In the end only kindness matters...

Never in my life have I dreamed of being a princess in a castle twirling my golden locks of hair, or of finding prince charming. In my mind, such men don't exist. A false illusion created by numerous Disney movies, yet castles always hold a real sense of charm and intrigue. When I first started traveling in Europe over a decade ago, such structures were completely new to me as an American. Castles aren't woven into American culture or landscapes. However, after visiting dozens of them throughout Europe they all began to blur together so I removed them from my travel agenda in European countries. Then I got a fancy camera a year ago and became more interested in photography. As a novice shooter, castles provide exceptional vantage points so I now make an effort to stop at them while traveling in this region of the world. In Slovakia, we encountered a very unique castle system, filled with obstacles and prohibitions. First stop was Orava Castle, pictured in the cover photo.( Read more... )