Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. The city has a population of about half a million people. Slovakia has been an independent state since 1993. Prior to that it was part of Czechoslovakia and before that it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A view of the Danube

Bratislava Castle by day

the "UFO Bridge" over the Danube

Bratislava Castle by night

City of Music

Vienna's nickname is the "City of Music." There are many theaters and opera houses in the city. There have been many famous musicians that were either born or lived in Vienna; Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Strauss are just of few who left a musical legacy in Vienna.

the inside of the Vienna State Opera

the outside of the opera house

looking down from the gallery

Serbian Dinar

The Serbian Dinar is the currency used in Serbia. The current exchange rate is about 1 US Dollar to 85 Serbian Dinar. The amount pictured below is worth about $3.75.

On the 200 is Nadežda Petrović, a famous Serbian painter.

On the 100 is Nikola Tesla, a man of Serbian descent who was an electrical pioneer.

On the 20  is Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, a statesman, philosopher, and poet.

Greek Food

While in Greece I ate a lot of Greek salad, olives, gyros, tzatziki, souvlaki, and moussaka. Greek salad has lettuce, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, onions, and olive oil. Olives are incorporated some way into every meal. Gyros is a type of sandwich on pita bread with slices of meat, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce. This sauce is made from Greek yogurt, garlic, cucumbers, salt, and olive oil. Souvlaki is Greece's version of a shish kebab. Moussaka is a type of casserole with ground meat, pasta, and eggplant.

Greek Salad

moussaka and french fries

gyro

Greek Orthodox Church

The Greek Orthodox Church is the most practiced religion in Greece. 98% of the Greek population are part of this church. The outside of the Greek cathedrals are not always elaborate as some Catholic cathedrals. The Greek Orthodox churches don't have statues, only paintings and mosaics.

Parthenon

The Parthenon is one of Greece's most ancient buildings. This masterpiece of architecture is located on top of the highest point in Greece's capital, Athens. The building is a temple dedicated to the Greek god of wisdom, Athena. It was completed in the 5th century BC. Unfortunately, the site was bombed at one point and the explosion damaged the Parthenon. However, now there are many restorations being done so that it can continue to survive the millennia.  

the crane being used for restorations inside the Parthenon

the Greek flag flying atop the Acropolis

a shot of the Parthenon from further away

a close up of the columns

Greek Alphabet

The English alphabet has 26 characters whereas the Greek alphabet has 24.

SPQR

SPQR is an acronym that is seen on many things in Rome. The acronym in its Latin is "Senatus Populusque Romanus." In English it means "The Senate and People of Rome."

German Food

I ate this in Munich, Germany. Germany in its native language is called Deutschland. A couple typical and iconic foods that are eaten in Germany are sausages and pretzels. The mean came with two different sauces, mustard and another kind I don't know the English name for.

Murano Glass

Murano is the name of an island in Venice. This island  is famous for making glass products. There are sculptures, necklaces, bracelets, paper weights, and even chandeliers. Many different techniques are used to create the different colors and shapes. People have been doing this for centuries.