Bratislava and Vienna 3 (and final!)

Just want to finish off the account of this trip before I start on the London one! This is the statue of Stalin in Bratislava. It's huge!

And another of the "street statues"; this one was human! I can't imagine how he balanced on that all day.

There were so many beautiful buildings in Vienna. The church below was one of many, one more gorgeous than the next.

 On the bus tour, we passed by this Fair, I love the colours!

Another stunning church!

 Bratislava had some great graffiti. This was visible from the boat trip to Vienna.

 There were also some fine houses along the route of the boat trip.

 And finally, some fun! This was at the bridge at the entrance to Bratislava. What a view they have (not real people!)

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.

Bratislava and Vienna 1

We arrived in Bratislava early Monday morning for our 3.25 day visit! I already posted this picture, but I want to keep this a full account, so apologies for reposting.

First impressions were of beautiful buildings, and squares, lots of open spaces, but very quiet and very few people around.

 It felt much more leisurely than a city!

There are lots of statues like this one, so it's just as well it's not crowded, as tourists constantly stop to take photos with the statues!

A few tour groups passed along, and for a few moments the street would be crowded, then quiet again.
Bratislava by night is very, very beautiful!

This is the same square as the first picture, from the opposite angle, and that building is our hotel! Definitely the most impressive looking hotel we've ever stayed in!

Monday was Hubby's birthday, and when we were checking in, the receptionist noticed from his passport, and they sent a bottle of wine up to the room. How nice and thoughtful is that?
I really liked Slovakian people; everyone we met was friendly and helpful, and everyone had amazing English! I only managed to learn "thank you" in Slovakian, but each time I used it, they beamed. It makes a difference to learn just that one word!

Stole away! and update on my dilemma

Thank everyone for your fantastic, helpful comments on my last post. It really helped my confidence to know that so many people were behind me. That is one of the marvellous things about the blogging community.

 (and I thought the ivy in my garden was out of control! Perspective!)
I decided to face the situation head-on, but the person in question never turned up to the last rehearsal. Maybe she heard I would have chewing gum (Eddie's idea!) or had troops lined up to punch her (Pam and Stephanie!) or one of the many other ideas for dealing with it.

 However, another very talented player was there, and I noticed how polite and respectful he was, as I was to him. We are all just doing our best. That made me more determined not to be bullied.
I will keep you updated.

Hubby and I stole away for a few days. Bratislava and Vienna.  Above is the view from our hotel room! I think it looks like an architect's drawing!

 And this was one of many beautiful buildings in Bratislava.
Worthy of a full other post, but these few pics are an introduction. More to follow..

Bubble has Burst

Yes, the bubble has burst.
I've been having so much fun with band and orchestra....until the last 2 weeks.

A new player has joined one of the groups that I play with, and I find it difficult to get along with her. I find her pushy and loud, and she loves to point out my mistakes, and to lean over and write on my music!

I think I'm going to have to face the situation head-on, a thing I hate to do. I don't like conflict, and she will only be there for a few more weeks, until the summer break from her other ensemble is over. But it's quite possible that she will come back at some stage, so I need to let her know that she can't walk all over me.
 Any advice on how to address this would be greatly appreciated; I'm really stressed out about it.

What a Weekend! And a nugget of wisdom!

 We were in Clonakilty, Cork, for the South of Ireland Band Championships.

What a lot of fun!  (I'm 3rd Horn from the right, again!)
 Each of the bands plays in the school hall, at the competition, but also on the street! That was so much fun! I don't know why there's a monkey on top of the phone box!

 I'm discovering how different venues/acoustics affect the sound. On the street, I couldn't hear any of the other instruments, which made it really difficult to know if I was with the others or not.

We won 1st place in the Senior Competition, and part of winning is a Victory Train Ride through the town!

  The Lord Mayor comes on the train with the winners!

It was hilarious! If there's one thing guaranteed to get adults to instantly become children, it's a mini-train! We piled in and started singing, clapping, cheering!

Then, in the pub, they filled our cup with a cocktail of booze.

 It was passed around for everyone to have a taste.

During the night's celebrations, I was constantly surprised at the taking of photos (for Facebook). A night out has totally changed since I used to do this regularly- it's all about recording it!

And within minutes it's on Facebook!

 Would need to either not care or take extreme care to behave well!

(pictures 1 and 3 are from  Richard Tyndall Photography)

I was browsing through documents tonight and came across "Things to Give Up".

Give up thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

I'm so glad that I sometimes listen to my own (or the internet's!) advice, and that I went ahead and joined the Band. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made with my life.

The video is here!!!

The promised excerpt from our performance of Riverdance in the Helix. Enjoy!