Bratislava Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend in Bratislava, Slovakia, with our teacher friends there. As always, the intent of the trip is reunion, relaxation, and retreat, which we certainly did. After a two-and-a-half hour train ride, we arrived at the station and were met by the D'Ettorres. Because they both celebrated their birthdays earlier this month, a delicious meal shared together was necessary at the restaurant of their choice. After dinner we had coffee at their apartment and talked about our holidays back home. Vic and Darla also enjoy being grandpa and grandma, so there were a lot of pictures shared. Before falling asleep, Vic brought us over to the girls' apartment.



Our overnight accommodations were provided by Kate, Katie, and Jenni. Jenni gave up her bedroom for us, and also woke us up with breakfast and a good cup of coffee. The five of us spent the early afternoon walking around the old city and the castle. We climbed the castle hill and walked around the outside of the building. After taking a number of photos, we walked back down through the old city to a coffee and bagel shop. There we thawed out and enjoyed conversation.



Temperatures remained in the teens during the day, and, officially, it was three degrees F. on Saturday night. Transportation was provided by tram, bus, and foot-bus, the latter being the coldest, obviously. With so many tall apartment buildings, and such cold weather, the sidewalks are snow and ice covered. There was also a very cold wind blowing through the city. All of the ESI teachers live in Petrzalka, across (to the south) the Danube from the main part of the city.



Mid-afternoon we returned to the girls' apartment for card games and relaxation, and then headed out again to another apartment for Slovakia Team night. Once a month all the ESI teachers in Bratislava get together for food and fellowship. Ashley and Gina certainly provided a wonderful meal, and together with Vic and Darla's kids, the eleven of us played games, sang songs, and caught up with each other. It was a great night.



On Sunday, we caught the bus into the city, and attended Jenni's church. It is always so good to worship in such unique contexts as we witness the kingdom of God wherever we are in the world. We had a "business" lunch with Jenni at a great pizza place in her neighborhood, and then came back to the girls' flat for more cards. Once again we caught the bus taking us to the train station for our four-o'clock train back to Budapest.



A weekend trip like this is so therapeutic for our souls! As we mentioned earlier, the visit is a reunion for us as we reconnect with our colleagues in Slovakia. It's a great time to share what is going on in our respective schools. We can even share teaching ideas. We make sure to spend time in relaxation; reading books, playing cards, and drinking coffee and tea together to fight the cold weather.