Welcome to Estonia

Tere,
Between Riga and Tallinn the road is only one lane in each direction and they were doing construction, so that meant one lane for both directions so constant stop and go as the oncoming traffic passes... fairly painful
The people here are the greatest people in the world.... this Estonian couple my age walked a group of four of us (2 brits and 2 americans) from the bus stop all the way to our 2 different hotels, which was completely out of our way just because they wanted to be nice. Seriously I love the people here... the cities may be small but the people are so wonderful
Tallinn is a tiny city but walking the old town I feel as if I am in some medieval fotress of some sort... its weird but great, so old and beautiful.
My hostel is kinda funky and has this homely feel and there is sign that they are looking for workers... so I will be enquiring soon and hopefully never coming home... well never may be a bit extreme... but one can dream...
Head aega!

Welcome to Latvia

So a few first impressions...
Riga is a big city compared to Vilnius and a lot more tourist...
In the main park along the canal all the locals do is make out, anytime, anywhere and in front of anyone
Things here are a little more expensive...
The beer and food are not as good as Lithuanian cuisine...
The bus here from Klaipeda... was like a slow boat to China we stopped at every park bench that they call a bus station out in these parts and there were no highways it took about 6 hours to go maybe 150-175 miles. We never got over 40mph I swear...
Uz Redzesans

Gucci

A last few thoughts...

So I am leaving Lithuania soon...
Why does every women over the age of 35 think its the coolest thing ever than an American comes to Lithuania but any girl my age thinks I'm weird... I feel like Bros
Why does every girl my age wear American stuff but dislike Americans... weird
Why do they not have the Svyturys dark beer on tap at more bars...
Why has American jazz become so popular everywhere I go in Eastern Europe?
Why do they not have any late night drunk kebab stands??
To bed and Latvia tomorrow...

Beer!

So the past few days I've been on the Lithuanian coast. To a few small vacation towns on the coast. The beach here is really beautiful however the wind whips off the Baltic Sea and it is pretty chilly. However I can imagine what some of these party towns are like when it is warm here, I cant imagine that is very long though.
So a quick review of some beer. Utenos and Kalnapis are rather popular mass produced lagers that dont offer anything too special. However they are much more flavorful and beerlike than your standard Bud or Coors.
My favorite beer has been Svuturys
The lager and standard beer Svuturys is very good... kinda has a Czech beer taste and full body style. I could definitely enjoy one of these regularly back home. Very smooth and still full bodied beer with hint of bitter overtones. Rather refreshing after walking a few miles...
The Baltas or white ale is your standard hefeweisen in color and consistancy however it is a little sharper and stronger in taste than a Blue Moon or Americna microbrew. A much more beer flavor and less fruity Whit, I'm generally not a fan of Whits but I was rather impressed with this.
The Degintas or Dark porter has been my favorite so far. The porter is actually not very popular here so it was pretty good treat to get in on tap in Nida. It is very similar in taste the Rocky River Brew Co. porter but the taste is much stronger and harsher. The beer has very little coffee overtones and a the perfect amount of chocolate malt to make your lips beg for another sip... This is the beer if I could choose I would take back to the US it is different enough that I believe Americans would pay the premium to get it.
Dinner today consisted of a cod fish topped with bacon. The bacon here is served on almost everything and it is cut into thick chuncy bits... very good! I also tried the potato sausage which is described as "pig insides stuffed with mashed potatos and deep fried" Seeing how I dont like mashed potatos and I cant imagine pig insides are very god... I was pretty ipressed.
I'm off to a little expat microbrew here tonight and to take in what is widely known as the finest jazz club in Lithuania... its not New Orleans but I'll take it

Traditional Lithuanian Food

So today and last night was rather uneventful, the thrill of being in Europe again and seeing Vilnius quickly wore away. I wandered a little beyond old town to the old Jewish ghetto and to a suburb across the river... Vilnius ends quickly and the beauty of old town is quickly overrun by rundown buildings that look like they havent been repaired since a bomb hit them in WWII.
Anyway... anyone who knows me knows I love beer and food... so here's a quick rundown of my European fair
Tues in London
Traditional English Breakfast with Canadaian bacon, sausage, fried eggs, chips (fries) and toast and a Stella... not bad, way too american and $20
Wed: Smoked pigs ear(the same thing my dog used to eat), Zempelins (minced meat stuffed boiled potatos with a mushroom cream sauce) and Smoked Ham Hock with saur kraut and salad. The zempelins are very traditional but disappointing. The pigs ear... taste like smoke and has the texture of an ear... u can imagine. Ham hock was your standard Flinstones style East European hunk of meat. That cost like $12 with 2 beers.
Today: Deef fried lithuanian bread with garlic cheese sauce.. a great beer snack here kinda like fries back home. Lithuanian Ravioli, minced mean stuffed ravioli in a bacon cream sauce... good stuff. And some rasberry gelati for dessert. All that for about $11 including two beers. A had a doner kebab for lunch... i know gelati and kebabs arent exactly Lithuanian but they are everywhere in Europe and no where in the US.
After my tour of the Lithuanian coast is done... I will discuss the beer selections... Very impressed by the beer so far...

A typical Tuesday night in Lithuania

Labas!
So last night I promptly go to the bar after arriving, get the 'ole recommendation from the hostel worker... Brodujuvs or Broadways...
So I venture out at about midnight... the town is dead, it is a Tuesday.
Find the bar eventually(which is harder said than done when u wander a European capital alone for the first time at midnight) ... 5 lita cover (exchange rate 2.75lt=$1). So ya $2 cover, and it gets you a free beer... unbelievable. Before entering I get the old pat down search by an extremely large Lithuanian police officer. Then the awkward sit alone at a table with beer for a while till some Lithuanians ask if they can sit down. Turns out they are with their American born cousin from Boston, who now lives in Bangkok. So we chatted about life and Lithuania and the American could translate so it worked out well.
There were also some Americans here visiting their friend an American who moved to Vilnius a few years back. So we all partied and danced the night away with some beautiful east european women...
The best part is on a Tuesday night the bar/club was packed... I'm talking Berea Paninis on a Thurs packed for you B-W people but with 20-30 yr olds. And unlike much of the eastern europe I've seen (prague, krakow, budapest) here people are super nice. Lithuanian girls are gorgeous... and love to dance/talk to English speaking Americans :)


So today I wandered the city... I think somewhere between the medieval buildings, Baroque churches, rundown shanties and grafiti filled walls... theres a charm here. Unlike Prague and Krakow its not perfect, Vilnius just seems real, its not a fairy tale. It has its moments of beauty... like the medieval Gates of Dawn and Old Town Vilnius University. The old town almost has a Prague feel for a block or two. The highlight of the day had to be the old KGB museum. Its pretty ridiculous what those Soviets did to Lithuanians...
Time for some authenic Lithuanian cuisine...

A very long 25hours...

Good Day,
So Im here, Lithuania that is... its been a long day...
Quickly The good:
Im here in one piece, no major flight or baggage issues
Gatwick airport has a great place to lay down and sleep free of charge... glad i packed the pillow
The Hapshow on the ipod
Im about to have a beer...
The bad:
20min after owens dropped me off one of the straps to my backpack busted, so its not really functioning... havent figured out what to do abotu that issue yet... gotta love cheap ebay shit
Both flights were very long and uncomfortable... i didnt sleep a wink on either one
Gatwick airport made me feel like i never left the USA, sunglass hut and US travel stores and mcd's everywhere... not good
Enough...
Cheers!
Gucci

Pearl Jam

What an amazing way to spend my last night in Cleveland. Great concert... Eddy, Mike, Stone, Jeff, Matt and Boom really rocked out...
I quick quote from the show... I think its appropriate, Eddy explained this song a bit before playing it and it really hit home...
"For the lights of this city
They only look good when I'm speeding
Gonna leave 'em all behind me
Cause this time

I'm gone

Long gone
This time I'm letting go of it all
So long
Cause this time I'm gone"
~GONE

Peace Love
Gucci

The TENTATIVE itenirary... (subject to change)

So after numerous recommendations I thought a blog would help everyone and anyone keep track of my randomness throughout Europe.
So the map shows the 'ole itenirary. It was well planned out till my cousin had to go to Ukraine with his wife early and I heard about this little soccer tournament in Germany I figured I should attend.
But heres the rundown (with a few links to explain my random destination choices)
May 21st-- Owens drops me off at Toronto Airport
Arrive in London, 5 hrs later fly to Vilnius, Lithuania
http://www.vilnius-airport.lt/index.php?lang=en&id=168
Vilnius
Klaipeda, Lithuania & the Curonian Spit
http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/apsamogitia/LANKYTINOS_VIETOS/nerija.en.htm
Riga, Latvia
Tallinn, Estonia
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/travel/22tallinn.html
St. Petersburg, Russia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_alphabet As if not knowing the language wasnt enough, they use a different alphabet
Helsinki, Finland
Fly to see my cousin in Zurich, Switzerland
Travel around the Swiss Alps for a week and half and visit with my cousin and family
The plan is to spend a night in Interlaken and Gimmelwald
http://www.gimmelwald.com/
Then a short visit to the Swiss/German border before taking a World Cup game in Stuttgart (Tunisia vs. Espana).
http://www.andechs.de/englisch/brauerei/ This ones for you Zoc
http://www.tuebingen.de/en/1560.html
Munich, Germany (for another world cup game.... not sure if I will attend but you never know)
A day trip to beautiful Salzburg, Austria... the home of Mozart (as we all know from Amadeus in 7th grade)
Then a trip up the romantic road (alone...ironic)
http://www.romanticroad.com/rothenburg/sights.htm
And finally on to Frankfurt to catch the $25 flight from Frankfurt to Bergamo, Italy
Milan, Italy ... A perfect destination for MR. Fashionable here
Torino, Italy
Nice, France and the French Riviera
Monaco
Cannes, France... just for you Slagor and your film festival, which I will miss of course
Marseille, France
Barcelona, Spain ... Its not Prague but they do have ABSINTHE!
And if I make it... back to London and back reluctantly back to Toronto

Then I dont have a job but you know what who cares bc it will be a hell of trip and I'll be exhausted so why not do nothing for a while till I'm broke. But if all goes well i will miss that flight home from London and just fade off into oblivion...

Peace Love
Gucci