I would like to share a travel story about Czechia. Imagine getting off a train in the middle of the rural Czech countryside, 90 minutes east of Prague, dragging your bag down a lonely dirt road with no homes or people in sight, only to see a tall turret from a 13th-century CASTLE peeking out from behind the trees, then dragging your bag over a rickety gangplank across a real MOAT for a night’s stay. without any guests.

While conducting research for a potential book I was considering writing on home exchange in the United States, I came across the owners, a gay Italian architect and artist couple, online. Additionally, they offered me a place to stay while I was in Prague.

They had purchased the property at an auction and were renovating it to make it a haven for visiting contemporary artists. Therefore, modern art was used to decorate this 13th-century castle completely.