Bratislava was my fave!

Out of all the cities we visited, Bratislava was my favorite. Hands down. Same size as Reno. Same nickname! They call themselves the Littlest Big City. Same blend of urban and rural, outdoor adventures, big-city amenities. But oh so different. Diverse is not even the right word. So many people of so many colors, languages, experiences...I felt so comfortable and accepted. I'm sure they have their fair share of all the -isms (sexism, racism, homophobism, etc). But there is a certain amount of healthy respect and celebration for diversity that I would attribute to post effects of WWII. After years of tyranny and millions of deaths for being different,  people came together to say, how about we never allow one person full of hate to ever rise to power like that again? Sound good? Ok.

I digress...

This coffee shop was my favorite on the trip. We visited historical coffee shops and famed coffee shops and they were beautiful. It was great to learn their history and see how they became part of the culture and changed a culture. However, this coffee shop is a place where we would hang out all the time. The design and feel, the people, the stroller parking and kid's area, the food! The outdoor seating and great customer service. The free wifi. The lack of corporate (nothing against Starbucks, I'm a fan, I just also value supporting locals). It was all beautifully done.

There are some pics you'll see of memorials. You cannot be in a place in eastern Europe and not come across memorials. You'll see a huge wall. Because walls were built around the city to keep people in and keep people out. With the end of communism, came the tearing down of walls. But in some place the walls remained and were kept in tact as a reminder of what was.

There are 22 Catholic churches here, quite a large number for a city this size. This one in particular has the highest steeple and instead of a cross at the top is a crown. Inside, our small group was given access to the upper floors where the treasures rest. We weren't allowed to take pictures. We saw a music book written by Hayden, covered in his notes and thoughts. And a bible so old it still had the Apocrypha!  In the pews closer to the sanctuary were charming wood carvings of animals.

One of the statues pictured is Hans Christian Anderson.

There is a picture of the US Embassy, couldn't get too close for the guards everywhere and fencing. And didn't really have the time at that point to stop in to say hello. It's a lovely building.

We also watched their Christmas Tree being brought in! It was quite the spectacle. We grabbed some of the fallen branches and put them in our room on board the ship. Our room smelled so good!

I really hope to visit Bratislava again...