Thursday, August 2, 2012

Bratislava and Vienna 2

Day 2 in Bratislava we had a nice leisurely look around, lots of walking and exploring. There was a cute little bus that did a tour of the old part of the city, so we did that.

Afterwards we went to find the train station, and that was a long, long walk, but did allow us a view of the newer part of the city. We preferred the old part.

We spent the afternoon getting information about trips to Vienna, and had a real stroke of luck! We wanted to go to a concert in Vienna, which finished around 10.30pm, and were exploring ways of getting back to Bratislava. The tourist office only gave us train times, and it would be very late getting back. Then we asked the girl at reception in the hotel, and she came up with a much better option... a bus! The timing was perfect, and it was a lot cheaper! Result!

So, we got a boat up the Danube in the morning from Bratislava to Vienna, had our lunch and also a little treat that I've wanted to do all my life!
and a bus tour of this beautiful city.

Then we went to the concert! It was disappointing, in that the seats we had were very cramped, there was no air in the concert hall (A.C. not working?) and a group of students in front of us kept taking photos and videos with mobile phones held up high, which blocked our view. I suspect the concert is a "touristy" thing, as they didn't seem to mind people taking photos, with flash, and videos! This picture was before it filled up; the hall was full during the concert.

The concert itself was just ok, but it was still wonderful to be inside the Vienna Opera House!

The costumes were lovely, but, for me, the musical performance lacked soul.

We made our way to the bus stop and got our bus back, all on time and all went like clockwork!
Very, very enjoyable day.

We would not have gone ahead with it were it not for the receptionist telling us about the bus. The staff in that hotel were really exceptional, better at touristy stuff than the tourist office.

6 comments:

  1. Mmmm. Chocolate. Could life be more perfect after that?

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  2. Orchestra in costume! i haven't seen that before.
    It's funny but years ago I would have been slavering over the cake and cream. Now, I wouldn't be able to touch it. That's so strange, I wonder why!

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  3. Oh your treat looks so Yummy! Looks like a FUN time :)

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  4. It is so beautiful there. As an American, I must travel abroad to see such architecture. Not that traveling isn't one of my favorite things :). And that treat looks delish! I am a bit envious of Europeans being so close to so much diverse beauty. No, wait. I am very envious :)!

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  5. You seem to have found some very helpful clerks at the hotels. Glad you got to the concert even if it was a disappointment musically. You would always have wondered if not.

    That Opera House is spectacular...worth the bus trip. And a yummy dessert, too!

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