It felt rather like being whisked away by aliens.  It was something of a spur of the moment decision to go to Bratislava.  I was staying in Vienna, with no intention of travelling any further east.  But then I happened to glance at a train timetable, and it was only an hour’s journey between the two cities, and I just thought, why the hell not.

And I was so pleased that I decided to make that journey to Slovakia.

Part of my reason for deciding to visit, was to see the Danube.  Although the Danube also runs through Vienna, it is not such an integral part of the old city there as it is in Bratislava.  So, when I arrived at Bratislava Hlavna Stanica train station, and without a map to guide me, I simply allowed my feet to follow a downhill course in the assumption that I would eventually arrive at the river.  Which half an hour later, I did.  But before I saw the river, I spotted the UFO.

Standing at 95 metres, the UFO Tower is home to an open-air observation deck and restaurant at the southern end of the Most SNP (Most Slovenského národného povstania), the principal bridge spanning the Danube in the centre of Bratislava.  The observation deck is shaped like the classic Sci-Fi interpretation of a flying saucer, and is accessed by a lift in the east leg of the structure.  It seemed like the perfect vantage point to get the view of the Danube, which I was craving.

The lift was small and fast and, judging from the construction of the tower, must have risen in a course slightly off-vertical, but I was not aware of this anomaly when inside.  Within 45 seconds, I was at the level of the panoramic restaurant, from which a short staircase led up to the observation deck.

From such a high position, it was possible to truly appreciate the scale and majesty of the Danube.  It is a vast river.  Powerful, too.  The current was strong; a wide array of flotsam, including entire tree trunks, was being propelled downstream, whilst pleasure boats and sleek Leviathan-like river-cruise ships were making slow headway upstream.

To the north lay the red roofs of the old town, with Bratislava Castle prominent on a tree-fringed mount.  To the south, modern wide carriageways led into a world of apartment blocks and industrial parks.

I lingered long, watching the city from my surreal space-ship; the open expanse of river magnifying the sounds of the streets, making me feel simultaneously connected to, and disconnected from, the earthlings below.  It was a fresh breeze and the slightest hint of drizzle, which finally drove me back indoors.  I might have been persuaded to halt for a while to grab something to eat in the restaurant, but I didn’t think there would be a seat that would match the view I had experienced on the observation deck.  Although in that belief, I was soon to be proved wrong.

One last call before I took the lift back to ground level: the toilet.  Here, the view from the Ladies, would take a lot of beating.

© E. C. Glendenny

E. C. Glendenny is an alien in Bratislava.