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Punsch Cake and Punsch

Bratislava, Slovakia – I had starting considering eating McDonalds.  It, and there were many of them, seemed to be the only thing open in all of Bratislava, where I had arrived in the morning on a whim, without a map or a clue.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do there, but I liked the idea of going to another country before heading back to Bangkok so I hopped on a train without breakfast and just over an hour later I was in Slovakia.  I picked up a map in the train station and was told by a young, but gruff, blond that I could take the 13 tram into the town.  Now I was wandering the streets of the old city, captivated by the colorful facades, magnificent churches and imposing government buildings, but knowing full well that if I didn’t eat soon things might take a turn for the worse.  On Sundays in Bratislava, like most of Europe, and most certainly Vienna, nearly everything closes down.  Here even the kebab and pizza stalls were shuttered up so I had to content myself with the few cafes that were open.  I ended up popping in one small cafe right near the Old Town Hall ordering a mulled wine (punsch) along with the only cake that seemed somewhat appealing (punsch cake).  So, there I was having punsch and punsch and then I was back out on the streets, free from any obligation to find more eats, free to enjoy the quiet old town on my only sunny day in Europe.

Streets of Bratislava

St. Martin’s Cathedral

View of the City from Bratislava Castle (which at the time of my visit was under construction and not as interesting as the rest of the city)

Corner of Bratislava

Streets of Bratislava

National Slovak Theater

Farska Ulica

Church of Holy Trinity