Bratislava

On Saturday (07.07.2017) the journey is supposed to continue a bit more. After a morning swim in the Danube and breakfast, we jump into the raft around Eleven and head towards the Freudenau power plant in the south of Vienna. After an hour, we have docked and meet Grüni at Fischamend 2 hours later. Thanks to my parents, a package with almost new sandals is waiting for me there. The hiking shoe soles still seem to hold up, but I don't really trust them anymore. Just before I want to dock near the town, I get caught in a heavy rain shower. Despite parking quickly on the Danube bank, I am completely soaked. After the rain stops, I drive the remaining 500m to the MSC Fischamend harbor, where Sebastian and his two pugs are already waiting for me. Dressed in new clothes, we go to the small town for a snack and to replenish my food supplies. After saying goodbye to Grüni and his two companions, we sail a few more kilometers downstream before setting up our camp for the night. There, Rango seizes a moment of inattention and steals a piece of cooked ham. I spend the evening alone in the tent with organizational matters. The Fat One has time to think about his misconduct outside (probably taking a digestion nap) before I invite him in for the night's sleep.

The next morning, after a vegetarian scrambled eggs breakfast, we continue towards Slovakia. We dock at Hainburg on the Danube in the early afternoon. I need gasoline for cooking and drinking water. I have to cancel a planned sightseeing tour, bad weather is coming and my luggage is not particularly rainproof. Despite dark clouds, I decide to set sail and continue sailing. Over the next hour and a half, we brave strong gusts of wind and heavy rain under the tent cover, but make good progress. In the evening, we reach Bratislava and dock about 5km before the historic old town.

On Monday, I pack up my stuff and store it weatherproof on the Danube bank. Around noon, we head towards Bratislava. We cross the Danube over the Nový Most (New Bridge) and arrive at Rybné Námestie. From there, we walk along a tree-lined promenade towards the northeast. We take a lunch break in a shady corner at Námesti SNP (Square of the Slovak National Uprising). With very summery temperatures, we stroll in an arc north of the old town to Bratislavský hrad (Bratislava Castle). Once upstairs, it's time for Rango to stop again, so I only walk around the complex and enjoy the magnificent view of Pressburg from the panorama restaurant. After descending back to the old town, I find a cozy pub with good Wi-Fi and delicious beer. Three hours and three cold beers later (it was really hot), 3 prepared travel reports are illustrated and our tour of Bratislava can continue. Until early evening, we wander through small streets, chic courtyards, and along partly noteworthy facades. There are small pubs and shops to discover on every corner, and bustling activity everywhere. Another very beautiful city that my journey has led me to.