So we're on our way to Spis. The scenery was beautiful, there were mountains, the leaves were turning... really lovely. It turned to night and we were still driving and admiring the church steeples off in the distance. Finally, we see a big castle on top of a hill off in the distance. This what we have been looking for... it looks huge even from afar. We again decide we should get a closer look immediately. As we are on our way up Jessica informs us that we are in Gypsy country. We go up to the parking area and decide not to stay right there due to an RV that is parked there... might be Gypsies. We go part way down and stop to take pictures. It is windy and cold. We start snapping photos and hear a rustling in the grass behind us. It sounds to big to be just the wind... we jump back in the car and high tail it out of there. We don't want to get taken by the Gypsies!
Now we are off to find our lodging for the night. Which is supposed to be close to the castle. It couldn't be that hard to find... there's not much around! Or can it? On our way! We go a little further and start up this winding mountain road. We get to the top of this road and realize we have gone too far... back down we go! It is now slightly raining and our car has signaled that it is near freezing. We are behind 2 semi's... on a tiny twisting mountain road that may have the potential to be icy. Next thing we know... we are about to take a hairpin turn and the car in front of us decides to pass the semis... on the inside of the turn! CRAZY!!! We make it down the mountain and back track and finally make it to the town our penzione was in... yay!!!
There is one problem though... the streets are not marked. Mark starts to navigate with the map by noticing the shape of the squares and using landmarks on the map (like curches). Now there is another problem... we discovered from another map we had that the arrow pointing out where the penzione is isn't pointing to the correct place! We've been looking for the wrong place. Now remembering that we are in Gypsy country we are noticing that the people in the streets are looking at us oddly and they do not look like Slovaks. The town also seemed to be a little run down. We find the penzione thanks to a collaborative effort of map decoding, Andrew remembering that the building was green and some patience.
We get checked in. We decide we are not sure of the locals and the penzione owners allow us to park the car inside the building. We get to our room and decide that it is not a good idea to head out in search of food. Thank goodness we went to the store before we left. Pretzels and Nutella would have to suffice for dinner. In the morning we head downstairs for breakfast... which consisted of 3 hotdog like sausages and some cookies. The sausages did not seem to be stuffed too tightly. Mark was hungry enough to eat some... Jessica, Andrew and I opted to pretend we had eaten some and flushed 6 of them down the toilet! The we discovered that this was not a free continental breakfast... GYPSIES!!! Fortunately, this the only time we would get taken by the Gypsies... not too shabby.
After that we were off to explore the castle. Which we found out The Last Legion was filmed there. The guide books said that the outside was the most interesting but, we had driven so far and we wanted to go inside. We were glad we did. Even though it was quite cold there was a lot to see and it was certainly worth it. After about an hour of exploring we had to leave... we had a long trek ahead of us. We had to make it all the way back to Bratislava.
Back in the car we go. About an hour into the drive we notice that we really missed out on the drive over. Since it was so dark out we did not get to see the Alpine-esque mountains that just seemed to grow out of a green field. They were big, rocky and snow capped. We had seen the Low Tatras on our way out and now we were looking at the High Tatras. Uunfortunately, we could not go for a closer look. Guess we'll have to go back!
As we got closer to Bratislava we had a little extra time to kill so we stopped in the town of Nitra. There was a small castle there and the oldest church in Slovakia. The castle was pretty uneventful, as it is used for offices but the church was quite a gem. It was pretty late in the day and it looked as if a monk was just closing up. Andrew asked if we could take a quick look and the monk briskly replied "3 minutes". We thank him and run inside... it is beautiful. We decide to go so he can go home and on our way out he asked where we were from. I told him the United States and he got very excited. He unlatched a velvet rope and told us to follow him. He then unlocked a door and motioned for us to come in. We were in the original part of the church that he informed us was from the 9th century and that Pope John Paul II had given a service here. Back out in the churh he showed us a relief sculpture that St Patrick's Cathedral in NYC has a replica of and another relief below it that was done by Donatello. He then told us of a 27 year old Bishop that had been imprisoned in the church for 30-ish years by the communists because he refused to allow them to turn it into a museum. It was really fantastic to get a personal tour of this church by someone that actually cares about it and not some monotonous tour guide. This was a big highlight of our trip.
Back in Bratislava. We had to prepare to take the train to Prague the next day and bid farewell to Jessica and Andrew... our gracious Bratislava hosts. We had an amazing farewell dinner of Royale with Cheese & French Fries... that's right McDonald's. Apparently, that is all that is open on a Sunday night!
More later... my fingers are tired!
done typing tonight!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Weekend Update...
So this past weekend we took a roadtrip through Slovakia....
The car was delivered Friday night around 7:00 and we promptly hopped in and headed to the town of Trencin. We got there around 9:00 pm parked the car and started to hike up the hill to the beautifully lit castle on top of it. We were stoped short by a large gate and had to wait until the next day to explore. So we went down the hill and found the penzione we had a reservation at and checked in. We got a "suite" for the four of us $60 total(included a beer for each of us and 2 one and a half liter bottles of water). Sounds lovely... doesn't it? Well quirky is more like it. The penzione was part of a school. Our suite seemed to be a small classroom converted into a "suite". The bathroom had a toilet in one room and the sink and shower (looked like a large sink you could stand in) behind another. The floor looked like cross sections of tree trunks but was lanolium, the table was 2 desks pushed together with a table cloth over it and there were 4 twin beds... just like summer camp! For what it lacked in plushness it made up for it with cleanliness.
Saturday we finally made it up to Trencin Castle. It was very cool... both aestheticly and temperature-wise. We looked around for a little bit, checked out the view and left (the inside is currently being renovated so not much to see inside).
Back in the car and off to Beckhov Castle. The home of the Blood Countess. Rumor has it she killed young girls to bathe in their blood because she thought it would preserve her youth. This castle was not as well preserved as the first one but better because we could walk all over it. There was even part of the gothic chapel wall remaining. We spent about an hour here and then back in the car and off to Bojnice Castle.
Bojnice was very well preserved but it is like the Disney Castle of Slovakia. There must have been 10 weddings there the hour and a half that we were there. They move them in and out. There seemed to be a constant procession of people and decorated cars... some with bridal dolls attached to them... creepy! The castle was pretty but we got stuck on a tour in Slovak and we could not lag behind or we would get yelled at. We would have preferred to go through it on our own and probably would have been done much more quickly.
Again... back in the car and off to Spis. This was about a 5 hour drive and our stop for the night. This is where things begin to get interesting and I have to get off the computer now because the computer room is full and I have run out of time.... so there'll be more later!
The car was delivered Friday night around 7:00 and we promptly hopped in and headed to the town of Trencin. We got there around 9:00 pm parked the car and started to hike up the hill to the beautifully lit castle on top of it. We were stoped short by a large gate and had to wait until the next day to explore. So we went down the hill and found the penzione we had a reservation at and checked in. We got a "suite" for the four of us $60 total(included a beer for each of us and 2 one and a half liter bottles of water). Sounds lovely... doesn't it? Well quirky is more like it. The penzione was part of a school. Our suite seemed to be a small classroom converted into a "suite". The bathroom had a toilet in one room and the sink and shower (looked like a large sink you could stand in) behind another. The floor looked like cross sections of tree trunks but was lanolium, the table was 2 desks pushed together with a table cloth over it and there were 4 twin beds... just like summer camp! For what it lacked in plushness it made up for it with cleanliness.
Saturday we finally made it up to Trencin Castle. It was very cool... both aestheticly and temperature-wise. We looked around for a little bit, checked out the view and left (the inside is currently being renovated so not much to see inside).
Back in the car and off to Beckhov Castle. The home of the Blood Countess. Rumor has it she killed young girls to bathe in their blood because she thought it would preserve her youth. This castle was not as well preserved as the first one but better because we could walk all over it. There was even part of the gothic chapel wall remaining. We spent about an hour here and then back in the car and off to Bojnice Castle.
Bojnice was very well preserved but it is like the Disney Castle of Slovakia. There must have been 10 weddings there the hour and a half that we were there. They move them in and out. There seemed to be a constant procession of people and decorated cars... some with bridal dolls attached to them... creepy! The castle was pretty but we got stuck on a tour in Slovak and we could not lag behind or we would get yelled at. We would have preferred to go through it on our own and probably would have been done much more quickly.
Again... back in the car and off to Spis. This was about a 5 hour drive and our stop for the night. This is where things begin to get interesting and I have to get off the computer now because the computer room is full and I have run out of time.... so there'll be more later!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Still haven't left the Hilton
Okay... we have actually left the Hilton but since we haven't posted anything about our roadtrip yet we didn't want you to feel neglected. Prague is beautiful but we are TIRED!! Cannot think... too tired to remember everything in a sensible fashion... write more later :)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Prague through Hilton goggles
We made it to Prague by train without any problems. We haven't left the hotel yet since checking in about 3 hours ago. I think we're both happy to slow things down a bit after all the activities of the last week and a half. We took a dip in the pool and hot tub and are about to head back for our second trip to the hospitality suite again for another drink and snack. We're both looking forward to a nice relaxing evening...
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Leave for Prague in Morning
We are back in Bratislava from our big castle road trip into Central/Eastern Slovakia. We had a great time and were able to see 5 different castles. We're a bit tired now, so won't elaborate just yet.... Gotta make sure to get some sleep for tomorrow's early train ride to Prague. When we have time, we'll update our blog more. But until then here's a teaser that doesn't include castles... Slovaks drive crazy, Nutella for dinner, a kindly monk, and of course... what European trip would be complete without Gypsies!!!
We'll catch up in Prague. Until then, we appreciate reading everyones responses!
We'll catch up in Prague. Until then, we appreciate reading everyones responses!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Problem on the Railway!
We ran into a bit of a problem on the way back from Vienna by rail last night. Or train arrived into Bratislava at about 9:00pm last night. After getting off the train, we head down the train platform and start down the stairs toward the main part of the train station. Just as we get to the bottom of the stairs, we hear a loud thud and a couple yells. When we turn around we see that one of the women that was sitting next to us on the train had fallen down on the stairs and seemed pretty hurt. We were all concerned for her well being, but also a bit skeptical wondering if it was the ever present possiblity of some sort of train station con artist scam. Andrew and I carefully head up the stairs to see if the person is really hurt or not. We find out it's one of the older women on the train who appeared to be from the states. She actually appears to be pretty banged up. At first she was regretful to admit that she was injured---possibly she was somehow embarrassed or perhaps she was afraid we were going to scam her. So, after a bit we mutually agree we're all good people and have to figure out if she needs a trip to the hospital or not. When she tried, she couldn't put any weight on her ankle. So, we decide all she really needs at this point is help getting to a taxi on the other side of the train station. Clearly, she wouldn't be able to hop the entire way. So... Andrew suggests we use some trick where we stand on each side of her, cross our arms and she sits back onto our forearms. Thats what we ended up doing. He and I carried her all the way through the train station directly to the taxis. You can just imagine how silly this looked with this women being carried through the station like royalty! We got quite a few stares.... Anyway, we were happy to help her out and hope that she was alright. Fortunately, she was here to learn about some medical equipment so hopefully there were some people at her hotel that could assess her problem and fix her up.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Out and About in Bratislava and the Surrounding Area
We've been here a few days now and Bratislava is beautiful! It is the perfect size. We can walk everywhere. If we don't want to walk we can take a bus or trolley.
Yesterday, we were left on our own (Jessica actually had to work). She helped us figure out what bus to take to go to Devin Castle and we set out to get a ticket and find the bus station. We got the ticket with very little problems and took off for the bus station. We knew just where it was... we thought. We found the bus stop and looked at the sign that tells you which buses come through there and realized we were not at the correct stop. Not a problem. We'll just go a little farther down the road... or maybe we passed it... or maybe it's on the other side of the road (you can't get there from here). Mark decided to ask for help... fantastic idea! He asked a nice young girl (who he picked because she looked just like our friend Tammy... she must be nice, right?). She was quite helpful and finally pointed us in the right direction... looks like it was just a little farther.
Finally, on the bus and our way! We met a nice couple from St. Louis, Jeff (a dentist) and Mary Kay, we spent most of the day with them exploring the Devin Castle. It is quite large and sits on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Danube and Moravian rivers. It was very peaceful. There was only another group there... looked to be a school field trip. After checking out the castle we went into the town of Devin and saw a small church and had some lunch. The waiter did not speak any English but was very nice and attempted to help us learn some more Sovak words.
After lunch we hopped back on the bus to Bratislava... 15 minutes later we are back in the city. Hard to believe that only minutes away it is so green and quiet. Later on when Jessica and Andrew got home we went out for dinner and walked to the Novy Most (New Bridge). It is a suspension bridge across the Danube with a large UFO-like structure on top of it that actually has a restaurant in it. We went to the top of that and looked out over the city. It was very interesting to see the Stare Mesto (Old Town) on one side of the river and Petralzka on the other side of the river. When we were walking around Petralzka it was not apparent how many of the large generic concrete apartment buildings there are. On our way back down we stopped to use the bathroom... not usually something we share but... I would rank this as the COOLEST bathroom ever! You actually look out over the city while using the facilities and, it is pretty swanky too!
Today.... we went to Vienna for the day. What a beautiful city. It is quite a contrast from Bratislava. Big and busy!!! Very cosmopolitan. We went to St. Stephen's Cathedral which is home to the entrails of most of the Hapsburg empire. Their hearts live in St. Augustine's and the rest of their body is entombed in a small modest crypt in a Cappuccin Church.... which we also went to. Their sarcophagi are very ornate and get more and more ridiculous as time goes on with the pinnacle being that of Maria Theresa and her husband. After that we just wandered around the city and waited for Andrew to get done with work (he works in Vienna). We had some dinner and a lovely dessert. On our way back to the train we wandered into a church that was having a small candle lite service in a side chapel: we quietly listened for a few minutes. Then we were back on the train and home to Bratislava. It was a busy day. We definitely need to go back to Vienna to spend some more time.
Tomorrow we have most of the day here in Bratislava. We have a rental car being dropped off at 7 pm and then we are off for a weekend excursion to see some more castles. We hope to make it all the way to Spis. It is out in the eastern part of the country and has one of the largest castle complexes in Europe.
Yesterday, we were left on our own (Jessica actually had to work). She helped us figure out what bus to take to go to Devin Castle and we set out to get a ticket and find the bus station. We got the ticket with very little problems and took off for the bus station. We knew just where it was... we thought. We found the bus stop and looked at the sign that tells you which buses come through there and realized we were not at the correct stop. Not a problem. We'll just go a little farther down the road... or maybe we passed it... or maybe it's on the other side of the road (you can't get there from here). Mark decided to ask for help... fantastic idea! He asked a nice young girl (who he picked because she looked just like our friend Tammy... she must be nice, right?). She was quite helpful and finally pointed us in the right direction... looks like it was just a little farther.
Finally, on the bus and our way! We met a nice couple from St. Louis, Jeff (a dentist) and Mary Kay, we spent most of the day with them exploring the Devin Castle. It is quite large and sits on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Danube and Moravian rivers. It was very peaceful. There was only another group there... looked to be a school field trip. After checking out the castle we went into the town of Devin and saw a small church and had some lunch. The waiter did not speak any English but was very nice and attempted to help us learn some more Sovak words.
After lunch we hopped back on the bus to Bratislava... 15 minutes later we are back in the city. Hard to believe that only minutes away it is so green and quiet. Later on when Jessica and Andrew got home we went out for dinner and walked to the Novy Most (New Bridge). It is a suspension bridge across the Danube with a large UFO-like structure on top of it that actually has a restaurant in it. We went to the top of that and looked out over the city. It was very interesting to see the Stare Mesto (Old Town) on one side of the river and Petralzka on the other side of the river. When we were walking around Petralzka it was not apparent how many of the large generic concrete apartment buildings there are. On our way back down we stopped to use the bathroom... not usually something we share but... I would rank this as the COOLEST bathroom ever! You actually look out over the city while using the facilities and, it is pretty swanky too!
Today.... we went to Vienna for the day. What a beautiful city. It is quite a contrast from Bratislava. Big and busy!!! Very cosmopolitan. We went to St. Stephen's Cathedral which is home to the entrails of most of the Hapsburg empire. Their hearts live in St. Augustine's and the rest of their body is entombed in a small modest crypt in a Cappuccin Church.... which we also went to. Their sarcophagi are very ornate and get more and more ridiculous as time goes on with the pinnacle being that of Maria Theresa and her husband. After that we just wandered around the city and waited for Andrew to get done with work (he works in Vienna). We had some dinner and a lovely dessert. On our way back to the train we wandered into a church that was having a small candle lite service in a side chapel: we quietly listened for a few minutes. Then we were back on the train and home to Bratislava. It was a busy day. We definitely need to go back to Vienna to spend some more time.
Tomorrow we have most of the day here in Bratislava. We have a rental car being dropped off at 7 pm and then we are off for a weekend excursion to see some more castles. We hope to make it all the way to Spis. It is out in the eastern part of the country and has one of the largest castle complexes in Europe.
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