Last minute

I shipped two boxes yesterday and one final one this morning from the main post office. My packing is under control, so I took in a few more must-see sights in Old Town. It got up to 50 today, but with light rain, it was not ideal for last-minute sightseeing.

I often pass Šafárikovo námestie on the tram, so I wanted to explore the neighborhood and get a few pictures. The square is in the southeastern area of Old town. This is the Fontána Poézia ("poetic fountain"), installed in 1958 under the Communist regime. It seems surprisingly risque for that era -- the kind of statue John Ashcroft would want to cover up.

The Administrative headquarters and law school for Comenius University are located on the southwest corner of the square, so this tram stop is normally swarming with students.

This Art Nouveau building is on the southeast corner. With a little googling, I discovered that it dates to 1902, but can't find any other information about it.

Another beautiful Art Nouveau building is just to the north of the green building, but I can't find any information on it.

Here's one of these surprises that I just love stumbling onto - a recent contemporary statue, smack in the middle of the sidewalk (on Dunajská, just south of the big Tesco store). This honors Július Satinský, who died in 2002. He was reportedly a popular actor, comedian, and radio host who suffered under the Communist regime and was celebrated later in life.

Here's a small surprise, but still delightful. Look at the two little statues guarding the entry doors of this otherwise perfectly ordinary apartment building on Gajova, east of the Blue Church.

Beautifully restored buildings are no surprise here. This is an office building for the UniCredit Bank, on Dunajská.

Unfortunately, it's also no surprise to see a horribly decrepit building adjacent to a beautifully restored one. Here's the bank's next-door neighbor. You just wonder how long it will take for somebody to restore this.

One final non-surprise, the headquarters for the national railway system, ŽSR, on Klemensova a block east of the Blue Church. It seems the government buildings here are either beautifully restored historic gems or dreary slabs like this one.

Back to packing and checking for election results from Nevada and South Carolina. I hope the skies are clear tomorrow for my final day in Bratislava!

NOTE: Click on any image in this blog to see it full-size.