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Published: June 29th 2009
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So with just 72 hours at home after returning from Toronto, it's back on the road. Or more accurately, back to the airport - Gatwick this time. I've been tracking the weather forecast and Bratislava currently has some very unseasonal thunderstorms, so it could be fairly unpleasant. However, I expect to be working pretty much continuously, so it probably won't matter!
There are few direct flights to Bratislava, and even fewer at sensible low prices. However, Vienna is only 40 miles away so I'm flying easyjet to Vienna instead and planning to catch the bus. A word in favour of easyjet: they're the new British Airways in my view. The flights are sensibly priced, on clean modern aircraft, with friendly crew. BA in contrast run tired old planes staffed with bored looking crew. Ryanair spend all their time trying to flog you stuff and anyway, I can't stand their self-righteous, loud mouthed chairman!
So, the flight was on time and the bus to Bratislava was waiting outside the terminal - seven euros single - bargain!! Just 45 minutes through Austrian towns and villages, across an unused customs border post and on into the outskirts of the city. First impressions
aren't too good: the bus leaves me at the roadside with only a shopping precinct, a run-down exhibition centre and some tatty looking tower blocks for company. Fortunately I'm met within a few minutes and head off to the hotel.
I chose the Michalska Brana from TripAdvisor but against the advice of our local dealer ("too noisy, can't park outside") but I'm glad I stuck to my plans. The hotel is in a small cobbled alleyway, just off the main tourist thoroughfare. Michael's Gate is at the end of the alley, just 50m away and it's another 100m or so to the edge of the car free zone. The building is 600 years old and was converted to a hotel around 3 years ago. There are only about 16 rooms - mine was almost in the attic on the third floor but the sloping ceiling added to the character. All nicely furnished in a trendy IKEA sort of style. Buffet breakfast is served in the ground floor restaurant which opens on to a small courtyard garden. I'd certainly stay there again! Oh, and the beer was good!
The old town is fairly compact (actually that's just too polite - it's tiny). I only managed a couple of laps later in the evening after finishing work but my impression is that you wouldn't want to be here for more than a weekend - there just isn't enough to see or do. I spoke to a couple of other guests at the hotel who had been to the castle: they said the view was great but most of the castle itself was closed for refurbishment. We passed alongside the Danube on our way back from the TV Studios and the boats moored were almost level with the road. There had been some very unseasonal heavy rains throughout the region and they were preparing for floods as the water travelled downstream through Germany and Austria. It was still raining when I left but I'm told the peak has now passed without breaching the sandbags. Not such luck at the airport on the way home - a 90 minute delay until the thunderstorm passed overhead.
Not much more to report: I certainly wouldn't object to going back there, but I won't be adding it to the top of my personal list.
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