BIG TRIP: Day 11

Leaving tomorrow will be difficult. We've had such a fine time with our little girls and their parents. We've mostly done whatever is easiest--cooking and eating what we like without struggling to great culinary heights. Just getting all of us fed, dressed, and well rested makes getting out of the house a big deal.

Today was to have been Eurovea and a walk into the Old City Christmas Market, but we wake to a grey, drizzling, and rainy day. MK decides to take the girls to a small mall where there are playgrounds to entertain LG and KF, and to wear them out a bit as they'll be stuck inside on this inclement day.

DM takes CA and I to Eurovea to pick up my dry cleaning and drops us off for two hours on our own. We eat Mexican :)... And, linger in cafes and wander through the upscale Billa. I find celery for MK--something rare in Bratislava groceries. We've decided on cream of mushroom soup (MK's homemade version) and cheeses for dinner tonight, so I select three from an attractive display.

When I'm paying the clerk cannot find a price, so she disappears for several minutes while everyone in the cue does some toe tapping... Eventually, she returns and tells me (in Slovak, so I'm left to surmise) that no one knows the price (there were several of the same variety in the case) so I am unable to purchase the cheese. Yep! Captalism is growing, but not everyone feels the need to make a sale or please the customer. And, I was really interested in that particular cheese--it looked like fromage de chèvre roulé (goat cheese pinwheel, with herbs). At least, she denied me the cheese with a smile...

We're reflecting that this may be our last visit to Bratislava for a long time. DM+MK are moving to the U.S. in early August--their house is sold and in the process of closing--and future trips will no doubt focus on the Krupa's cottage in the Low Tatras in the village of Dovalovo, near Liptovsky Mikulas. They hope to spend at least part of every summer in MK's favorite place in all the world.

Tonight CA and DM visit with relatives of MK who own a vineyard and winery. I was to go as designated driver, but since the girls have shared their colds with me, I beg off. They are treated with great kindness and truly enjoy their tour of the wine cellars.

KF hasn't had a nap, so gives me a hard time about photographing her--turns her back or her head away from the camera. LG is always ready to pose, and NJ can't keep herself from smiling every time you look her way.

Tonight was NJ's first time to feed herself real food, and she did very well with broccoli and pasta. She was VERY proud!