Charming. Review on Slovenia, General

We visited Bratislava in Slovenia a while ago, after they became their own Country, but saying bye bye to Czechoslovakia .

We the took a Train, that takes less than an hour, to go from Vienna, and crossed the Danube, (that I found very dirty), to spend a day here. We were part of a Group, and the Train and the Tour, cost us each, $100.00 CAD.

Bratislava, is the Capital City of Slovenia. There are over 400,000 People who live here. The Official Languages are Slovak, Czech., Hungarian and German

The Gothic Cathedral, St. Matins, was a lovely. While we were standing out side of it a Roller Bladder crashed into me! Luckily I only had a few scrapes, on my knee!

In Slovenia they have a saying:

Nesytastie nechodi po horach ale po ludoch, (Bad luck runs after people, not through the hills)!

The City has an Old Quarter, with cobblestone Street and the Baroque Facades are painted in pastel colours. While we were walking through this area, I wondered if I was walking where Liszt or Beethoven, once did.

In the Quarter there are so many Stores and Cafes. The merchandise wasn't they best quality, but we did manage to buy a few things, (hand painted Easter Eggs, a Folk Art painting, (of Peasant Ladies, travelling along a Country Road, in Cart),

T-shirts and some lace).

We had a pre-arranged lunch at the Carlton Hotel. The Communists had closed it when they dominated this City. The SAB Miller's Saris Beer was wonderful! We dined on potato dumplings, goulash and had a delicious desert called Sheeps Cheese Pie.

The new Hockey Hall of Fame, had an interesting uniform, on display. It was Peter Stastny's. He was born here, but played NHL Hockey, for the Quebec Nordiques, (in the 1980's).

We took a Trolley Ride up the Hill, to see a Medieval Castle, that was on the top.

Our Guide told us this Castle, had been rebuilt, but still had very wide stairs. I'm sure a stampede of horses could have ridden up them.

We took the Trolley down to see a Museum, at the bottom of the Castle. I learned that the Hungarians, are the largest minority, in Bratislava. The Museum showed us the History of their arrival to the present time.

I must say it was nice to hear a lot on English being spoken, and there was even an English Newspaper.

We had some free time, so we went to see the Canadian Centre, (on the Obchodna Mall), and the highlight of our time here, was the Jewish Mausoleum. This is below the ground, and we saw where Chatam Sofer, (a famous Scholar, in the 1800's), as well as other Rabbi's were buried. They also had a special plot to bury old Torahs and Books that were beyond compare. The most interesting area was the place that the body parts, of amputees are buried. The Jewish Law's say that we must be buried, with all of our blood and body intact. If you have to have an operation, and a leg or an arm is removed, it must be buried. I have been to a lot of Jewish Cemeteries, and never known or seen where they these were buried.