The train journey from Vienna to Bratislava only takes an hour but the difference on arrival is immediately noticeable. We have some experience of visiting Romania with our friends Cris and Jane and so in some ways it felt familiar but certainly very different from Vienna. The first noticeable difference is the language and whilst we have been able to manage quite well so far with our limited French, German and Spanish, Slovak is going to be a whole new ball game. Thankfully for us English is widely spoken as getting our tongues around these new sounds will be tricky.
Our hotel was again close to the station so it was easy to find and quickly get settled in.
Whilst the Slovak nation has a long and distinguished history, Slovakia as an independent democratic country is a very young one. It was only formed following the velvet revolution in November 1989 having previously been part of Czechoslovakia and under communist rule since the end of the Second World War. It is roughly 2.5 times the size of Wales and land locked.
Bratislava is the capital and it is obvious that new investment and building is taking place on the outskirts of the city but there is still much evidence of communist (functional) and older (more classical)architecture within the city which makes it an interesting place to visit.
We decided to explore the old historic town on our first morning and came across a walking tour in English that was about to start so decided to join it. We are so glad we did as the young woman leading the tour was so knowledgable and passionate about her city & it’s history that we learnt so much in the 3 hours we spent with her. Thank you Martina!
Slovakia shares a border with Ukraine and Martina reminded us all that democracy is a fragile and relatively new luxury in this part of the world and should never be taken for granted. She asked us to remember her brothers and sisters in Ukraine and to be thankful we have a safe place to sleep with no air raid sirens sounding at night, a very sobering thought. She also pointed out that whilst new investment is being made in Bratislava and is needed, it often comes at the expense of more rural communities and although she is a well educated working women she will never be able to afford to buy a home in one of the newer areas of the city.
It is a salutary reminder that we cross borders so easily now and really the only thing that alerts you to the fact that you have crossed into a new country is the text message alert on your phone to show you have switched to a new network. Of those who attempted to cross the border from east to west under the communist regime only 25% made it with the others either being shot or imprisoned.
On a lighter note and it would not be a Whitfield blog if we didn’t talk about food, food in Slovakia can probably best be described as hearty. Simple fair made from ingredients that were easy to grow and produce locally. There is a strong soup culture and apparently the locals can spot the tourists by the fact that they don’t start a meal with soup but given that soup seems to always be served in a hollowed out loaf of bread which you eat afterwards I am not sure we could manage it. Dumplings feature heavily too on most traditional menus, they are made from flour, egg yolks and potato somewhat similar to the Italian gnocchi or the German spaetzle. They are often served with a sheeps cheese and sour cream or sauerkraut accompaniment and despite our initial reservations were actually really delicious but very filling.
They have a strong tradition of very strong spirits too, distilled from fruit and nuts and typically 52% proof. Thankfully they come in very small servings and one is definitely enough. As Cris’s mamma Dorina would say ‘on pic!’
Sunday was a beautiful sunny day so once we had breakfasted and found somewhere to satisfy Mark’s need for coffee we re-walked the old town to take some photos of the places we had been on our walk yesterday and to find the blue church. We then walked along the Danube from one bridge (tram bridge) to the next (ufo bridge) enjoying a different view of the castle from the other side before returning to the old town to sit in the shade and enjoy an ice cream.
We are so glad we included Bratislava in our itinerary, it was very different to most of the places we have visited but none the worse for that. It has also reminded us of many of the things we take for granted.
Next stop Prague and an Airbnb with a washing machine!!!!!
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