Bratislava Trip & Skaritz Hotel & Residence Review

It's always nice to blog about my trip 'coz it gives me a chance to relive my happy-away-from-home moments. Sadly, I don't seem to have much time this year to do so and this is inversely proportionate to the amount of travelling I've done the past year.

Well, at least I can squeeze some time out for Bratislava, Slovakia, only because there was nothing much that caught my attention to write in detail.

Town Square

This lesser known city was a last minute insertion to our itinerary since we were only going to 3 other cities in 2 weeks. We thought that Bratislava is en route from Krakow to Budapest and we could just take the overnight train and wake up in Bratislava. Wrong! It was, in a way... but we had to change train in the wee hours of the morning at 2am at a station called "Bohumin". Bad idea as I was woken up about 5 mins before arriving at the transfer station and all toilets were closed for the day. There was only 1 seedy looking snack-BAR at the deserted station.

At least we saw 2 policemen patrolling and the connecting train arrived 20 mins earlier. What a relief to board the train early and head back into slumber land. 

We arrived in Bratislava around 6am and it was rainy and cold. The weather in Central Europe was still bad and I was pretty reluctant to head to our hotel in the foul weather.

To reach Skaritz Hotel & Residence, we had to buy a 70-cent ticket each (from the yellow ticketing machine at the bus stop) at the bus station located right in front of the rail station and board Bus No. 93 which comes every 10 mins or so. After validating the ticket in the ticket marker on the bus, just alight at Hodžovo nám which is 2 stops away and walk to the hotel. The map can be found here: http://goo.gl/maps/cQisI

It was such a joy when we found it! Warm & toasty it was and we were offered coffee and hot tea while waiting to check in.

And the best thing was they allowed us to check in at 8+am once the room was ready! This is the earliest I've ever checked into a hotel. Naturally, I was happy. It was the only hotel we stayed in for this trip as Slovakia has the cheapest accommodation comparing to Prague, Krakow & Budapest. We stayed in apartments for the other 3 cities.

2 thumbs up for Skaritz Hotel & Residence service and stay!! It is located in a convenient location in the heart of the old town, near to the various tourist attractions.

Summer Archbishop Palace in Sweet Pink

For the 1st day, we visited the castle, ate some good Slovakian traditional cuisine like dumplings with sheep's milk cheese and Kapustnica (sauerkraut soup with sausage), which is now my fav. =P~~

Potato Dumpling with Sheep's Milk Cheese

Kapustnica

Here's some pics of the castle which we found sterile and a tad boring.

Stairs to the Castle

Bratislava Castle Grounds

Castle Courtyard

This was how bored we were when we started to pose in front of the mirrors in the castle.

It was only on the highest level that we read that parts of the castle were destroyed by a fire in early 2012. There were only some exhibits on display; so little that they could all pack into a room. We headed back to the old town for coffee and went back to laze in the hotel before googling for good dinner spots in town.

The next morning, we went out early to The Church of St Elisabeth which is on another side of the old town. When I saw the cute blue church, it brought a smile to my face.

Designed in Art Noveau architectural style, the curves and colour look really adorable for a church.

It was well worth my morning walk before we left for Budapest.

One day in Bratislava was enough for me. The old town is small and it is pleasant to stroll around. One thing stood out was the high number of Sushi bars in this small area. After reading about their economy, I realised they must have quite a few business dealings with Japanese for their car manufacturing &  electrical engineering industries.

Weird take away info for my Bratislava trip...

Bike Tour In Ubub, Bali, A Fantastic Way To See Ubud

I started 2013 in the way I like! First to Bangkok then to Bali for some me time. =))

Bestie invited me to bunk in with her at Bali and bf promptly bought me air ticket to send me off. Whee... And it is to Ubud this round in Bali.

Since I had the daytime free to myself, I signed up for some activities to get to know Ubud, Bali a little better. And one of it was the bike tour organised by Bali Eco & Educational Cycling Tour.

It was a pleasant start with prompt replies to my emails to ensure a beginner like me can handle biking in a foreign land.

I got picked up by the tour really early at 7.15am to have breakfast with a view... of Mt Batur, an active volcano.

The whole group was of a comfortable size of only 10 people.

It was a simple meal to start the day and the view was gorgeous. If only bf was with me...

The black soil area is where the lava flowed from Mt Batur's last eruption in 2000. The friendly guide went on to tell us a bit more about this area and also the spiritual significance of the calm lake besides Mt Batur.

Next up was a short educational tour about some Balinese native spices and plants and also a brief history of how some other foreign spices like Vanilla came to being on this sunny island.

Coffee Luwak Beans On The Left Looking Prettier

We were introduced to a live civet cat that poops out the very expensive Coffee Luwak beans. We were told that the coffee beans is foreign to Bali, hence, it was by accident that the civet cat ingest these beans and poop them out. 

Shortly after, we had a break and was given a tray of samples of ginseng coffee, lemongrass tea, Balinese coffee etc.

The guide managed to find a big spider out of nowhere and showed it to us. Reminds me of uni days. 

Just as I thought that the tour felt more educational and cultural, we were driven to pick up our mountain bikes for the real cycling deal. 

It was a breeze cycling as it was mainly downhill on wide roads.

We stopped by a Balinese family house to take a look. 

The guide went on to introduce their way of life and how this family makes their living by producing bamboo products.

The next part of cycling was through the padi fields; Something I was really looking forward to.

We rode through these fields with the blue sky above. 

See how beautiful it is....

The only problem for me was that the cycling path was a tad too narrow. It was more of a psychological issue when I cannot see where the edge of the path was. I was moving slower than usual and before I knew it, I was in the waters after going over a broken concrete patch. Talk about embarrassment. Thank goodness all I got was a refreshing soak for both my feet with no injuries. 

Then came the uphill stretch where a true bike beginner like myself had to dismount and push all my way uphill. There was a guide behind the last person (yours truly) and he offered to push my bike when he saw me struggling. But I managed to get through it, and boy, what a work out it was on my first day in Bali.

We rested under a 500 years old Banyan Tree where the guides brought out bananas for snack. The whole time, there was a van following us, except for the stretch through the padi fields where it couldn't go. So, no worries if you don't have much stamina like me, which is highly unlikely. :|

At this juncture, we were asked whether we wanted to continue with a 40mins downhill cycling route or a 40 mins uphill one.

Of course I opted for the downhill route where a van would be waiting to send us uphill for lunch. We were handed cool towels at the end of our ride too. The bulk of the people opted for the challenging uphill route.

This is the view from the van with the rest working out hard under the hot sun. 1 person gave up midway and the guide took over her bike. 

Before long, we arrived at the lunch venue and the uphill cyclists streamed in one by one, totally drenched in the humid weather. 

The tour ended with a delectable lunch. I can't decide whether this lunch or the one from my cooking class is better. 

Either way, it was a fantastic way to start my holiday in Ubud, Bali. For 360,000IDR, I really like this tour. The whole program was well paced and totally enjoyable. Despite me falling into the waters, I had a really good time that day!

Parador de Carmona, Carmona Town in Seville Spain Review

What a stay, what a trip! Yes, whenever I recall my stay in the Parador de Carmona, it brings a smile to my face.  It has become one of my favourite hotels.

Rolling Hills Of Spain

We had rented a car in Cordoba and drove to Seville, Zahara, Rhonda before ending off our road trip at Granada. So, bf suggested to stay at the restored state owned castle hotel, Parador Carmona, for 2 nights since we could easily drive out to Seville with the car; Seville is just a short drive of half an hour away.

We arrived at the charming town of Carmona, driving through the cobblestoned streets to reach the majestic Parador Carmona, a castle enlarged by King Pedro, sitting atop a hill.

Paradora de Carmona Gate 

Free Parking Spaces Are Readily Available

There's shuttle bus service available from the town centre to Seville. Just check with the reception for the bus schedule. We found it more convenient to drive though. The only challenge was to find parking lots in Seville.

I really love the moorish designed tiles in the lobby and courtyard. The motifs are so beautiful. The place somewhat transported  me to a time ancient enough.

Hotel Lobby With Gorgeous Tiles

Courtyard With A Fountain...

...So Gorgeous That Even The Pigeons Gather To Drink From It

The restaurant has an open area that has this marvelous view of the Andulusian plains. And our bedroom had the same facing too. It was oh so lovely!!!

Hotel Room Corridor

The room was huge and once again, the tile flooring brings me back to the ancient times. It's felt wonderful to be staying in a building that has so much history to it. And it's not just any history, but one that was once lived in by the royals.

My favourite part of the room was by the windows with the view of the endless plains.

Watching The Sunrise

My Favourite Spot In The Room

How can one not fall in love with this view?? It's so calming and you can see miles and miles away from your room. 

It was cool in the daytime in October but I found the waters too cold to enter. So, we just strolled around the hotel grounds taking pics.

View From The Pool

Resident Cat That Followed Us Around The Pool Area

We spent 2 nights in this charming town and the lastd day, we took it easy and went for breakfast at a Creperie.

Carmona Town

It was just perfect that our last day at Carmona fell on a Sunday.... because...

sitting at our outdoor tables, we saw a group of funeral mass goers and wedding guests all decked out in their fancy wears.

And I was surprised that the small town of Carmona has a little restaurant that serves excellent food. I think that it's because were in Spain; Almost every meal we had was a good one. Oooohhh... how I love the food in Spain. :P~~

La Almazara Restaurant

We ordered 2 starters and the anchovies can hardly go wrong here in Spain with their fresh olive oil. But the dish below was simply divine.

It is the one of the few appetizers I'll remember for a long time. Each piece was serve on a chip and has melted baked cheese coasted shrimp. The flavourful taste just burst with each bite and the cheese was so soft and warm. Even though there was 12 pieces, we cleaned up the plate really fast.

I really enjoyed my stay in the Parador Carmona in Andulusia. And to spend a full relaxing day in the small town of Carmona make this part of my trip memorable.

If you intend to visit Seville, you should consider the Parador Carmona. And if you can spare the time, extend a day in this charming town. You'll love love love this place loads!