We never go from one point to another on this trip and that is what makes things interesting other than the seemingly endless number of bathroom breaks.

Our first stop was Trebic, an ancient Moravian city that is home to Europe’s best preserved Jewish ghetto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The word ghetto really means a bunch of “similar” people who live in an area that has boundaries. In reality that means The Villages is a ghetto. Who wants to be the first to tell Mark Morse?

The most impressive thing about this stop, in my opinion, was the story of Anton Kallina, a resident of Trebic. He saved over 900 boys in the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Many of these boys grew up to be very famous adults, notably, the writer, Ellie Wiesel. It was a remarkable story of bravery, ingenuity and compassion.

Next stop was the Lednice Castle, another World Heritage Site, that is the largest inhabited castle in the world. It is owned by the Liechtenstein family (as in the country). It is one of the most visited places in Czech Republic along with being surrounded by one of the largest parks in Europe. We only toured a small part of the castle and greenhouse and the pictures do not do this place justice.

Finally, our arrival in Bratislava. Slovakia is a very beautiful mountainous country. Our first stop before checking in was at the Bratislava Castle. This trip has been all about castles. Italy all about churches. I kind of miss the churches.

We checked into a beautiful Marriott hotel. Walked to a local restaurant for dinner and back to the bar for very expensive margaritas. But so worth it!

Tomorrow is a full day in Bratislava.