Day-14, Tue, May 10 from Rajka to Bratislava. Last day of walking was 13.4 miles (21.4 km). But I waited for today, Day 15, Wed to blog because my first place to visit in Bratislava was St. Martin Cathedral to give thanks for being able to do this Camino, and much more than that, for all the wonderful “figurative cloaks” and gifts in my life. With his birthplace in Pannonhalma, it almost makes to call this a St. Martin pilgrimage.
It’s a beautiful cathedral that dates back to 1452 and in 1563 became the coronation church for the kingdom of Hungary, including Austria’s famous Maria Theresa. Very close to the cathedral is an outdoor exhibit and monument bringing to light that in 1969, the Government demolished a synagogue because it was in the way of a ramp being built to a new bridge over the Danube—hard to imagine except in autocratic regimes. A walk up to the castle followed and then I became immersed in a complex history that involves the Celts, Romans, Slavs, and everything else that passed through here. My head is spinning with it all—but it’s all good.
On the way in to St. Martin’s Cathedral, I passed a huge outdoor military equipment exhibition: tanks, trucks, Apache helicopter, etc. Interesting! Then I passed a permanent facility with Lockheed Martin signage—my last employer! It was open to the public and, on the return trip, I went in free with my Lockheed Martin ID.
Then to my surprise: the ship, Amadeus, that we took 22 years ago for our Danube Cruise (where we met our now close family friend, Lucille) was anchored there waiting for their passengers to return from touring Bratislava—it only anchors for one day!
