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Slovakia (2016)
Our "Palace" Apartment
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Slovakia
August 2016

Our apartment was in a renovated palace in old town.
It was one of many constructed by the Empress as residences
for the nobles who traveled to Bratislava to visit her in the castle

We couldn't figure out how to open these imposing entrance doors


Suddenly there was a great creaking noise and
the doors opened all by themselves
to reveal a beautiful courtyard

Our apartment was on the 3rd floor.
A parking garage was in the basement
Watching a car exit,
we learned how to use the card key for access
Plants decorated every exterior walkway
The courtyard contained artifacts of the Imperial age
like these stone canonballs
Our 3 room apartment had all the comforts at home including a large screen TV to watch the summer Olympics
Now that we understood how to gain access
We went out to explore the neighborhood
The National Theater was down the block
A few minutes walk to this main square,
the site of festivals and activities
Another square adjacent to shops and restaurants
A great local restaurant was next to our apartment
Where we were served terrific local food
We were only a 5 minute walk from the Danube with a lovely path heavily used by walkers, runners and bicyclists.
I started my day here most mornings before class with a 5k run.
   
The scenery included a view of the Cathedral
and the "UFO" bridge
The Castle dominated the high ground above the river
Some days began very early
The path continued down river toward the university
Passing cruise ships on the Danube
In fact, the path continues all the way to Budapest, Hungary
While the Golden Arches provides a taste of the USA
We preferred the atmosphere of the Green Tree Cafe for a quick bite