Between Budapest and Prague we stop over in Bratislava because my great-niece Emily is singing in concerts there as a member of her school's Chamber Choir. The choir and the school's wind ensemble are participating in a Youth Music Competition.
Bratislava has a historic centre that is almost completely pedestrianised - a maze of twisty cobbled streets that is easy to get lost in. But we find our way to Hviedoslav Square in time to hear the wind ensemble play, and to St Matthias church for a concert involving lots of groups and choirs, with our lot singing the final number.
Being a choir groupie enables us to enjoy another free concert in the Mirror Room of the Primate's Palace the next day. We lunch with the other members of the family and it's nice to catch up and exchange news and views. In between we manage our usual tram rides as a way of seeing parts of the city other than the historic centre and the castle. The latter is a bit of a disappointment - it looks impressive from a distance but is actually a ruin that was restored in the 1950s, so it's very new and clean in white and gold on the inside. It's used for conferences and exhibitions, and the collection of old furniture that was on display kept us interested for an hour or so. There is also a great view, not only of an impressive modern bridge over the Danube, but also of hundreds of wind farms, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Bratislava has a historic centre that is almost completely pedestrianised - a maze of twisty cobbled streets that is easy to get lost in. But we find our way to Hviedoslav Square in time to hear the wind ensemble play, and to St Matthias church for a concert involving lots of groups and choirs, with our lot singing the final number.
Being a choir groupie enables us to enjoy another free concert in the Mirror Room of the Primate's Palace the next day. We lunch with the other members of the family and it's nice to catch up and exchange news and views. In between we manage our usual tram rides as a way of seeing parts of the city other than the historic centre and the castle. The latter is a bit of a disappointment - it looks impressive from a distance but is actually a ruin that was restored in the 1950s, so it's very new and clean in white and gold on the inside. It's used for conferences and exhibitions, and the collection of old furniture that was on display kept us interested for an hour or so. There is also a great view, not only of an impressive modern bridge over the Danube, but also of hundreds of wind farms, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Our worst disappointment was walking a fair distance along the riverside to find restaurants recommended by the owner of the very spacious apartment we stayed in. There are a row of them with terraces on the river bank - the perfect place to eat on a hot night, except for the smokers. We really can't handle people smoking around us when we're eating, and there are so many smokers you can't get away from them. We finish up at the only restaurant that has an inside area, which has a rather mundane menu. Just as we are thinking it might be safe to at least finish our drinks outside, people at the table next to the one we have our eye on light up a hookah!
We buy Peter his second hat of this trip, as he leaves the nice straw number we bought in Vienna in the luggage rack of the train from Budapest, and it goes on to Prague and Hamburg without him. The new one is camouflage material, and he hates it, but at least he's avoiding sunstroke. It's as hot in Bratislava as it was in Budapest. After two nights we board the train for Prague hoping for cooler weather.
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