Bratislava

My final trip began with an excursion to Bratislava. The capital of Slovakia.

I must confess: I didn't originally plan on going to Bratislava as a destination. I just went there because RyanAir flies to Bratislava Airport to get to Vienna.

The trip began with another early morning flight out of Stansted.

As I arrived in Bratislava, I was surprised by how commercialized and suburban it was (at least on the outskirts of town). In all of Europe that I've seen, this was the most "American" landscape I had encountered.

The central train station.

A random sandwich thingy I bought at the train station. It was cheap and fast and easy. Unfortunately I had no idea what it was. It was fried and doughy. Not spiced or anything, so the only flavor was that of salt and dough and the vegetables. Maybe there was a type of veal cutlet in there.

Slavín. A tower atop a hill overlooking all of Bratislava. It's a memorial to soldiers.

Michalská brána ("Michael's Gate" - I had to look this up). In the really nice old town of Bratislava.

Nový most ("new bridge") over the Danube River. It's an icon of Bratislava and known for looking like a UFO.