Bratislava

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Geo: 48.1484, 17.1073

Sail away from Budapest was a lovely experience. Everyone was topside and it was a warm evening. Most people had got over their jet lag so were socialising and drinking and the views from the boat were great. The following day we were in counryside and sitting in the sun- very peaceful as the boat is very quiet.. It did not take long for the boat to cross over from Hungary into Slovakia. We had to pass through a huge lock which was interesting. We were on the lower side of the water so we sailed in, huge gates closed behind us and then we were lifted up as water came in from the other side. At Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia we were coached up to the Castle which is not the best castle building I have ever seen and looks quite modern. Better seen from a distance as it is on all the photos for the city There was nothing inside so it is just viewed from outside, and in 33 degree sun and heat we soon wanted to get back on the air conditioned coach! The view over the city reveals lots of modern buildings, mostly tower blocks from the Communist era so it was a totally different experience to Budapest. However after the Castle our guide took us through the older part of the city- pedestrianised smaller streets which were more attractive. The tour ended in the old town so it was time for a beer before we had a look around the cathedral and then made our way back to the boat.

The entertainment after dinner was a folk group. The violinist was great but the singer we could have done without!

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