bratislava

just rolled in on a very comfortable bus trip back from slovakia!  alex and i went over to bratislava (just under a 5 hour bus trip from prague) for a one night getaway.  purpose: to apply for our visas (or trade licenses, to be more precise) so we can not only stay in the schengen zone and the CZ longer than three months, but so we can be legal to work here!  and yes, you have to apply for your visa at a czech embassy in a country other than CZ.  (I KNOW) but i guess it weeds out the people who don’t take it seriously, right?  and we are VERY SERIOUS!

the (awesome) hostel we stayed at upgraded us from a dorm room to a double private with bathroom ensuite for free– very nice gesture.  (there ain’t a lot of business in january in slovakia, i’m certain)  why, i haven’t experienced customer service this wonderful since i was in germany!  har.  this morning we awoke to a mini-snow storm happening outside that still probably has not stopped.  the snow was going and going and going, the kind that gets in your eyes when you walk and you can’t see a thing.  but, it made bratislava look quite quaint and beautiful.  i’ve heard mixed things about visiting this city, and i’m quite glad i ignored all those things and chose to form my own opinion.

our embassy process went alright– there was a bit of technical trouble over there but we both had our short appointments and hopefully receive our visas in not too long.

and it was quite important to me that when in bratislava, eat delicious cheap slovakian food!  i steered us straight towards bratislavská reštaurácia which was sort of an experience unto itself.  housed in this beautiful wood-paneled 19th century palace sort of building but serving traditional slovakian entrees between 4-6 euro. and i heard that the bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings with sheep’s cheese and bacon) is slovakia’s national dish.  SHEEP’S CHEESE IS DELICIOUS.

while all this is happening, it’s snowing like a mo-fo out there.  all day, accumulating inch by inch every hour.  it seemed as though the city was not running on a usual weekday schedule and was more in snOMG mode.  trams were derailed, not too many cars on the roads, people trying to see where they’re going without looking up.  it was blustery snow, but it made the city look suuuure lovely and will be something that stays with me about bratislava.  from what i gathered in my short visit: a small, pretty, liveable, walkable city with friendly people.  i will be back.  (seriously… i have to pick up my visa there in a month or two so i have to go back)

before taking off, we paid a visit to the main thing i wanted to see while here– the blue church.  this church does not look like any i’ve ever been to.  it looks like a birthday cake or a childrens’ playhouse. and even is blue on the inside.

and i leave you with this punny photo: “funky cold medina”.