Day 9 (July 14, 2018):

Today was more than just a travel day - it was an opportunity to see Slovakia!  We had a relaxing breakfast at the Sheraton, went for a last walk along the Danube River, then checked out of the hotel and took a bus to Bratislava's main train station.

The country is sort of oblong, with the capital (Bratislava) near the Hungarian and Austrian borders in the west, and the second largest city (Kosice) near the Ukranian border in the east.  Our train journey aboard SlovakRail departed Bratislava exactly on time at 11:43AM  and arrived exactly on time at 4:37PM at Kosice's main station.

We took a tram to our DoubleTree Hotel on the main plaza, and then had dinner at a Sovak restaurant highly recommended by Lonely Planet.  From what we saw this evening, Kosice is a small city with much to offer.  We look forward to Sunday's exploration.


Bratislava, in the country's west, is a five-hour train journey from Kosice in the east.

The Sheraton Bratislava Hotel where we stayed, next to the Danube River.

Bratislava's main railway station looks and feels like a piece of 1970s Soviet architecture.

This mural adorns the upper wall of the hall before you descend to the rail platforms.  It is a piece of Soviet realist art.

About to board the SlovakRail's InterCity service from Bratislava to Kosice.  Quiet, clean, rail-stock.  We were even offered water, coffee and a newspaper for free! (Ok, so it was a first class car, but still:  that is unheard of in Europe these days.)

And so began the viewing of Slovakia.  The land is very agricultural in the west.  Neat to see rectangular bales of hay -- these have long been abandoned in North America in favour of the 'jelly roll' approach to baling.



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Trencin Castle dates back to 179 AD.





Pam had a great time photographing the countryside.


Strecno Castle ruins date back to 1316.


With rich forests, logging is clearly a significant industry.


This is a typical station along the main railway corridor in Slovakia.  (We bypassed most small stations, such as this one, on our InterCity train run.)


The wheat is ripe for harvesting already.


Perhaps what surprised us the most is the mountainous nature of Slovakia.


Lakes and rivers abound.


Upon arrival in Kosice, we took the tram to our hotel.  As in Bratislava, the tram and bus network is well organized.


As we were waiting for the tram, these guys walked by.  We've never seen such BOLD COLOURS, hence we couldn't resist these shots from behind (which still protect their identity).  Merely to show where styles are these days in Slovakia.


Kosice is well-coiffed, especially for a small city of just 240,000 people.


As the sun was setting, the glow on hundreds of Soviet apartment blocks covering the hill overlooking the town was quite something. 






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