Bratislava, Slovakia
Do you see cars on any of these roads?
No? That’s because vehicles are not allowed in Bratislava’s Old Town district.
Dozens of character streets are blocked off, so only pedestrian traffic is allowed to enter. It makes exploring Old Town a relaxing experience, without motor vehicle noise or safety concerns.
Until two Canadian tourists showed up.
I still don’t know how I did it, but somehow, I got on the wrong side of the vehicle/pedestrian barricades in our rented Toyota, and there was no getting out once we were on the wrong side.
Bear and I drove up and down forbidden streets for what seemed like hours, looking for a way out. One of us was stressed about this, to the breaking point.
The other thought it was uproariously funny.
We saw all of downtown Bratislava’s historic sites from the comfort of our rent-a-ride, driving among strolling tourists, curio shops, and sidewalk tables.
I stopped to ask this worker for directions. He said “hlúpy turista!”
I’m not sure what it means, but I don’t think it was directions.
(Stupid Tourist!)
Harry Houdini was from this part of the world. When it appeared that we were locked in the plaza forever, I was hoping the great escape artist would appear and spring the trap for us.
The one saving grace was that it was gently raining, so the crowd size was small. The few people who paid attention to us driving around the plaza either scowled, or joined Bear laughing at the dim-witted tourist behind the wheel, reversing down dead-end streets.
There was a police car inside the barricade. I thought about asking the officer for directions out of our predicament, but my Slovak language skills are as impaired as my driving.
I decided it was better to keep looking for an exit on my own.
I eventually found a gap in the barricades, probably the same one that got us into this mess in the first place, and we made our way onto the street again.
Back at the hotel, lobby staff offered us a complimentary pear schnapps as we walked through.
I took two, one to settle my nerves, and …
… one for the road.
Trish
Yes, belly laugh for sure, we Virgo are just to serious sometimes. I laughed along with the Bear.
Russ Paton
You two have been in cahoots for a very long time! I see the humour in it now.😆
Judy
Glad that one of you was able to laugh at your predicament. I’m sure now that you have escaped back to the right side of the law, you are able to see the humor in it as well. Keep those stories coming!
Russ Paton
Yes, but it would be much funnier if things like that didn’t happen so often!
Rhonda
You provided such a great belly laugh on this story, Russ! Keep them coming!! Sorry, but Bear is my sister and we both love to laugh, even if it’s at your expense. Glad you finally were able to escape, though.
Russ Paton
Thanks Rhonda, the GPS kept repeating “rerouting, rerouting, rerouting,” but at least it didn’t laugh, unlike my other navigator!