countries economic situation and the fact that the current president is still stuck in the old communist ways the quality of the work and the speed leaves a lot to be desired.

St martins cathedral was very interesting and some of the artifacts inside dated back over a 1000 years , it wasn't to be compared with the basilica in Budapest but it was much older.
We witnessed a wedding party as we exited the cathedral. The bridesmaids and groomsmen looking resplendent in their outfits unfortunately we missed the bride.

The old town was very busy with loads of tourists something we have not experienced before and it's still early in the season .
We left Bratislava late in the evening after a very nice dinner , the food so far has been exceptional .

Sat 28 Th Vienna
Woke this morning as the boat entered a lock just prior to reaching Vienna, an early breakfast then onto the waiting coaches for a tour of the city. Our guide "Hilda" was very efficient and explained all the notable buildings that we passed along the way to the old city centre and another "bloody cathedral." This one who's name escapes me was exceptional in its own way but after a short time I found my mind wandering toward "Appfelstrudell ." eventually my dreams came true when we sat down at a local cafe and savoured the most recommended dish in Vienna along with a Viennese coffee "Yum"

We returned to the boat on the coach for a BBQ , after lunch Lyn Val & I caught the metro back into town to do some serious shopping leaving Crackers to have a poppy nap.

The crowds in the old town were even bigger than in Bratislava and makes us feel happy to be living where we are as we are told that as the season draws on they will grow in number.

Buffet dinner tonight due to the large number of passengers going to the optional concert and Ballet in the town , we decided not to join them as we have had a long day and are looking forward to Durstein and Melk tomorrow .