Beautiful Altenberg |
We have been
here just a few days and we already like Altenburg. The European countryside is
so beautiful that you almost fall in love with some places. We have now renamed
the Stockle lady who runs the hotel we are at, “Sathe kaku”.
As we sit down for breakfast, she comes and greets us. We
take this opportunity to ask her if she could make an omelet for us. I have
never cooked an omelet before, but with the confidence of a celebrity chef, I
request her to mix onions and tomatoes’ in the batter. I also ask that she
add some chilly to the mix, but as people from outside the subcontinent go, she
was rather scared of the chilly and refused to add it. In the end we are
treated to a perfectly roasted golden brown omelet and a delightful breakfast.
Altenburg: Sunday Market |
We now assemble for a photo in the yard where we also
invite the daughter in law to pose with us. She asks that I should request her
mother in law first. Oh My! Sathe Kaku is an authoritative mother in law indeed!
And this Austrian daughter in law seems to be as obedient as any Indian “Bahu”.
We begin our journey and are now carving our way out of town, Milind seems to have jumped off his bicycle suddenly, looking at the sight in front of us! We are witnessing a European flea market. There are hawkers hawking almost everything under the sun on a large empty field. Electronic devices, clothing, shoes, cosmetics, home decor, various artifacts, just name anything and it is available here. Of course, it is the “जुना बाजार” (Old Bazaar). As I stroll down the market with Chandan, I see some artifacts which look almost Indian. I am confused. And suddenly the seller asks me if I am from Kerala. I say, “We are from Mumbai.” He narrates that he is from India and has been living here in Altenburg from past 30 years. This is mind blowing. A countryman living in this small town of Austria for almost half his life. Indians no doubt are everywhere.
Narendra and Sharvari |
Making for lost time, we hurry to get back on our route.
We are going to Bratislava today. The capital of Slovakia. We are excited
because we would be crossing international borders on our route. The route is
excellent and the weather moderately cool. We now want to reach Bratislava as early
as possible, so we could do some sightseeing before the day ends.
With Altenburg behind us, we now enter lush green fields.
Picture Perfect |
Everyone is tempted to click pictures in the green fields
under vast blue skies. Sangita is as ever, ready to pose and Shekhar is always
there to click. The duo makes most of the picturesque surroundings.
As we progress on our route, we meet people from
different nations. Many of them have loaded up all their luggage and are
cycling cross country. Some of the cyclists are in groups on weekend picnics.
It is amazing to witness firsthand, the flourishing cycling culture in Europe.
A border less world |
We are now close to the
border of Austria. We simply see a small board at the border, mentioning we are
now entering Slovakia. There is no check post. No one to verify our documents.
It is a borderless world.
The route is great. It is
amazing to see the diversity of route. We pass through the green fields,
sometimes on the dikes and sometimes besides the Danube. Sachin does not trust
the maps and consistently asks the other cyclists if it is the correct route.
As we tell him that he does not have to
take the trouble of asking, he says, ‘this is my way of making friends. I
am getting to interact with so many
people for another continent and it is in fact a pleasure.’ We realize,
it is a great thought after all.
Amazing Route |
As we get closer to Bratislava, we see many more local
cyclists. Groups of friends and family cycling together on a weekend. We have
now entered the city, there are several bridges on the Danube, and we wonder,
which one of them is blue. We debate the shades of blue of the different
bridges. Finally, we find the blue bridge that leads us to Hotel Apollo. It is
already past mid-day and we are fighting for time. We dump our bicycles at the
hotel to find a bus stop for a bus that would take us to the castle. With some
difficulty, we manage to get bus tickets from a machine. As we try to absorb the persona of this young
city, we are slightly disappointed.
Good Bye Bratislava |
We climb down and finally begin our journey back to the
hotel. A co passenger is able to anticipate our dilemma of finding the right
stop to get down. Although he cannot understand our language he helps us with
the stop we are supposed to get down, our expressions surely convey our
gratitude.
It is already 7.45PM by the time we get back and we are hungry. We decide to have a quick bite at the restaurant and get back to our rooms.
The next day begins with an elaborate breakfast.
Delicious pancakes, fruit and an assortment of juices to fill our stomachs.
We begin our journey to Gyor and Mosonmagyaróvár crossing
the same blue bridge. Bratislava is not as welcoming as other European cities.
It was like wandering in a maze to me. I am not sure I’d like to come back
here. I would rather spend more time exploring Altenburg. However there is
something nice about this journey on two wheels. You leave the bitterness
behind as you push the peddles hard and fill your mind with the joys of the
trip as the wheels rotate.
Hence for now,
Good Bye Bratislava and Good Day Gyor !
Have been a fan of your descriptions and love the casual way you describe the peculiarities of people and places. Lived this one too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Priya.
DeleteNicely written as always. Waiting for the next one
ReplyDeleteThank you. Next post by Monday.
DeleteNice blog... I had been to Bratislava... Nice place on the border of three countries.... Small but beautiful city...
ReplyDeleteYes Prasad. It is a great City. However the perspectives change when you see something nicer.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the complements.
Very well written Ashwini!
ReplyDeleteNice narrative!
ReplyDelete