Amber: Not just a Playmate's name....

Having given little thought to amber (other than as an occasional preserver of prehistoric insects), it has come as a surprise to see that it's a big deal in Scandanavia and in the Baltic states. Evidently some of the biggest deposits of amber in the world are in the Baltic states and some of the major cities here were known in the middle ages for their amber artisans. Shop after shop beckons and assures one that yes! they do in fact have trinkets made of the hardened sap. Some cities here even have whole museums devoted to amber.

Latte, Chai, or Me?

The Art of the Segway

The use of the ultra-geeky Segway vehicle isn't just a Microsoft Campus phenomenon. Vilnius's old town has a whole fricking shop devoted to them. The top photo is a guy I saw zipping along Vilnius's sidewalks near my hotel.

Vilnius

Here are some pictures from my 5 days in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, neither lions nor tigers were on the menu, but the Olde Hansa restaurant in the heart of Tallinn did serve bear and other exotic dishes. It's a touristy restaurant decked out in medieval style with candlelight (forcing me to resort to my camera's flash for the entrees) and lively period music playing through a modern sound system. I went there for my last night's dinner in Tallinn.

Since the bear steak cost about $60 and I wasn't sure I'd like bear, I opted for the more moderately priced elk and wild boar filets. I also had honeyed dark beer, cinnamon light beer , and a nice cake for dessert.

Magic Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?

Seen in a Tallinn store.

Tallinn Snack

A panino and coffee at Robert's Coffee at the Vena Viru mall close to my hotel. Robert's Coffee is a big chain in Helsinki and probably migrated to Estonia as Tallinn's tourism industry grew.