Cruising, Bratislava and Vienna



Entering the first lock

snug up nice and close to that wall...

safety drill

view from the top deck

another view from the deck

What can you say about Bratislava, Slovakia?  The country is still reeling from communist oppression that ended in 1991.  Work is ongoing to reconstruct and repair, while preserving their varied cultural history.  Maria Theresa was crowned in the church here and lived in a castle with her son.  However, the castle didn't survive being occupied by soldiers during WWII.  It burned down.  They rebuilt the walls, adding no adornment, and that's all they have;


castle view from the bus



at the castle in Bratislava

an empty box with four towers. Of course, the bus tour took us there.  

the Danube from the castle

From there we went to their Old Town, with lots of quaint old baroque architecture and lots and lots of places to sit outside and eat.  Again, it has 97 degrees, so luckily, we found a vinotekka located in a cool, damp cavern beneath street level.  The proprietor allowed us to taste two of his wines and we selected a really nice rose of Frankovka, apparently a kind of Lemberger. 

One side of main square in Old Town Bratislava

The main square.



A cute scupture titled, "Man at Work"

Wilting from the heat, we sought refuge in the air conditioning of the boat and thoroughly enjoyed our rose.  Viking encourages passengers to buy the local wines, will open your bottle for free, and will provide a cooler if you need one.