Bratislava.1

My time in Bratislava was particularly precious--it was my third time to visit that city and each time I get to see new parts, but still--the old town of Bratislava has incomparable charm. This first picture is a view of Bratislava's (newly repainted and spruced up) castle on top of a cobblestone street, on the way to the seminary where I was staying. This view was also really lovely in the evening, when I was walking home (although much harder to photograph then, as the castle's all lit up). There is nothing like old town Bratislava in the evening--all of the city's rough spots (see the scaffolding, above, left) are hidden by the dim yellow street lights. It's magical.

My taste in architecture is mainly for the decorative details, like these patterns around the windows.










One reason that Bratislava appeals so much to me is that, while the city has done a nice job repainting and fixing things up, you can still see the age of the city at every turn. And I like old things.










This statue is on the quiet street that the seminary is on. I'm not sure at all why it's there--just a statue on the front of a house.









Michalska tower. This is, I think, the one remaining tower of the old wall around Bratislava. It is a lovely way to enter the old town--you walk through an opening in the bottom of it. There is a weapons museum near the top, and an antique store in the middle.