Shore excursion: Bratislava

The most picturesque part of this sightseeing walking tour was the row of blooming chestnut trees that led from the river to the city. They are delicate, lovely things, aren't they?
Here on this tour we got our first taste of the so-called "quiet box", a receiver hung around the neck, about the size of a pack of cards, which, with its associated earphones, is supposed to allow the tour leader to speak into her/his mike, and without raising the voice, speak to the group via the individual earphones.
Believe me, for folks with hearing aids they are useless, but additionally, so many tour groups, shoulder-to-shoulder to us, were using the same devices, there was a chronic feedback problem. Plus many of the tour guides simply didn't know how to use the mike and kept pushing it away from the mouth. We soon learned not to rely on the "quiet box" to provide information!
These colorful banners were hanging all around the city.
A sample of the language, a difficult one to learn, we hear.
This vineyard and countryside area was more appealing to us than the city.