A quick change and we were headed to the Slavin Memorial, a cemetery high above Bratislava to remember fallen Soviet soldiers. It promised spectacular views, what better way to get to know this new city? However, the weather had other plans. We’d been walking ten minutes when the clouds gathered, the wind whipped up and the rain poured. We darted into Bratislava Castle. Handing over 5 Euros, each, we were disappointed to find a white washed renovated castle lacking any soul or history. We aimlessly rattled around the building, looking for exhibitions. When we found little, of course we resorted taken pictures of our happy, but sleep deprived and rained on selves, in the huge mirrors. As you do.
Even though it was still raining, we darted to a nearby restaurant for lunch, Slovakian style. Pork chops, cabbage and sausage. It filled a gap. After a quick change back at the hotel, we were back out ready to explore Bratislava’s soviet remnants. Discovering a rundown park, we imagined that it had once been the pride of Bratislava, many years ago. It seemed full of soviet ideas.
The first Polaroid of the holiday was taken right here. It seemed such a momentous occasion that I had to take a snap of John’s agitated face whilst we waited for it to develop! One of my favourite sights in Bratislava? Slovakia Radio, or the inverted pyramid building as I liked to call it. Imposing and dominant on the skyline, there was something about this building that seemed to defy gravity.
Even though we were surviving on less than 3 hours sleep, when there’s street art in a city it’s always worth a few miles walk to go and see it. Cough cough. We spent the rest of the day staring and snapping an abandoned building covered in art by notorious artists such as C215, Pez and London Police. More on that in a blog post to come!
By the time we returned to our suite, we were weary to say the least. Another quick change and we were seated in one of Bratislava’s many Irish bars enjoying a Zlaty Bazant and a Hoegaarden. I don’t know how we summoned the energy that night, but it was glorious just to sit and enjoy a beer in a new city to us both.
As always, much love,
Donna x