ARRIVAL IN SLOVAKIA - BRATISLAVA

We arrived in Bratislava after a long flight from the States via Paris and Vienna followed by a fast car ride,(I tried not to look a the speedometer). The weather was beautiful, our hotel a 5 star in the midst of the Old Town, but the best of all was our soft beds - as we settled in for a short nap.

Changing clothes we went out to explore this beautiful city which is the capital of Slovakia, a small land locked country in Eastern Europe. Having been part of the Czechoslovakian Republic since the first part of the century, it fell under the control of the USSR at the end of the WWII and didn't become a sovereign state until 1993.

A short distance from our hotel was the main square, surrounded by old restored buildings including the "Old Town Hall" , Maximilian fountain, many small tented shops and an ice cream kiosk.


Near the square we encountered this one man band. He produced an amazing variety of beautiful music.

Bratislava is filled with statues of unusual sorts. "Rubberneck" has already lost his head twice due to careless drivers,but now he has a "man working"sign to help protect him.


But of course that leaves room for imitation by a local mime.

Walking on to this cool, lovely, traffic free promenade we encountered a special treat -

lots of hugs!

But then too, we found a favorite statue of mine.