I call this our most meaningful journey yet, as this was not the usual "tick the box" trip.
This was where we saw both sides of humanity -- the Beauty and the Brutality.
From the marvelous masterpieces at the Van Gogh Museum; to the actual house where Anne Frank & her family hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam.
From KrakĂłw's authentic medieval Old Town Square, the largest in all of Europe; to the unspeakably inhumane extermination camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
From Warsaw's fully reconstructed Old Town, (established in the 13th century, rebuilt in 1951); to photos of the city's complete devastation, in 1945.
From the breathtaking House of Parliament along the Danube; to the horrific House of Terror in Budapest.
From the gorgeously gothic, and utterly imposing St. Stephen's Cathedral; to the Heroes' Square in Vienna, the very spot where Hitler declared Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, culminating in the start of WW2 a year later.
Thankfully, people are innately Good and Kind; and are blessed with Faith, Grit & Resilience. And, most importantly, we have the capacity to Forgive. But, we should Never, Ever Forget.
#neveragain
#neverforget
#worldpeace
ATLAS MOUNTAINS Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: THRILLING - Atlas Mountains is active, adventurous, super scenic, tribal, and hyper local.
MARRAKESH Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: COSMOPOLITAN - Marrakesh is westernized, welcoming, fun, stylish, posh, and tourist-friendly.
VOLUBILIS - SCORPION HOUSE AT MOULAY IDRISS Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: DELIGHTFUL - Volubilis and Scorpion House were a complete surprise, they're a must-see, must-do, and never-miss.
FEZMagical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: ADDICTIVE - Fez is frenetic, unapologetically chaotic, unique, culturally-rich, and super authentic.
CASABLANCA - RABAT - CHEFCHAOUEN Magical Morocco, a real feast for the senses! One of the very few places in the world where they've got the balance of all the elements just right -- exotic, chic, creative, and sporty; riotous and crowded; but also, super-chill, never hard-selling, happy and safe. If I had to sum up each place with just one word, it would be: DRAMATIC - Casablanca's coast is powerful, and fearsome. CONFIDENT - Rabat is orderly, with wide open spaces and greenery, highly livable, and wealthy. CHARMING - Chefchaouen is quaint and picturesque and am thrilled to report that all my tourist trap fears were completely unfounded.