Parents Arrive!

My parents took a plane flying out of Detroit Thursday evening, flew into Amsterdam, and finally landing in Vienna. I was waiting for them at the Arrivals section of the airport after school Friday.

We took a bus from the Vienna airport to Bratislava. Upon arriving, we struggled to find their hotel.

Their hotel sits upon a hill above the city. We had to hurry to make it for the 6 p.m. check-in time. Tired from hardly sleeping, my parents could hardly walk up the hill while I lugged their suitcases, one in each hand, having to slow down to wait for them.

That evening, there was a chili cook off, which our stomachs benefited from. The next morning we walked around the Old Town and had lunch with one of my friends at Verne's, one of my favorite restaurants. Fortunately, my dad shared my sentiments about chicken pancakes - they are probably the best plate in the city.

After lunch, the three of us took a bus to the Devin castle. Devin is a town about 30 kilometers outside Bratislava. One of my first Sundays was spent exploring the Devin castle and the area. The castle mesmerized my parents. My mom kept asking, "Where is the moat? I thought castles had moats." I asked where she got that idea from. I believe her response was Cinderella, or some other old film with a castle with a moat.

That evening, we went to Slovak Pub, a restaurant renown for its terrible service. Strangely, the service was above average. We ordered Kapustnica (cabbage soup) and then three plates of traditional Slovak foods - Halusky, Fried Cheese, and, one of my favorites, Chicken, Ham and Cream Sauce. Okay, so the latter isn't traditional; however, it is traditionally most excellent.

More will be posted later. Stay tuned!