DomTran and I left Vienna Sudbahnhof on the 14:28 for Bratislava. We arrived right on time less than hour later. The trip reminded us of the commuter train from South Station Boston to Worcester, but a little shorter in distance and duration. We took a taxi to our hotel, the "Kiev," which I booked for us on the Internet. DomTran and I knew that the hotel was an old, unrefurbished 1970s communist hotel; we had also read quite a few reviews, most of which noted the shabby carpets and fixtures, but some praising the good breakfast, included with the room.
The "Kiev" is old-fashioned in giving guests a key rather than a card for locking and unlocking the door. The key (shown against the doorlock) weighs about a pound or two and it makes sense to deposit it at the front desk when out and about. Our main critique of the "Kiev" is that only one of the two ancient elevators was in service and as we stayed on a high floor (# 14), we had some lengthy waits. The view, shown at the top, is quite lovely of a European capital that relatively few Americans visit.
By the way, DomTran took care that we always knew the whereabouts of the key. Guests at the "Kiev" are warned of the many possible fines that await them for abuse of property at the hotel. A lost key costs 50 Euros. We were also careful not to vomit in the bathroom, bedroom, or indeed anywhere in the hotel because of the steep fine schedule (see below).
DomTran and I are in Budapest tonight for the Hungarian National Day celebrating St. Istvan and the establishment of the old Hungarian kingdom in the Carpathian basin. We had quite a full afternoon, but must leave now for the Danube-side fireworks. Details tomorrow.
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