So you might have noticed I haven’t been keeping up this blog. I’m still not sure if I plan to or not but there’s some things I just HAD to share.

So what’s happened since I last wrote? Well, I travelled through parts of Europe (Italy, France & Spain) and lived in Morocco for 3 months. The last month and a half I’ve been in Turkey, which might just be my favourite place so far!

Last week I went on a day tour in Istanbul that was different than any other I’d ever been on. It didn’t go to the usual tourist traps, in fact it pointedly avoids them! Instead we saw a piece of authentic Turkish life that normally wouldn’t be experienced by people travelling through. Each day that the tour runs it’s a bit different, since real life is not the same every day.

When we went, we got to visit a (non-touristic) bazaar (and I hear what you’re thinking… ‘ah, so they try to get you to buy stuff from their friends’.. nope, not one little drop of pressure, or even mention of buying anything but they were happy to help when one of the group wanted to know how much something should cost.), areas of town that I’d never even heard of after being here for well over a month and that had a fascinating history!

For me the best part was lunch which was a home-made Turkish meal. Now, anyone that knows me knows I’m a very picky eater and a veggie so usually a meal in a situation like this is a bit scary, but not only was it some of the best food I’ve ever tasted they had made sure there was a lot of vegetarian options! The tour ended inside an underground palace, which has just been discovered in the 1990s and is still mostly buried. Very atmospheric and a perfect ending to a great day.

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of things that are on my bucket list, so there’s been a lot of looking back, looking forward, looking inward at my fears and desires and a LOT of looking outside myself to try to understand a bit of the world around me. All this looking has been making me dizzy… and finally travelling to Pompeii… hello vertigo! So, with that in mind I do admit this post is a bit scattered, but here’s a few of my experiences from my time in Pompeii.

When I was a kid and first stumbled upon Pompeii it quickly became one of the many places that consumed my imagination, so visiting it was understandably emotional. I was excited to finally see with my own eyes the artifacts and building that were so remarkable intact from over two thousand years ago and to be honest, I was more than a bit scared I’d be let down by reality. I even put off my visit to Pompeii for days after arriving in Naples, Italy!

So, how was it? Amazing! There was less in some ways than I’d expected since many of the frescoes and sculptures are now in museums (which I also visited) but what is left is still almost overwhelming! I went back twice to try to take it all in and know that there are still things that I haven’t seen.

One of the biggest highlights for me was finally seeing with my own eyes the original Venus mural. I’d done a copy in one of my old apartments, seeing the real thing, right there in front of me was almost surreal. It was another of those moments where I felt like I was spiralling into the past, both remembering myself painting the copy as well as imagining the daily life events going on while this fresco was being painted over 2000 years ago. I was also quite firmly rooted in the present time trying to memorize every detail that I knew a photograph couldn’t capture. Quite magical really.

Wandering the streets seeing small details like the terracotta pipes peeking out from under the walkway, finding portraits of children on their bedroom walls, ancient graffiti, bars, restaurants and markets… It really stuck me that the people then were really no different than us now, that their ancient city was so similar in many ways to our modern world.

At one point I found myself running frantically for shelter when the sky very suddenly turned a menacing gray and thunder began rattling the air and buildings around us. It gave me a tiny, itsy-bitsy glimpse into the past when Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE and sent the citizens of Pompeii running in terror for cover. I could almost see the ghosts of the past fleeing from the chaos and I was so glad that for me it was only the threat of rain.

I also couldn’t help but think about the fact that the very rock they often used to build with was pumice stone from Mount Vesuvius, the very volcano that buried this beautiful city for so long, and at the same time preserved it in ash by that very act of destruction. Created with, destroyed by and preserved by the same Vesuvius that still stands watch over it today… quietly rumbling, waiting to erupt again.

Photo’s From The Ancient Ruins of Pompeii

One of the hardest parts of writing this is that not only do I know there is no way I can really share my experience with you in such a short post, but also that I have far more photos that I’d like to show than I can reasonably upload… but here’s some of my favourites from my time in Pompeii, Italy.

Pompeii

Not a lot to say about this photo other than I had to take it a few times I was shaking so badly with excitement to finally travel to this amazing ancient city!

Pompeian Pottery

I loved the colours of the pottery in this photo. Since Pompeii was a thriving city there were of course lots of trade, these amphora vases held wine, olive oil, fish sauces, salted preserved fish and many other typical foods of the time.

House of Mysteries

One of the best preserved houses in Pompeii, many of the frescoes are in almost perfect condition. The colours were so incredibly vivid!

Temple of Isis

The frescos, statues and sculptures have been removed and placed in museums for safe keeping, but here’s the remaining ruins of the Temple of Isis. Quite beautiful even stripped down.

Pompeii Pub

Pompeii certainly had no lack of bars, here’s one of the many well preserved ruins of an ancient pub. I don’t know about you, but I could happily sit in a place like that sharing gossip with the neighbours. The marble counter top on the bar is really beautiful!

Venus and Cupids

One of the famous frescos in Pompeii, this is from the House of Venus, the name given to this house because of the amazing art in the courtyard. The colors in the photo just don’t do this artwork justice.

Plaster Casts of the People of Pompeii

I’d seen photographs of this poor man before but what I hadn’t realized is that he was reaching towards a woman and child as he died, I almost burst into tears seeing the pain on his face. (Yes, some of the casts of the victims are so clear you can see their expressions.)

Storm Approaching

The sky turned dark so fast it was like someone pulled a blanket over us. I had a few seconds to catch this photo of a rainbow against the stormy sky and the sunlight illuminating the walls in Pompeii before I had to run for cover.

This photo is now available as a printable calender for 2011.

The scents of moisture, decay and age filled my nostrils, the damp, cool air inside the dark building contrasted against the warmth of the sun I’d felt on my skin just seconds before. The sound of water trickling close by was nearly deafening… and seeing… really seeing the details of everything around me was almost dizzying! It was a perfect moment and I stood frozen for what seemed like an eternity taking it all in and letting the mix of feelings wash over me.

If only this sculpture could talk. It may be my imagination but she seems so serene and knowing.

Seconds after those feelings melted away the kid in me screamed “OMG! I’m really here, right now seeing this… me, in Herculaneum! This is so freaking amazing!”. The sudden rush of child like wonder and excitement made me almost laugh out loud.

Sometimes life gives you a perfect moment. On this day I was lucky enough to experience a series of them. What an amazing feeling!

I’m sure at some point almost every long term traveller has hit a point when they wonder if they’ve been travelling too long. I’m not sure there is such a thing as too long, but at the very least, you know you’ve been travelling a very long time when this list starts accurately describing your life.

You Know You’ve Been Travelling a Long Time When…

1. You see your home country flag and think “that looks familiar, when did I travel there?”
2. Taking a warm shower with decent water pressure feels odd.
3. Someone starts a sentence with ‘when I was in (random place)’, not only do you know the exact area they’re talking about, you know the best bars and cheap local eateries.
4. You get so obsessive about travelling light that you empty the trash bin in your netbook before packing it to ‘lighten the load’.
5. The flag patches on your backpack actually are adding extra weight.
6. Having a full set of clean laundry feels like winning a lottery.
7. You can hold an entire conversation with hand signals and body language… and often start a conversation that way not expecting to be understood in your own language.
8. You forget words in your native language but can substitute them with one of 10 other languages.
9. A meal of random food-like items that have been in your backpack for weeks seems edible… possibly even a tasty treat.
10. You stop ordering water and get beer because it’s cheaper… even at breakfast.
11. When you can think of at least 20 uses for a bandana.
12. You call any place you’ve stayed more than 7 days “home”.
13. You wake up and forget which country you’re in.
14. You count the last time you had a decent haircut not by weeks but by months or years.
15. The mysteries of how exactly to use various kinds of toilets is no longer a mystery, at a glance you not only know exactly how to use it, you also know how to flush.
16. The only thing left from your original packing list / home country is your passport.
17. You not only know which airlines offer the cheapest flights between areas, you know the times and days they fly those routes.
18. Bartering over the equivalent of 25 cents is a normal thing to do.
19. You actually look like your passport photo.
20. And now one that’s (mostly) for the women… you’ve perfected the art of hovering above the toilette so artfully that not only do you always hit the target, you can hover with the backpack still on without your thighs giving out!

I’ve decided to try to go back in time a bit and fill in a bit of the gaps for the months that I was silent while travelling. I’m not going to do these in any particular order and honestly I may skip quite a bit since I’m still backpacking and doing new things. So follow me back to June 2010 when I traveled to one of my favourite cities in the world… New Orleans!

I’ll admit I love a good vampire story and reading Anne Rice’s books a few years ago gave me an even stronger desire to visit New Orleans than I’d even had before. The scent of magnolia blossoms swirling on the breeze, the sound of music drifting in the air at all times of the day and night, southern charm… yup, this is a place I knew I had to visit and when I was leaving Mexico it was the perfect time! After all, it was pretty much on my way.

I could go on about the beauty and charm of the French Quarter (I fell in love with it completely!) or the history of this amazing city but I’m sure you’ve heard that all before. Picking the highlight of my time there would also be too difficult, but if I had to choose one thing that I feel makes this city special it’s the people. They were so incredibly friendly and I finally understood the concept of southern charm. This is a city where people say hello and smile while passing on the sidewalk, chat while waiting in line, you name it.. the people in Nola are social and when they found out I wasn’t American many were even more interested in hearing about why I’d traveled to their area. (Apparently my Canadian accent passes as American unless I say the dreaded word ‘about’… that’s the giveaway every time.)

One thing I would recommend if you travel to New Orleans is to take a swamp tour… yes, it’s touristy… yes, it’s a guided tour, but it really is the best way to get up close and personal to the alligators in the swamp (without being eaten) and you’ll learn a bit of the history. It really was one of the highlights of my time in Nola.

Some of you may know that I’m terrified of water, it’s my biggest fear but one I’ve slowly been trying to conquer during my trip. I was quite worried that the knee-shaking terror would make it impossible for me to climb aboard the boat, but I was so thrilled to be seeing real, live alligators that I pushed through and almost forgot my fear a few times!

The boat captain was wonderful, he brought marshmallows to feed the alligators so that they would come right up to the boat. Yeah, I thought the same thing when I heard.. alligators like marshmallows? They went crazy for them! He even hand fed a few so that we could see how far out of the water they can jump and how fast they swim. Lots of fun! I even learned the difference between a bayou and a swamp. (In case you’re wondering, a bayou is like a highway through the swamp, an open water area that a boat can pass through, swamps are thicker and muddier.)

The best moment of the day was when I got to hold a baby alligator. This little 6 week old gator’s name was Elvis and he loved being pet on top of his head and getting a little hug. I swear he grinned for the photo! :)

New Orleans, Louisanna

Beautiful Buildings in New Orleans’ French Quarter

The houses in the French Quarter are painted rich, vibrant colours and the iron work of the balconies looks almost like lace it’s so detailed. What can I say, it’s as charming and beautiful as everyone says!

Jazz Musicians Immortalized

New Orleans is the birth place of jazz and it’s still going strong, both immortalized with bronze statues of famous Nola musicians as well as flowing out into the streets from houses and bars.

Statue in New Orleans

I was so excited to get this photo that I forgot to look to see who it is, if you know please tell me so I feel a bit less silly. :)

Jackson Square

Jackson Square is one of the many famous places in the French Quarter of New Orleans and is a perfect place to sit and relax while snacking on one of the many local treats.

Mardi Gras Beads

Even though I travelled there in June there were still Mardi Gras beads tangled in the trees along Charles St. It was quite pretty really with the colours glistening in the sunlight.

Marie Laveau’s Tomb

Here’s a photo of the tomb of the famous Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. Her (possible) resting place in the St. Louis Cemetery #1 still has people visiting requesting favours by either leaving 3 items or making 3 marks in her mausoleum wall.

Alligator Close Up Photo

We really did get to get up close and personal with some of these alligators, in this photo you can really see the how intense their eyes are. This one felt like he was staring me down!

Alligators in the Bayou’s of New Orleans

They came right up to the boat to eat food from the captain’s hand. At one point he even kissed on of the gators on the nose!

Gator with a Marshmallow Hat

Yes, this alligator really does have a marshmallow on his head! :) The swamp tour guide tosses marshmallows out into the bayou because the gators love them and will swarm around. Somehow this guy got one right on the top of his head, were it stayed until the guide successfully knocked it off by getting him to jump for more food.

Elvis the Baby Gator and Me

I love animals of all kinds, so getting to hold a baby alligator was one of the high points of the day! Look closely at the little gator in my hands, I swear he’s grinning. :)

New Orleans found a place on my ‘could be a home someday’ list. Have you found places in your travels that felt so right that you could picture living there as an expat for a while?

The night before I was going to leave Brasov, the owner of the guesthouse I’m staying at pointed up at the mountain at paragliders floating high in the sky. After hearing my ridiculously girly squeal of glee at even seeing them he mentioned that he knows someone here that takes people up. So of course I had to try it!

The next morning a slightly nervous but excited me popped out of bed (trust me, this may be the first time ever I popped out of bed, usually I’m not a morning person at all, barely human until caffeine is in my system to be honest!).

I felt a bit like a kid at Christmas, barely able to contain myself knowing that I was going to finally get the chance to try paragliding. You see, ever since I was a little kid I had a fascination with airplanes and flying. I’d imagine I was a brave pilot doing aerobatics in an old biplane, or a bird soaring free on the wind high above everything.. total freedom, enjoying the moment and flying just for the sheer pleasure of it. I love being in the air!

I could barely contain my excitement when I met up with George the pilot / instructor and we headed to the hill to begin the adventure. When we got there we found out that the cable cars weren’t running yet. So he got another idea, going up in a moto-glider! I’m really not sure if that’s the proper term, but it’s like an airplane for 2 that’s all open, kind of like a glider but with an engine and amazingly fun to fly in!

As freezing cold as it was I refused to admit that my limbs were feeling a tad numb for worry that he’d think I’d want to land. I was half shivering from cold and half from the sheer amazement I was feeling, it was like electricity running up my spine letting me know I was truly alive! The view was so breathtaking I was willing to ignore the cold and wished that we could stay in the air forever.

Eventually of course we did come back to the ground and I got to experience part two of the best day ever! Paragliding off the Carpathian mountains… twice!

While I was up there I kept closing my eyes to remind myself that what I was feeling at that moment had to be remembered forever, then popping them open quickly so that I didn’t miss a second of what I was seeing. It really did seem to me that this is the closest a person can get to understanding the freedom a bird really may feel. The day was so beautiful that there were quite a few other people out with the same idea, seeing so many other colourful canopies in the sky only added to the beauty of it.

Spiralling with the air current I felt both extremely small and somehow a part of everything, I really can’t describe how it effected me. It felt like I had a slight shift in my personal definition of the word ‘freedom’ and for the first time in a very long time I realized just how lucky I am to be living the life I am right now. Having the chance to experience so many of the things I’d always thought were out of my reach, travelling to places that before were completely unknown to me, talking to new people and hearing how they see the world and their place in it and knowing that a few of them will remain in my heart forever. Yeah, this is part of where my mind was wandering while flying, the other part of my mind was screaming “OMG!!!! This is AWESOME!!!!”, yes, the kid in me that wanted so desperately to fly is still here. :)

After paragliding we went for a ride on his motorcycle to take in the view near the top of one of mountains. There are no words to describe how beautiful this area is. The grass looked like soft velvet, rocky peaks of extremely high mountains in the distance peeking through the clouds, perfect little houses and a feeling of complete and utter contentedness.

So far this is definitely in the running for The. Best. Day. Ever!

Amazing Day Flying in Brasov, Romania!

Me Pretending to be a Pilot

Yup, I was pretending that I was going to be the one actually flying. Even with this special outfit it was freezing in the air but sooooo worth every second!

Gliding Over Clouds

This photo was taken from the moto-glider as we were passing above the clouds.

Brasov Sign

Some of the cities and towns in this area of Romania have tall white letters high up in the mountains with their names, Yup, a bit like the Hollywood sign.

Ariel View of the Black Church

Here’s an aerial photo of the black and white churches in the historical section of Brasov, Romania.

Freedom in the Air

This photograph of a paraglider flying high in the sky is one of my favourite photos of the day, the lens flare from a fingerprint on the lens makes it a bit nicer in a way.

Looking up!

Another of my favourites, looking up at another person flying past us.

Paragliders above Brasov

Ok, this is the last photo showing other paragliders, I swear it :)

But if you’re interested, this photo is now available as a printable calendar for 2011. :)

Carpathian Mountains

What an I say, with the rolling mountains blanketed with deep green trees and the clear, crisp air, this region of Romania has upped the bar for beauty in my mind.

If you’re travelling in this area in Romania, staying in Brasov and taking a day-trip by bus to the nearby town of Bran is well worth it. Bran is most famous for Bran Castle otherwise known as Castle Dracula… yup, Vlad Ţepeş aka Vlad the Impaler and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula set up residence here for a while. The best description for the castle I’ve heard was from a fellow traveller in the area “Such a big legend for such a small castle!” but it’s well worth a visit.

I admit that I was expecting something a bit more spooky and run down or something. Imagining it in my mind there was always the sound of nearby wolves howling, wind rustling dry leaves in the trees and thunder storms overhead. What I found was something very different! The castle had been renovated between 1920 -1930 to make it a modern summer home for the royal family so feels quite warm and friendly… not what I expected but I enjoyed the visit and learned quite a bit about a piece of Romania’s history.

After the unexpectedly modern and airy décor of the castle, coming back outside was a bit of a culture shock. There was tons of fun vampire trinkets and souvenirs that I wish I could have given a home to. (I used to have a large collection of ‘tacky vampire stuff’ so after a quick mental switch I was very much in my element as I wandered from stall to stall wishing I had some way to carry the mounds of vampire goodies I wanted to buy.) Mixed in with the kitsch was also some beautiful local crafts, jewellery and other goodies. My advice, if you can’t buy anything because you’re travelling or on a budget, leave your money at the hostel and take only a bit for the entry fee and perhaps a snack. I was far too tempted to shop and almost caved a few times. Although I’m proud to say I only bought 1 item, a beaded bracelet… hey, if it’s not in my backpack it doesn’t count as extra weight. ;)

A Few Photos of Bran Castle in Romania

“Dracula’s Castle”

Sorry for the terrible photo of Bran Castle, I tried but between my little camera, the backlighting and my limited photography abilities… this is the best shot out of the series. Luckily there’s lots of great photo’s of Bran castle online if you want a better look.

Entering Bran Castle

This really is a beautiful castle! Here’s a shot I took of the stairs as I recovered from the climb up the stone covered path to the top of the hill.

Inside Bran Castle

Comfortable, warm and friendly, not what I’d expected but it was a happy surprise! Hmm, ok, yes.. this could definitely be my dream summer home. :)

Hidden Staircase

This is the only spooky thing I saw in the castle, the hidden staircase leading up to the upper floors was very narrow, dark and atmospheric.

Knight in Full Suit of Armour

Aha! I found my knight in shining armour :p

View From the Castle Top

Worth it even if only for the view of the southern Carpathian Mountains, beautiful isn’t it!

Landscape Near the Castle

The area surrounding the castle is beautifully lush and green, a nice spot to relax and think about this areas history.

Technology has made travel easier than ever and more and more people are carrying gadgets with them even on round the world trips. Being the little gadget geek that I am I had to bring my iPhone with me on my current journey. After testing a ton of apps I’ve found some that truly stand out for me. Most, but not all, of these work in offline mode but even the ones requiring a connection have become my go-to apps when I’m in wi-fi range.

Note: The prices listed may be different depending on which country your app store is in, these are in Canadian dollars since that’s where my account is. Sorry I’m not listing Android (etc.) apps, but since I don’t use those phones I haven’t a clue which would be useful for travellers and which aren’t.

iPhone Travel Apps That Work in Offline Mode

OffMaps – $1.99 for the app, guide downloads are extra (around $9 for unlimited if I remember right).
Offline maps with GPS for the iPhone! This is kind of like Google maps but it works without an internet connection. At the moment there’s 90 countries and 4500 guides available. While I’m the type to wander around not minding if I get lost, I don’t like staying lost when I’m tired and want to get back to my room.

This solves that problem and even shows local landmarks, tourist info, entertainment and other helpful information. This quickly became one of my favorite travel apps, hopefully even more cities, towns and perhaps even off-road places will be added as downloadable maps in the future. Very useful!

Wi-Fi Finder – Free
What I love about this is that there’s a database that can be downloaded so you can find wi-fi even without a connection… yes, many other apps require an internet connection to be able to show you where to find an internet connection, not as useful huh? This one solves that problem!

iXpenseIt – Free Trial, Full Version is $4.99
Hmm, travel budgets, not a fun topic. I’m mathematically challenged, a part-time shopaholic and a picky eater with (mostly) expensive tastes… but this has really helped me curb my spending and finally work out a budget I’m happy with! It’s easy to use, shows handy little charts of expenses and income, the categories are customizable and it even calculates the exchange rate. In fact even if you’re offline and had previously loaded an exchange rate, it will use the last known rate and calculate that into the budget.

XE Currency – Free
Sync when you have wi-fi access and it can give you currency exchange info while walking around even without a data connection since it stores the last currency values on the phone. Shows current rates for 180 currencies plus charts going back a year!

World Nomads Guides – Free
Translations and phrases for travel essentials like numbers, greetings etc. There’s quite a few languages available and the phrases are travel and social related so they tend to be much more helpful than some others.

GlobeMaster – $.99
Offline travel guide and utilities. As far as I know this is Wiki-Travel packaged up in an offline app with helpful information including general information, tipping, customs, how to get around, maps, a converter etc.

Stanza, Kindle and iBooks – Free
iBooks, Kindle and Stanza all have a bunch of free books available, mostly old titles but some classics can be a great way to pass the time on a long ride. I also use iBooks a lot as a way to store a saved PDF in the phone to be able to reference it on the go. Very useful for things like directions, websites I want to read later, historical details of places I’m visiting, details about the next hostel booking and I’ve even started keeping my current booking info on my phone after almost forgetting where ‘home’ was one too many times. ;)

Language Dictionaries – Prices vary, often free.
I’m not going to list all the ones I’ve used since the languages you need will probably be different, but no matter where you go it’s a good idea to check if there’s an offline translator or dictionary for the language at your next destination. That’s saved my sanity a few times when I arrive and need to ask directions to my hostel or where the nearest WC is. It’s also saved my back from having to carry yet more weight in my backpack.

iPod – Free with the phone =D
OK, so it’s not really a travel app but there are times I just want to drown out the world and fall into the comfort of familiar songs… Also helpful if you’re on a bus or in a dorm with someone snoring!

Internet Connection Required but Super Handy apps for Travelers

Skype and Skype’s iPhone app – Both the app & Skype to Skype calls are free.
You knew this one had to be on the list somewhere right? I’ve found that with a good connection the sound is better through my iPhone with Skype than with my notebook because I don’t carry a spare headset with a microphone in it. Either way you use it, Skype is one of the best things a traveler can have since they have great rates to landlines as well.

Yelp, iFound and AroundMe – Free
I love these! Even before I left Canada Yelp was one of my main apps, and while travelling, having info about local restaurants, supermarkets, pubs, banks etc. is even more useful.

I’ve found that in some places one app will outpreform the others so it’s nice to have a few to use. They all do need either a data plan or wi-fi to get the info but many hostels, hotels and guesthouses offer wi-fi so you can look up the info before leaving for the day or use Wi-Fi finder to find a hot spot nearby while exploring.

What travel apps have you found that you use frequently?

Bratislava, Slovakia’s state capital and largest city is where I finally felt like I was heading back into territory more unfamiliar to me than my travels of the past few months. This made it feel like the perfect time to take another step outside my comfort zone towards overcoming my terror of water. So what did I do? Well I booked a room in a botel (yup, a hotel in a boat on the Danube river) instead of heading to a local hostel.

To be honest I hadn’t put much thought into it when I booked the room, perhaps simply because had I thought about it in the slightest I’d have chickened out. I must admit that at first the nights were a bit terrifying. Strange dreams filled my head and sounds I swear I’d only ever heard in horror films involving boats sinking or ghost ships filled the night air. (You know the sounds… metal slowly creaking against metal as the sound unmistakably echoes deep under the water lowering in tone as the sound waves plummet farther into the murky depths to be lost forever… water splashing against the sides whispering quiet threats but beckoning me to come closer… *shudders… then snaps out of it* Ahem, where was I? Oh yes…)

I’m glad however that I didn’t decide to stay on nice, solid, non-swaying land since the botel turned out to be right near the old section so walking to everything and exploring the town at my own speed was a snap… as was spending as little time as possible on the boat.

Before I arrived I knew nothing about the county or it’s long and often turbulent history. While there however I lucked into finding a free walking tour of the city! If you’ve never gone on one of these and there’s one available, my advice is try it out! The guide works for tips so they generally try very hard to make it an interesting, fun and educational walk around.

There’s been a permanent settlement here since around 5000 BC (!) so getting everything into a 3.5 hour tour would have been exhausting and totally impossible, but he did very well to cover a lot of interesting bits about Bratislava. I won’t go into the history because, like I said, it’s far too long, but if you’re interested, Wikipedia’s entry about Bratislava, Slovakia will give you a good start.

One of the many things that stuck with me was the local superstition and folklore. According to local legends most things are good luck in Slovakia, for example, getting hit with a bird dropping.. great luck… but it’s very bad luck to speak while passing through Michael’s Gate. Inside the gates however are restaurants and shops (and many people happily chatting it up!). Up for the challenge I decided to order a meal, eat and pay the bill, all without saying a word and left with my luck intact. Superstitious? Me? OK, perhaps a bit… I was sleeping on a boat after all, so let’s just say I wasn’t ready to take any extra risks by testing out local superstitions. ;)

Some Photos of Bratislava

Bratislava Castle

As night fell the castle was lit up and looked even more like a fairy tale than during the day! This is the view from my room on the Botel looking at the castle high up on the hill, beautiful!

Michalska Brana (Michael’s Gate)

This is where I’m told it becomes bad luck to speak until you’ve passed through (fully) to the other side.

Toronto: 6981km away

Inside the gate leaving the old town is a circle showing the distance to large cities around the world, here’s how far I’ve gone.

Napolean’s Cannonball

See that little black circle on the left of the window? That’s a cannonball Napoleon shot at the town hall in 1809. On the corner of the tower is the statue of Madonna of 1676.

St. Elizabeth’s Church – The Blue Little Church

One of the most unique (that I’ve seen) examples of regional Art Nouveau architecture, this church was built from 1907-1913.

Artistic Details on the Little Blue Church

Here’s a close up photo of the artwork above the door.

Look familiar?

This church has a lot of details that are quite interesting including this eye in a pyramid!

Russian Invasion

What’s this doing in here? Well it’s a very famous photo taken by Ladislav Bielik in 1968 showing the Soviets invading Bratislava. This photo has long been miscredited as having been taken in Prague…

Current Scene in Bratislava

Here’s a photo I took showing the same location as the previous photo… definitely Bratislava, not Prague!