From Bratislava, Thursday July 1

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I'm updating this from the internet cafe at our hostel, which is much easier to use than my netbook over Wifi. So no pictures tonight, but more tomorrow if possible> OR...maybe if I give a damn I'll put some pictures on this back in the room on WiFi
Today was a really quintessential Eastern European day. Or my vision of it, anyway. Here's a list:

• Left Furth, home of Ottmar, at 9:45 this morning. Would have been earlier, except for the fact that I couldn't find my #$@% passport. Looked everywhere, and Rob finally found it looking through MY backpack. Sigh. It's a 2.5 hour drive to Passau, for the organ concert on the fantastic organ in the Passau Cathedral....largest organ in Europe. 
• Biotch took us straight from Furth to Passau; wound our way through the cobblestone streets just wide enough for a car to the front door of the cathedral. Parked. Went to a GREAT concert, lasted about 30 minutes. Came out. Got the parking ticket off the windshield...we'll worry about it later.....and headed on out to the Autobahn to head for our next stop, the "Hostel Blues" in Bratislava, Slovakia. 
• Stopped had lunch in a big thing just off the Autobahn....a controlled collection of gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants. Back on the road. It's a little bit challenging to drive on the Autobahn, actually. It's a careful mix if hiding in between all the trucks in the right lane, and then being able to get up enough speed to duck in the fast lane and drive 85-90 for a while in the Fiesta. Keeps me on my toes. Rob researched ahead on our visit to Bratislava. 
• Crossed from Austria in to Slovakia with no change in the roads, except for the fact that the surfaces are all new. 
• Biotch took us directly to our hostel; checked in, then went to walk in the pedestrian district. It's very small compared to most European cities, but they are still in the process here of updating all the old buildings, public roads, everything. The trams have been repainted, but look like they're from the 50s. The pedestrian area  is just kinda restaurant row; we walked up to "Hrad Castle", took some pictures, then back down to catch a Slovak beer at a ped area bar. On to a traditional restaurant for dinner. Had a meal of small pastas stuffed with pork and cabbage, topped with a very unique cheese from sheep...sheep cheese, yes....called "Brynza". Really good. So was the Slovak beer. 
• So...there, then back here to the hostel to relax. 
• Tomorrow, goal is to get to Auschwitz Concentration Camp early afternoon; take quite a while there; back to stay in Krackow at a place called "Goodbye Lenin". I mean....really.....who can pass up the opportunity to stay at a place with a name like that?

Random things....it's cheap here. 1 Euro per beer, 2 meals and 4 beers 20 Euro ($25? or so)....no border checking at all....just drove through from Austria to Slovakia......Slovakia is catching up in the world of "being proper"....still lots of graffiti in public places, unkept public places, "Hrad Castle" grounds very ragged.......people dress up on the streets to go walk the pedestrian areas in the evenings....all people are very nice, though still tough to find a lot of English-speaking people......when was the last time you saw a RADIATOR to heat a room? Yup..our hostel room........No AC here, and Europe is experiencing its biggest heat wave since the early 90s.