My first real expedition from Vienna - Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, about an hour bus ride away. The sky was threatening rain on departure and making good on it's promise on arrival. I went with Inga, my Latvian friend, and we in turn met Jana, a friend of Inga's who is from Bratislava. She ushered us into a cafe where we could start the morning off with a much-needed cappucino (and the happy surprise that prices are about 1/5 that of those in Vienna). A satellite of the Soviet Union until 1989, there is still a strong communist feel - blocky buildings, statues of Lenin-esque proportions and "soldiers of the people." The day we arrived was actually a public holiday, so in the morning the streets were pretty deserted. As people came out, though, and the
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