Prague to Budapest-2nd stop- SLOVAKIA

A “New Country for Us” was next. About an hour and 60 miles away and after passing through the border, we arrived at Bratislava, the largest city in Slovakia. We went via the D2 Motorway which connects the Czech border at Kuty with the Hungarian border at Cunovo after passing through Bratislava. We went through the Sitina Tunnel under the Little Carpathianes forest! Arriving in Slovakia, we were now bordered by Poland (N), Ukraine (E), Hungary (S) and Austria (W). Note: we had come from the Czech Republic to the NorthWest. Slovakia is 19,000 sq miles with a population of over 5.4 million.

Our first stop here was to find a local place for lunch. We had a great meal at Cafe Verne is on Hviezdoslav Square. An interesting menu of local Slovak and Hungarian-influenced food. Czech influence and language is also spoken so our guide was able to help us order. For lunch we had Francuzske zemiaky (Lee) is a casserole of layers of potatoes, sausage, hard boiled eggs in a cream and egg custard, Lasagne (Bruce) and Bryndzové halušky (Karen) are potato dumplings with sheep cheese. All delicious and portions that are shareable for many more people! Lee also tried Černé pivo" (black beer) a dark lager.

We then went for a walk in the Old Town to get a flavor of life in Bratislava. St Martins Catherdral the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1563-1830 where there were 18 coronations. Although Slovakia has a very complicated history starting back in prehistoric times up through Celtic, Germanic and then Slavic times and a century in the Kingdom of Hungary, after WWI, Slovakia united with the Czech lands to form Czechoslovakia, later occupied by Nazi Germany and then became a Soviet-influenced communist state. Finally in January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved, and Slovakia became an independent nation. Many of the old buildings still exist and the quaint town feeling is still there in the stores and people we met.

Note: An interesting stop was the garden of the Slovak Catholic Charity where we saw many “broken plates”.Plates represent the stories of their previous owners, memories of childhood and loved ones, of family dining, school cafeterias, or endless dishwashing. It was described that “each of our memories is unique, yet they share a common thread. They carry layers, the sediments of time. The plate is a symbol of sharing and service; a vessel we fill with "life-giving" contents.” It is a tribute to St. Elizabeth of Hungary used her wealth to help the needy. The artist, Andrea Cepissákov collects various plates of different types and shapes and gives them new life through installations with the original owners records and family recipes or short messages about life. She says these kiln made plates are "tested by fire," it is resilient, strong, and fragile at the same time. The installations also include imperfect, broken, and cracked plates. In Japan, their uniqueness is appreciated and the repair of cracks using the ceramic technique kintsugi (golden joinery) has been elevated to an art form (Our Rabbi tells a story of having someone in NYC fix a broken vase using this technique). Individual and new "planted jewels" become part of the sediment, making it a never-ending process. The pile of dishes reminds one of ongoing archaeological research in which the artist "examines the state of society".

We also saw an outdoor exhibit, Portraits of Hungarian Kings and Queens from medieval Hungary. One of them Maria Theresa was the only woman ruler from 1740-1780.

The Neological Synagogue in Bratislava was a Jewish synagogue located on Rybno Square in Bratislava's Old Town. It was built in 1893–1894. Bratislava has been considered a multiethnic city since time immemorial. Nationalities with different cultures, social origins and religions lived together here including a Jewish Community since the 11th century. The Synagogue was there from before 1335 when it was destroyed by the Cistercian Order until rebuilt in 1399. In 1526 Jews were banished from the city after much persecution until 1599 when they once again prospered. The 19th century brought pogroms and more difficult times. In 1869, the Orthodox and Reformed Neological Jews had internal strife and broke from eachother. Neological Synagogue thrived until WWII. After the restoration of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1945, the synagogue on Rybno Square was used again for a while and then destroyed in 1970 whe the bridge was built to connect both side of the Danube. The synagogue's existence is commemorated since 1996 by its depiction on a black wall, which is part of the Holocaust Memorial.Okumaya devam et