After a bit of a sleep-in, we left the hostel with our first destination locked in, the Information Centre. We were keen to find out what Bratislava had to offer. The guides at the Info Centre were most helpful. They suggested an itinerary for the day, recommended a café for breakfast and most importantly (for John and Leah) they sold us tickets to the Ice Hockey game that evening.

Our breakfast at Bagel and Coffee Story gave us a chance to try the reputedly bad Slovakian coffee. Our guidebook for Slovakia warns us that we should avoid Slovakian coffee at all costs. Our coffee at the BCS was not too bad, certainly much better than sludge. Although, Andrew had two straws in his latte through which to drink his coffee. Apparently that's how they drink it in Slovakia. I don't think that's a technique that we'll take on board.
Our morning was spent wandering through the old town. We managed to squeeze in:

The Danube River -- It's known as the Blue Danube but maybe the Green Danube would be a better nickname. The river is the second longest in Europe (after the Volga in Russia). The word Danube (Dunaj in Slovak and Donau in German) derives from the word Danu meaning river. This is the second time that I have seen the river. (The first time was in Regensberg while we were driving from Munich to Berlin.) Our walk along the river bank was a little chilly but it did provide a great view of Bratislava Castle and the New Bridge.

Bratislava Hrad -- Bratislava Castle stands on a rocky hill directly above the Danube River in the middle of Bratislava. It's a steep ascent to the top of the hill where the castle is situated. Our path took us along cobbled backstreets and up a narrow staircase. Although, John and Leah remarked that it was the easiest castle assault that they'd undertaken so far. (They have more castle experience than we do.) The castle itself is very impressive. It's been around in some form for thousands of years. Castle hill was used by the Celts way back in 450 BC. Although, the current incarnation of the castle was only built/restored in the 1950s. The castle is definitely worth a visit because of the amazing view it affords of Bratislava.

Nový Most -- Nový Most (New Bridge) is a striking bridge over the Danube River, connecting the old town with Petrzalka. On the north side of the river there is beautiful, classic, elegant Bratislava Castle, representing the old town. In Petrzalka, on the south bank, is a concrete jungle; rows and rows of ugly, identical, soviet-era apartment blocks. It's an interesting juxtaposition. Our primary interest in the bridge was UFO, a restaurant and observation deck at the top of the bridge pylon. (Well, I enjoyed just looking at it; I'm a bit of a bridge nerd.) Our journey to the observation deck was a bit Alice in Wonderland. First, you catch a lift which is inside one of the pylons. It's an disorientating experience as the pylon is angled and so the lift is moving both upwards and sideways at the same time. From there you climb a staircase to the outdoor observation deck. Once again, my head was spinning because the staircase was on a vertical plane and but the walls were angled. Scaling the stairs was a very uncomfortable experience; luckily it was only a few flights. From the outdoor observation deck there is a wonderful view of the city. Bratislava is very close to Austria and from the deck you can see Austria. Apparently on a clear day you can see Vienna (only 60km away). This fantastic view is available from all areas of UFO, even the restrooms. The fourth wall of the restroom is a glass wall displaying the view. The cubicles in the toilets face this view; it's much better scenery than a cubicle door.

The Christmas Markets -- We passed through the markets several times throughout the morning. On our way to the Information Centre in the morning. On a return visit to the Information Centre to pick up a tourist card. On a third visit to the Information Centre to join our afternoon walking tour. (We just loved that Information Centre!). On each visit the markets were always busy, packed with adults and children, tourists and residents. People were everywhere! Browsing the craft stalls, sipping steaming mulled wine or munching crepes at the communal tables. There were four rows of stalls with the outer rows devoted to crafts and the inner rows selling food. The food stalls offered traditional Skovakian Christmas treats. Although we were not tempted by the bread smeared with duck lard and topped with onion, we did decide to try the crepes. I thought I was purchasing crepes covered in chocolate sauce, however the taste was not quite right. Later on we found out that the crepes were Lokse or pototo crepes. I'm not sure what the sauce was, but it definitely wasn't chocolate.

In the afternoon, we joined a walking tour of the old town. Our guide pointed out and explained the historical significance and current use of many of the old buildings in Bratislava. It was quite useful as we'd walked past these buildings many times without actually knowing their purpose. We did find it amusing though that we were shown every building that a famous composer had ever set foot in. We started with a building that Franz Liszt performed a concert in when he was only 9. Apparently Liszt visited Bratislava several times in his lifetime. Of course, we were then shown buildings that Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven had stayed in or performed in at one time or other. Even, if the composer had only been there for a few days. Obviously Bratislava has quite a peaceful history if Mozart staying in a house for a week is a noteworthy event.

We had a very late lunch at Prasna Basta. It was a chance to thaw out (it had been very cold on our afternoon tour) and an opportunity to sample traditional Slovakian cuisine. John and Leah tried the onion soup. Andrew and I shared a meat plate with chicken, beef and vegetables. It tasted a bit ghoulashy. We also tried a Zemiaková placka, a potato pancake. It was delicious.

No rest for the wicked... or for those trying to squeeze in as much as possible on a mini-break. Lunch was barely digesting and it was off to watch an Ice Hockey game. We had bought tickets to watch HC Slovan play Zilina. When we arrived we found that we had unwittingly purchased the worst tickets available for sale in the entire stadium. We believed we had bought tickets for 4 seats together with an unobstructed, side-on view of the rink. In truth, we had 4 seats that were separated by the TV camera box. Our view was obstructed by this box and by pylons holding the roof up. We wouldn't have been able to see much of the game if we'd watched it from our paid-for seats. Luckily, the game was not sold out and we were able to relocate to a better vantage point.

Prior to the game, John and Leah had decided to cheer for the home team, HC Slovan, wearing dark blue and red (just like the Canucks). Originally, that was our plan too. However, when we arrived, Andrew and I discovered the Zilina's colours were green and gold. Then, in the first 20 minutes of the game, it was clear that HC Slovan were the dominant team and Zilina were the underdogs. Andrew and I switched allegiances and started cheering for Zilina (although, I was yelling Go Aussies!)

(Ice Hockey for Dummies: six players per side, aim is to hit puck [rubber disc] into opponent's goal net, three periods of 20 minutes each.)

It was my first ever Ice Hockey game, so I wasn't sure what to expect. When the first two goals were scored in the first 10 minutes, I thought Ice Hockey must be a high-scoring game. However, this belief was quickly altered. The next goal didn't happen until the third period and the final score was only 3-2.

Zilina were leading for the last period of the game 2 goals to 1. HC Slovan levelled the score in the last 3 minutes. Slovan then went on to win the game in overtime. Thanks for taking us to our first Ice Hockey Game John and Leah. We had a neat time! (*G*)

It was late and it had been a long day. We headed back to our hostel to crash, happy that we'd had a decent crack at Bratislava.

(We went home via Tescos to pick up brekkie for the next morning. Here is a tip for everyone in Australia. Fruit is not weighed by the check out chick in Slovakian supermarkets. After selecting your items, you have to take them to a separate counter to be weighed. The person at this counter will place a barcode sticker on the bag to indicate the cost of the items. We were caught out by this, even though Natalie had told me previously how she made the same mistake in Denmark.)

I think I practically skipped out of work on Thursday afternoon. Leaving early is always enjoyable, but leaving work to go on a holiday is the ultimate in guilty pleasures. We met John and Leah at Liverpool St station at 4.30pm ready and raring to go.

You can always pick up a fantastic deal on an airfare to some glamorous European destination. Some fares can be as low as 6 quid (plus taxes) which seems like a bargain. However, I think you more than pay your way with the inconvenience suffered when catching these low-cost flights. (Look I'm already breaking my promise! I'm such an ungrateful, whinging Aussie.) Our flight to Bratislava left from Stansted Airport, affectionately nicknamed Stansucks Airport. The airport is about 30 miles north-west of London and is accessible by an express train which takes 45 mins.

Once arriving at the airport you then have to undergo the rigmarole associated with using a budget airline. Check in: 30 mins... queue in a very slow moving line... someone rudely pushes in front of you just as you reach the front of the queue. Clearing Security: 30 mins... do you have your lip balm in a clear plastic bag? Do you suppose you can really blow up a plane using a tub of Blistex? Boarding: 45 mins... stand in a queue for 40 mins to make sure that you're able to sit together on the plane... finally board the aeroplane and become one of 170 sardines squished in a can. I remarked to John that it was lucky that we were going on a holiday, because after getting through Stansted, I really needed a holiday. But, let's concentrate on the important bit here... Holiday!

On arrival to Bratislava we decided not to navigate the public transport system, and instead take a taxi to our hostel. Unfortunately, we were out-manoeuvred by our taxi driver and somehow we agreed on a fixed fare to the city; at a price that was twice the cost of a normal metered fare for the journey. We should have known that something was up when the taxi driver quickly herded us into the car, dived into the driver's seat and zoomed off. It was a lesson learned in assertiveness! (For future reference people, the fare from the airport to the city is about 300 Sk.)

First impressions of our hostel, Downtown Backpacker's Hostel, were favourable. Our room, although a twin and not a double, was spacious and warm. The shared bathrooms were clean and numerous (enough). The other residents were friendly and didn't seem to be serial killers *G*. (Actually, our stay in the Downtown Backpacker's Hostel was affordable and quite comfortable. I'd highly recommend it as a place to stay on your next trip to Bratislava.)

Once we'd checked in and dropped off our bags, we headed out for a late night stroll through Bratislava. John and Andrew were keen for a midnight snack and Leah and Jess were keen to see if the Christmas Markets were still open.

We wandered through down town and past St Michael's Gate. The archway beckoned and we were powerless to resist. Once through the gate we were greeted with a beautiful sight. The old town of Bratislava lit by twinkling Christmas lights. It was truly magical. From there we proceeded to the town square where the Christmas markets were located. The square was serene and peaceful as the markets were closed. (The next morning was a different story. The hustle and the bustle of the square in the daytime contrasted completely with our late night experience. I'm glad I saw the market in both a busy and a peaceful mode.) Although the markets were closed, it didn't stop us window shopping along the row of craft stalls. Decorative glass baubles, tiny doily angels and colourful wooden elves hung in the stalls, ready to be snapped up by eager shoppers the next morning.

Our hostel had recommended an all night pizza place as a dinner venue. We were not adventurous with our order, requesting a Hawaiian pizza and a Funghi pizza. We believed we could guess what toppings would grace those pizzas. Jess and the boys also sampled the Pilsner Urquell, a Czech brew. (With a healthy dash of Sprite for Jess.) Before we knew it, it was 1am and we were flagging. We decided to head back to the hostel and try and get a good night's sleep in preparation for the next day. (A big pat on the back for John who survived the day on only 3 hours sleep. He'd flown back from Atlanta on Thursday morning.)

Our mini-break was the perfect medicine for my serious case of BBD (British Bureaucracy Disorder). We spent a day in Bratislava (Slovakia) and a day in Vienna (Austria). A healthy dose of sight-seeing in beautiful Bratislava and Vienna was just what we needed. Here is a promise to you all that there won't be any entries on Fushmush whinging about London rules and regulations. Well, for the next week or so at least. I guess the mini-break should actually be called a mini "don't stop 'till you drop". Our weekend holiday was jam-packed full of touristy fun. Our itinerary ran like this:

Thursday PM - Leave work - catch train to Standsted Airport - Fly to Bratislava - catch taxi from airport and get ripped off by taxi driver - arrive at hostel - conduct a late night stroll through the old town - eat pizza for dinner - go back to hostel and crash.

Friday AM - Find breakfast and try the reputedly bad Slovak coffee - walk up to Bratislava Castle and admire the view - walk along Bratislava Bridge, catch the lift up to the observation deck and admire the view. PM - Join a walking tour of the old town, learn about every famous composer that ever set foot in Bratislava - enjoy a traditional Slovakian meal for lunch at Prasná Basta - catch a tram to the Samsung Arena - watch a Ice Hockey game, HC Slovan narrowly beat Zilina in overtime 3 goals to 2 - go back to hostel and crash.

Saturday AM - Walk to train station and hop a train to Vienna - catch the tourist tram - must find coffee - ahhhh...Starbucks - walk through the city centre to St Stephen's Cathedral - walk down the main shopping street of Vienna to the Hofburg - browse in the Christmas markets at the Justiz platz - sip Christmas punch while perusing the Christmas markets at the Rathaus. PM - Sample wienerschnitzel at the Einstein Café - back to St Stephen's to climb the spire (or not climb it Jess' case) - search souvenir shops for the perfect stein - afternoon tea at the Sacher Hotel - train back to Bratislava - pizza again for dinner - go back to hostel and crash.

Sunday AM - Catch taxi to airport and this time pay the right fare - fly back to London - catch a bus back to Liverpool St because trains are broken - tube it back home and crash.

A detailed report of the weekend to come...