Day 9

 Jessica writing today :)

Everyone was up bright and early at 6:00am. Luke was watching TV while Adam and I made breakfast, and Ryan was just investigating every nook and cranny of the Airbnb. On our agenda today was visiting the Bojnice Castle and nearby Zoo. We were able to get everyone ready and out the door by 7:30am, and it was just a little over an hour drive to the castle. Once we parked, we opted to leave the stroller in the car because we knew the castle would have lots of stairs. I put Ryan in the carrier on my back and Adam helped guide Luke. We made it to the castle right at opening and opted for the self-guided tour. Within a few minutes, Luke was loudly letting us know that his legs were tired. Uh oh. Somehow we convinced him to keep walking up many, many flights of stairs. The castle was very nice, and had many common features, including armor halls, terraces, chapels, and more. Certain parts of the castle were even built as late as the 20th century and redone as late as 2020.  

We guided ourselves through the tour in record time. In fact, we were so quick, that the exit wasn't even unlocked yet. Luckily, Adam found an alternative way out, otherwise we might still be there. With more complaints from Luke about being tired, Adam went back to the car to grab the stroller and get some snacks. While he was gone, the boys and I found a little kids area, that had some coin operated trains, planes, and automobiles. Luke and Ryan had a blast on all the vehicles. It may have been the best 3 Euros we spent all day. Once Adam returned with the stroller, and a short drone break, we packed everyone up and walked over to the zoo. 

There were lots of animals lining the walkways, including a red panda, turtles, flamingos, and monkeys. We started making our way up the hill when Luke stated that he needed to go potty. While looking at a map to find the nearest bathroom, he took it upon himself to go right then and there, dropping his pants in the middle of the sidewalk. Thankfully, Adam picked up him and rushed him to the bathroom. They returned with snacks and some beverages. We kept walking up the hills, hoping to see more animals. There was promise of elephants, but to our disappointment, they were either still sleeping or staying cool in the shade. The temperature was definitely rising and we were sweating going up all the hills with the stroller. There was also the hunger factor, so we made our way to the exit, stopping to see a few more animals before we left. 

The town of Bojnice is very small, so we made it into the city center, and to the restaurant in no time. Restraucia pod Klenbami was the designated lunch spot today. Adam ordered the pork tenderloin in a mushroom sauce, I got a plate with salad, fries, and grilled camembert cheese, and we got a pizza to share. Lunch was a hit and everyone enjoyed everything, even the boys. Unfortunately for Adam, the pork was the favorite, so he had to give up about half of it to Luke and Ryan. Everyone was losing steam fast, so we left the restaurant and walked back to the car. To our dismay, the way back was quite steep. That seems to be a trend for us. 

The drive back was about the same, with a pit stop at a grocery store to pick up dinner. Since Adam missed out on the pork at lunch, he opted to get pork and veggies for dinner. Once we made it back to the Airbnb, the boys played outside for a bit while Adam prepped dinner. He even got a little fancy and made a reduction sauce. Everything was delicious! Now we are enjoying our last night in this Airbnb, getting the boys ready for bed, and contemplating a late night sauna for the adults. Tomorrow we head out to Lomnicky Stit! Hopefully the amazing weather stays.










































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