Easter in Bratislava

Easter morning consisted of a train to Bratislava, Slovakia. But before I left I mailed my parents an Easter post card (I couldn't believe the post office was open!).

Once I got to Bratislava, my host Alex "picked me up"from the train station, and we went back to his flat.  He still had two surfers there that were leaving to go back to Hungary that day.

Never had I ever felt as uncomfortable in Europe as I did those few hours.

The other two couch surfers were a guy from Portugal and a girl from France that worked together for the UN in Hungary.

They most obviously did more than work together...

I mean they were ALL OVER each other.  Constantly.  Stroking, rubbing, kissing, etc.  Dude literally reached across me at one point just to stroke her hand.  I threw up in my mouth a little.

At first, I thought she'd tell him to cut it out.  Nooope. Totally wrong.

After they left for their train to Budapest, I asked Alex if he had felt as uncomfortable as I had.  He laughed, said they must be in the very early stages of the relationship, but said it didn't really bother him.
I will give the couple credit though, while they were around, my mind was too occupied to think about the fact it was a holiday.

When they left, home sickness started to set in.

I've never been home sick.  Not even during four months abroad for school.  Not even during that Thanksgiving I spent abroad. I guess then I was at least with friends I could celebrate it with.  I had just met Alex.  He didn't celebrate Easter, nor did he seem like the type of guy up for an egg hunt.  At that point it was early afternoon, and therefore still very early morning back in Ohio.  I expected I would hear from my family later that day, at least an email.
I didn't.

At least not until I Skype chatted my mom.

Anyways.  Alex and I had a hard time finding things to do that day.  Bratislava isn't that big, and most shops were closed that day.  Most of them would be closed the day after as well.

We climbed the big hill over looking Bratislava, which sported a great view in the brief bit of sunshine we saw that day. 

We ended up calling it quits kind of early because it was quite cold.  Snowing some at times.

That night, we (including his golden retriever, Bubbles, whom he frequently spoke to in Slovakian) watched "The Game" with Michael Douglas.  Alex graciously gave up his bed and he took the couch (third host in a row to do so...).

The next day was a little better weather wise.  I woke up to a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, so I knew it was bound to be a better day.
We walked around more of the old town, and eventually took a long bus to a castle I had on my list.

Once we got there, it was a bit of a disappointment.  The castle was as splendid as I expected, out at least it would have been.  Apparently the government had taken it over several years ago, and they were doing renovations on it.

It didn't look like they had gotten much farther than putting up the safety fence around the entire estate.  It was in an obvious state of disrepair from the outside, so I could only imagine how it was on the inside.

Such a shame.

That night we watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" with Jim Carey, which I loved (and I typically hate his movies).  Alex had to work the next day, but he said he'd try to take a half day in order to me of to the train station.

Dobru Noc Slovakia
Tegs