1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,773 Speaker 1: from news Talks. 3 00:00:11,453 --> 00:00:14,653 Speaker 2: At b twenty one past eleven on News talks'd be. 4 00:00:14,693 --> 00:00:16,813 Speaker 2: Our travel correspondent is Mike Yardley. 5 00:00:16,973 --> 00:00:20,533 Speaker 1: Good morning, Good morning Jack. I have an inquiry into 6 00:00:20,573 --> 00:00:26,133 Speaker 1: the race about refullable water bottles. Oh please, now, just 7 00:00:26,173 --> 00:00:28,813 Speaker 1: a consumer advisory note to you. I'm a big fan 8 00:00:28,893 --> 00:00:31,973 Speaker 1: of refullables. I always travel with one, but I have 9 00:00:32,093 --> 00:00:36,573 Speaker 1: seen so many people, when not boarding the plane, hoist 10 00:00:36,733 --> 00:00:41,133 Speaker 1: the overloaded carry on into the overhead bin and the 11 00:00:41,293 --> 00:00:45,573 Speaker 1: bottle falls out like an unguided MISSI isle and clout someone. 12 00:00:45,653 --> 00:00:48,013 Speaker 1: So take your bottle out before you hoist your bag up. 13 00:00:48,293 --> 00:00:51,293 Speaker 2: Very good to you. I also think that people forget 14 00:00:51,333 --> 00:00:54,453 Speaker 2: that that bottles can be pressurized very easily, and some 15 00:00:54,493 --> 00:00:56,413 Speaker 2: of your issues if you don't go up the lead 16 00:00:56,493 --> 00:00:58,253 Speaker 2: very well, and then mid flight, all of a sudden 17 00:00:58,293 --> 00:01:00,813 Speaker 2: you notice that the luggage compartment is leaking onto you. 18 00:01:00,893 --> 00:01:02,213 Speaker 2: That can be a bit of an issue as well. 19 00:01:03,213 --> 00:01:03,733 Speaker 1: That's true. 20 00:01:03,813 --> 00:01:06,973 Speaker 2: Hey, I was mentioning El Salvador to Kate, so El 21 00:01:07,053 --> 00:01:10,493 Speaker 2: Salvador sounds Salvador is one of two places that kind 22 00:01:10,493 --> 00:01:12,493 Speaker 2: of sticks in the back of my throat. The other 23 00:01:12,733 --> 00:01:16,853 Speaker 2: is Btislava and Slovakia, because they are two cities that 24 00:01:16,973 --> 00:01:20,893 Speaker 2: I've traveled to that I've never set foot outside. And 25 00:01:21,733 --> 00:01:24,013 Speaker 2: so I've been to I've been to San Salvador to 26 00:01:24,013 --> 00:01:26,653 Speaker 2: the airport, but I've never set foot outside of the airport, 27 00:01:27,293 --> 00:01:30,213 Speaker 2: and I've been to Slovakia. I've been to Brettislava, but 28 00:01:30,493 --> 00:01:34,053 Speaker 2: I only passed through Bretislava on a train, so I 29 00:01:34,093 --> 00:01:36,373 Speaker 2: think I was I must have been training from from 30 00:01:36,613 --> 00:01:41,333 Speaker 2: Budapest to Budapest to the Czech Republic, maybe yeah, and 31 00:01:41,373 --> 00:01:43,173 Speaker 2: so you know, kind of going up there by the 32 00:01:43,253 --> 00:01:47,853 Speaker 2: Danube and maybe maybe tracking the western border of Slovakia. 33 00:01:47,893 --> 00:01:52,213 Speaker 2: But I've never never set foot outside the train in Bratislava, 34 00:01:52,293 --> 00:01:55,373 Speaker 2: and I just remember crawling through the city that terrible 35 00:01:55,413 --> 00:01:58,373 Speaker 2: feeling like it looks so beautiful and inviting, and thinking, well, 36 00:01:58,413 --> 00:02:01,053 Speaker 2: I'm just going to have to come back. So anyway, 37 00:02:01,053 --> 00:02:03,093 Speaker 2: I'm glad that you were focusing there this morning, because 38 00:02:03,093 --> 00:02:06,213 Speaker 2: You've got lots of fantastic little tips for breezing through Buttislava. 39 00:02:06,453 --> 00:02:09,373 Speaker 2: And there is a kind of geographical quirk about the 40 00:02:09,373 --> 00:02:10,693 Speaker 2: Slovakian capital. 41 00:02:10,373 --> 00:02:15,653 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, I mean, I'm happy to be stood corrected here, Jack, 42 00:02:15,773 --> 00:02:19,733 Speaker 1: But I think Bratislava is the only capital city in 43 00:02:19,813 --> 00:02:24,093 Speaker 1: the world which is surrounded by three countries which you 44 00:02:24,133 --> 00:02:28,413 Speaker 1: can actually see with your own eyes. So obviously Brattislava 45 00:02:28,453 --> 00:02:32,933 Speaker 1: is the capital of Slovakia, but to the west you 46 00:02:33,173 --> 00:02:37,613 Speaker 1: have got Austria, like about thirty minutes away by train, 47 00:02:38,373 --> 00:02:42,653 Speaker 1: and then you've got Hungary to the east. So like 48 00:02:42,693 --> 00:02:46,013 Speaker 1: when you're standing at say Bratislava Castle with a bit 49 00:02:46,053 --> 00:02:47,733 Speaker 1: of a perch, with a bit of an aerial view, 50 00:02:48,093 --> 00:02:52,933 Speaker 1: you can see those countries from downtown brattaslavor. 51 00:02:52,693 --> 00:02:56,333 Speaker 2: Because n yeah, Vienna must be super closed, right, Like, 52 00:02:56,413 --> 00:02:59,453 Speaker 2: that's just it's about the Danube. 53 00:02:59,413 --> 00:03:01,253 Speaker 1: That's right. Yeah, I think it's a forty five minute 54 00:03:01,253 --> 00:03:02,453 Speaker 1: train ride from Vienna. 55 00:03:02,573 --> 00:03:06,973 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, and then the Danube continues down into an Hungary, 56 00:03:07,053 --> 00:03:09,413 Speaker 2: and so that's sort of there's a little there's a 57 00:03:09,413 --> 00:03:11,973 Speaker 2: little dog leg, isn't there that comes right right near 58 00:03:12,013 --> 00:03:12,693 Speaker 2: the border. Yeah. 59 00:03:12,773 --> 00:03:16,093 Speaker 1: Oh, that is very Yeah, but it's also a reminder 60 00:03:16,133 --> 00:03:19,733 Speaker 1: that obviously, given its position, it's been a bit of 61 00:03:19,733 --> 00:03:23,573 Speaker 1: a punching bag for numerous imperial powers over the centuries 62 00:03:23,613 --> 00:03:23,973 Speaker 1: as well. 63 00:03:24,053 --> 00:03:27,613 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, well, yes, there's certainly a history in that 64 00:03:27,613 --> 00:03:30,293 Speaker 2: part of the well So what communist relics grab a 65 00:03:30,293 --> 00:03:32,453 Speaker 2: lot of attentionon in Braslava these days. 66 00:03:33,013 --> 00:03:37,213 Speaker 1: Well, obviously there's plenty of brutalist tenement blocks still foresting 67 00:03:37,253 --> 00:03:43,093 Speaker 1: the city, but there are two particular landmarks which I 68 00:03:43,213 --> 00:03:46,253 Speaker 1: just find extraordinary. The first one is the Ufo Tower. 69 00:03:46,733 --> 00:03:52,133 Speaker 1: So this was perhaps the Communists' greatest contribution to Bratislava's 70 00:03:52,293 --> 00:03:56,173 Speaker 1: street scape, and it's on the southern bank of the Danube. 71 00:03:56,213 --> 00:04:00,773 Speaker 1: The Ufo was a futuristic statement tower that they built 72 00:04:00,813 --> 00:04:02,973 Speaker 1: in the sixties. In fact, I don't think it was 73 00:04:03,013 --> 00:04:05,733 Speaker 1: finished until the early eighties. It took forever to be 74 00:04:06,133 --> 00:04:10,293 Speaker 1: not off, but it's the tiniest member of the World 75 00:04:10,333 --> 00:04:14,573 Speaker 1: Federation of Great Towers, which does include Auckland Skytower. But 76 00:04:14,693 --> 00:04:17,053 Speaker 1: this Ufo Tower, this is such a cool thing. So 77 00:04:17,133 --> 00:04:21,253 Speaker 1: you've got this shuddering elevator ride up to the rooftop 78 00:04:21,973 --> 00:04:26,253 Speaker 1: and there you can see Austria in Hungary and the 79 00:04:26,293 --> 00:04:29,013 Speaker 1: other hand me down, which I think is just so weird. 80 00:04:29,613 --> 00:04:34,533 Speaker 1: The Slovak State Radio Building. This is the most bizarre 81 00:04:34,693 --> 00:04:40,333 Speaker 1: Soviet architectural statement. It is an upside down pyramid descending 82 00:04:40,413 --> 00:04:44,653 Speaker 1: into a massive concrete bunker. God knows what drugs that 83 00:04:44,933 --> 00:04:48,053 Speaker 1: are architect was on it is the weirdest site. 84 00:04:48,293 --> 00:04:50,853 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, amazing. So where should you hit if you're 85 00:04:50,973 --> 00:04:51,693 Speaker 2: in the old town? 86 00:04:52,853 --> 00:04:56,013 Speaker 1: Yes, the old town is such as harts Deealer I 87 00:04:56,093 --> 00:04:58,853 Speaker 1: recom it's one of the best old towns in Eastern Europe. 88 00:04:58,893 --> 00:05:02,733 Speaker 1: It's fully pedestrianized and you just want to linger there 89 00:05:02,813 --> 00:05:06,333 Speaker 1: because it's a showcase of the mastery of Slovak town 90 00:05:06,533 --> 00:05:11,093 Speaker 1: planners from about the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and somehow 91 00:05:11,133 --> 00:05:14,453 Speaker 1: they jam packed a whole city's worth of churches and 92 00:05:14,533 --> 00:05:18,213 Speaker 1: shops and palaces and museums into a handful of blocks. 93 00:05:18,453 --> 00:05:21,213 Speaker 1: You know, it's really compact. It's like a bon bon 94 00:05:21,813 --> 00:05:25,973 Speaker 1: and just a tangle of twisting cobbled streets with all 95 00:05:26,013 --> 00:05:30,733 Speaker 1: of these pastoral hued eighteenth century buildings. Really really cool 96 00:05:30,773 --> 00:05:34,733 Speaker 1: and very contemporary. You know, it's not just a living museum. 97 00:05:34,773 --> 00:05:37,693 Speaker 1: It's got a real good, vital energy about it. 98 00:05:38,413 --> 00:05:39,693 Speaker 2: There's the good public art. 99 00:05:41,013 --> 00:05:44,253 Speaker 1: Yeah. In fact, I reckon this is part of the 100 00:05:44,293 --> 00:05:48,013 Speaker 1: seduction of the old town and it was very much 101 00:05:50,053 --> 00:05:54,573 Speaker 1: a Bratislav post communist era, wanting to sort of shake 102 00:05:54,613 --> 00:05:58,573 Speaker 1: off that long shadow, so they spent megabucks on lots 103 00:05:58,613 --> 00:06:03,373 Speaker 1: of perky art installations, but quite grandiose in places, but 104 00:06:03,533 --> 00:06:07,853 Speaker 1: I reckon the best of the lot. As Kummel, he 105 00:06:08,133 --> 00:06:12,453 Speaker 1: is this road worker peering out above the pavement from 106 00:06:12,493 --> 00:06:15,853 Speaker 1: a manhole, and the whole thing is rendered in bronze. 107 00:06:15,973 --> 00:06:20,333 Speaker 1: He was actually beheaded as shortly after he was installed 108 00:06:20,773 --> 00:06:24,813 Speaker 1: by vehicles inadvertently driving over him. So he's now got 109 00:06:24,813 --> 00:06:26,973 Speaker 1: a man at work road sign next to him to 110 00:06:27,333 --> 00:06:30,653 Speaker 1: help with his self preservation. But it's that kind of 111 00:06:31,093 --> 00:06:35,613 Speaker 1: quirky humor in the street art that just speckles Brattislava. 112 00:06:35,653 --> 00:06:37,693 Speaker 2: Ah, well, how about this. We got an email just 113 00:06:37,733 --> 00:06:40,413 Speaker 2: before you joined us saying Jack, Brettislava is an amazing 114 00:06:40,453 --> 00:06:43,413 Speaker 2: place to visit. We were really taken with the outdoor sculptures, 115 00:06:43,493 --> 00:06:45,253 Speaker 2: many of them and bronze. I hope that Mike talks 116 00:06:45,293 --> 00:06:47,053 Speaker 2: about it this morning. So there you go. Paul will 117 00:06:47,053 --> 00:06:50,493 Speaker 2: be very pleased with that. You clearly have similar tastes. 118 00:06:51,573 --> 00:06:54,493 Speaker 2: Are there some hospitality highlights you'd recommend? 119 00:06:55,453 --> 00:06:58,013 Speaker 1: Yeah? Well, first of all, if you don't want to 120 00:06:58,053 --> 00:07:04,373 Speaker 1: share Brettislava with Stagdo and Hen parties, avoid Brettislava on 121 00:07:04,413 --> 00:07:06,853 Speaker 1: the weekend because it is a European hot spot for 122 00:07:07,013 --> 00:07:10,373 Speaker 1: stagnoos and n parties. But a couple of tips. If 123 00:07:10,413 --> 00:07:13,333 Speaker 1: you head into Bratislava Castle. On the main road to 124 00:07:13,373 --> 00:07:16,933 Speaker 1: the castle, there is this very cool bar called Carba Bar. 125 00:07:17,133 --> 00:07:19,613 Speaker 1: It's actually more of a cafe than a bar. But 126 00:07:19,933 --> 00:07:23,133 Speaker 1: what I like about it is it's part hipster and 127 00:07:23,173 --> 00:07:26,893 Speaker 1: then part retro Soviet. You know, it's got that sort 128 00:07:26,893 --> 00:07:30,213 Speaker 1: of vibe to it, with a lot of memorabilia from 129 00:07:30,213 --> 00:07:32,813 Speaker 1: the era, and it's all housed on the ground floor 130 00:07:32,893 --> 00:07:36,133 Speaker 1: of a communist era apartnent block. Very cool little place. 131 00:07:37,253 --> 00:07:41,413 Speaker 1: The must try Slovaki and dish would have to be halushki, 132 00:07:41,933 --> 00:07:47,053 Speaker 1: which are those KNOCKI like potato dumplings, smothered and melted sheeps, 133 00:07:47,133 --> 00:07:51,333 Speaker 1: cheese and fried bacon. Not exactly Michelin star material, but 134 00:07:51,453 --> 00:07:53,613 Speaker 1: cheap and cheerful and very satisfying. 135 00:07:53,773 --> 00:07:57,613 Speaker 2: Yeah, what about coffee and cake? Any go to ah? 136 00:07:57,733 --> 00:08:02,733 Speaker 1: Yes, there is this place called Conda Conde Torre Cormuth 137 00:08:03,213 --> 00:08:05,893 Speaker 1: and it actually turns two hundred old two hundred years 138 00:08:05,893 --> 00:08:10,213 Speaker 1: old next year. This cafe Jack is like walking into 139 00:08:10,373 --> 00:08:16,013 Speaker 1: a Rococco jewel box. The wall and ceiling frescoes are unbelievable. 140 00:08:16,533 --> 00:08:21,093 Speaker 1: The carvings, the porcelain, the antique furniture, it's insane. But 141 00:08:21,293 --> 00:08:24,493 Speaker 1: best of all, the cakes. They are all steeped in 142 00:08:24,573 --> 00:08:28,053 Speaker 1: tradition from the Austro Hungarian Empire, so you're sort of 143 00:08:28,133 --> 00:08:31,373 Speaker 1: eating what the Habsburgs were eating a couple of centuries ago, 144 00:08:32,453 --> 00:08:37,613 Speaker 1: swans shaped shoe pastry buns, which are just pumped with 145 00:08:37,853 --> 00:08:41,613 Speaker 1: caramel cream. They look too good to eat, but I did. 146 00:08:42,813 --> 00:08:45,093 Speaker 1: And then you've got to nibble on things like dough 147 00:08:45,213 --> 00:08:50,173 Speaker 1: bosh torta, six layers of chocolates and butter cream. And 148 00:08:50,373 --> 00:08:53,093 Speaker 1: the berry stacked rum cakes are really good too. I 149 00:08:53,173 --> 00:08:58,093 Speaker 1: could spend all day ye contact, yeah, yeah, yeah, they 150 00:08:58,173 --> 00:08:58,373 Speaker 1: might be. 151 00:08:58,413 --> 00:08:59,733 Speaker 2: I might have to bump that up to the very 152 00:08:59,773 --> 00:09:01,333 Speaker 2: top of the list. I think the places to go, 153 00:09:02,013 --> 00:09:04,053 Speaker 2: and what about the Museum of Vita Culture. What's so 154 00:09:04,093 --> 00:09:04,813 Speaker 2: appealing about it? 155 00:09:05,613 --> 00:09:07,853 Speaker 1: Oh? This is the onest thing. So I thought, oh well, 156 00:09:07,893 --> 00:09:10,493 Speaker 1: I'll go and learn about the history of Slovakia and wine. 157 00:09:10,813 --> 00:09:13,573 Speaker 1: But it actually doubles more like a booze barn, because 158 00:09:13,613 --> 00:09:17,213 Speaker 1: in the basement it's like speed dating with wine. If 159 00:09:17,253 --> 00:09:20,373 Speaker 1: you want to, you can pay thirty euro and you 160 00:09:20,493 --> 00:09:23,493 Speaker 1: can taste your way through seventy two wines and one 161 00:09:23,613 --> 00:09:32,533 Speaker 1: hundred minutes seventy two you yeah, you are, but I 162 00:09:32,613 --> 00:09:34,493 Speaker 1: mean you don't have to go through all of them, 163 00:09:34,653 --> 00:09:37,453 Speaker 1: but you can if you want. You can have seventy 164 00:09:37,533 --> 00:09:40,613 Speaker 1: two wines in one hundred minutes. So I wonder if 165 00:09:40,653 --> 00:09:43,413 Speaker 1: host Responsibility might have skipped over Slovakia. 166 00:09:43,453 --> 00:09:46,773 Speaker 2: Yeh yes, yes, very good. It sounds amazing here clears 167 00:09:46,813 --> 00:09:48,893 Speaker 2: just likeness. The text Mike to say, Jack really loving 168 00:09:48,933 --> 00:09:51,333 Speaker 2: walking down the Butterslava memory Lane this morning. We were 169 00:09:51,373 --> 00:09:54,333 Speaker 2: there in twenty nineteen and everything Mike says just makes 170 00:09:54,373 --> 00:09:55,773 Speaker 2: me want to go back. So there you go. 171 00:09:56,813 --> 00:09:57,933 Speaker 1: Very cool, Thank you very much. 172 00:09:58,013 --> 00:09:59,733 Speaker 2: We'll make sure that all of your tips for a 173 00:09:59,853 --> 00:10:02,973 Speaker 2: breezing through Butterslava and Slovakia are up on the News 174 00:10:03,053 --> 00:10:05,053 Speaker 2: Talks He'd website for. 175 00:10:05,173 --> 00:10:08,213 Speaker 1: More from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame. Listen live to 176 00:10:08,333 --> 00:10:11,333 Speaker 1: News Talks at b from nine am Saturday, or follow 177 00:10:11,373 --> 00:10:12,933 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio