These are the signs for the toilets at the resturant we dined at last night. Can you tell which door you should enter? Some people were confused.

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.)

This month's BookCrossing meeting was held at The Australian Heritage Hotel in the Rocks. This is one of my favourite Sydney pubs; it has delicious food, great atmosphere and is centrally located. (Although the pub can be hard to find, as the Rocks is a bit of a maze. The trick is to use the Argyle stairs off Argyle Street.)
The Australian Hotel can be added to our list of "pubs with interesting bathrooms". In one toilet cubicle, in the women's facility, there is a statue hidden behind the toilet door. When I first entered this stall, it scared me half to death. I thought there was someone standing behind the door. I wonder if the staff at the Australian put it there on purpose to frighten their customers.

August's book recommendation:

• Rebecca . Daphne DuMaurier
  What a wonderful novel; I really loved this book. The young, shy narrator falls desperately in love with Max De Winter, a much older and wealthy widower. After a whirlwind romance they marry and return to his much lauded estate, Manderley. The new bride has to compete with the memory of Max's ex-wife Rebecca, who had been beautiful and sophisticated, the opposite of the dowdy and timid narrator. She also has to deal with the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who is utterly devoted to the memory of Rebecca. I particularly liked how the narrator remains anonymous to emphasise the contrast between her and the larger-than-life Rebecca. This is a fascinating tale of love and jealously, trust and betrayal. Anyone who enjoyed Jane Eyre will also love this novel. I can't believe it's the first time I've read this classic. One of my favourite reads from this year.

June's Bookcrossing meeting was held at the Arthouse Hotel on Pitt St. We had a record turnout of 26 people! We'd warned the Arthouse we were coming but I don't think they listened. They were completely understaffed and the poor bartender was very frazzled. We now have so many people turning up with armloads of books that you can choose your book in either paperback or trade paperback sizes... "yes I'll have a small 'Tis to go thanks!"

Last night's most interesting conversation was about the weird and wacky toilets we've used over the years. The funky toilets at the Arthouse prompted the conversation. Instead of sinks for washing your hands, the Arthouse has a waterfall which automatically turns on when you put your hands underneath. The weirdest toilet I know of is at Buzz Café in Darwin where the men's urinal is a one-way mirror. Men peeing are treated to a view of the restaurant. Sarah told us about the toilets in Austria where little robot hands came out to wipe down the seat and then another pair of robot hands came out to dry the seat. Finally Clare informed us of the futuristic toilets in the QVB where the doors open and close automatically and the toilet flushes by itself after you've left the cubicle.

June's book recommendation:

• The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger This is a wonderful book! Such an interesting premise! Amazon classifies this as Science Fiction/Fantasy but I think they've got it wrong. It's really a wonderful character study and a beautiful love story.
  "A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant. An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come." -- Amazon

the "foreigners", Sarah and Anja	Marianne "wheel of fortunes" our impressive collection of books	the armless, neckless woman is stalking us!

I was a very busy girl on Friday. After Paddy's graduation in the afternoon we had Justin's 30th Birthday in the evening. Juzzy's 30th birthday celebrations were held at Zaaffran at Darling Harbour, a lovely indian restaurant made more appealing by the 20% discount you receive when paying by AMEX.

The photo on the left was taken in the antechamber of the toilets at Zaaffran. The walls were mirrors and it was quite confusing finding your way out of the room. I couldn't resist taking a photo, although I did receive some strange looks... "you're taking a camera to the bathroom?".

Happy 30th Birthday Juzzy! (photos)