A last meal in the Slovak capital, this one at the home of my pals Timo and Petra Krizka. That’s roast lamb, pork loin, purple potatoes, and bulgur salad with feta and strawberries. On the side: homemade white wine. I really cannot emphasize enough what a great time I had in Slovakia. I made friends I will have for the rest of my life, and I cannot wait to go back. You should go too.

And here is my first meal in Czechia (it’ll always be the Czech Republic to me): duck confit, dumpling, cabbage, and beer at Brevnov Monastery brewery and restaurant. The original monastery was founded here in the 10th century. There are a handful of Benedictine monks left, but mostly it’s a hotel and brewpub. It’s basically the Platonic ideal of a Rod Dreher restaurant. I’ve said that if I win the lottery, I’m going to build and run a pub called The Battered Gargoyle. It’s going to look a lot like this place. That’s my friend Ondrej Kutarna, a publisher of The Benedict Option in Czech. Tomorrow is my last full day here. I have interviews for my next book with the Benda family, as well as former Charter 77 spokesman (and Czech Defense Minister, and Ambassador to the US) Alexandr Vondra. I’m beyond thrilled to be talking to these heroes of the Czech resistance.