Monument to the Battle of the Nations
Also known in German as Völkerschlachtdenkmal, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations commemorates the 1813 epic battle where Napolean was defeated by the combined armies of Russia, Prussia,…
E-Scooter Sanity
E-scooter rentals have exploded, where Lime, Bird, Bolt and others have made it incredibly simple to rent-and-go. E-scooters have also become a scourge as many riders don't abide by traffic…
Priority Pacifier?
Or perhaps you get priority if traveling with a pacifier? As seen at the Vilnius airport.
Let’s Play Office!
Did you ever play School as a child, perhaps with your sister as a teacher and you and your siblings as the students? Or raided your mother's pantry for canned…
Random Learnings #51
Though evidence is inconclusive and reasoning disputed, Khrushchev may have proposed that the Kaliningrad enclave become part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Lithuanian leader Sniečkus declined because over…
Berlin Never Forgets
Berlin obviously is a city steeped in history: everywhere you look you'll see a marker, monument, building, or something else that's meaningful. I doubt anyone is surprised. However, this street…
Paternoster Failure II
Twice I've attempted to ride a paternoster lift (elevator); twice I've failed. My first attempt was Stuttgart, Germany City Hall which has a working paternoster. Unfortunately, our arrival corresponded to…
Random Learnings #50
Sovetsk, Russia is part of the Kalingrad enclave, physically separated from mainland Russia. It's even further separated from mainland Russia as planes can no longer fly over the Baltics but…
From Here I Can See Russia!
Sarah Palin is often misquoted as saying I can see Russia from my house! - thank you, Tina Fey - but I can say I saw Russia from my rental…
Does Anyone Know What Floor This Is?
On left, elevator buttons in my hotel in Kaunus; on right, Vilnius. See any difference? Universally - until my visit to Kaunus - ground floors are Floor 0 in Europe…