As I mentioned in an earlier article, the food in Vilnius is great! Here is a selection of the food I've sampled. More to come later!

beef soup and honey wine

beef strips with onions in a cheese sauce and quince wine

potato pancakes filled with meat

Bartholomew Fair, Town Hall Square, Vilnius, Lithuania

The 24th of August is an important day for artisans in Vilnius because on that day in 1495 the Grand Duke Alexander acknowledged their skills. The Bartholomew Fair held at Town Hall Square commemorates this day with artisan's selling their goods, music, dancing, food, children's activities, and beer.

In general, I am always a big fan of festivals that celebrate cultural heritage. This festival did not disappoint. Though not a big festival, there were booths with every artisan imaginable; jewelers, potters, weavers, beer brewers and many more.

I arrived in Vilnius this past week and will be here for at least a two-year stay. Vilnius is an absolutely beautiful city, which seamlessly mixes old and new. While walking through a city park don’t be surprised if you stumble upon castle ruins.

Potatoes, cheeses, and breads make up the food staples. My favorite Lithuanian dish so far consists of potato balls stuffed with cheese and covered in the Lithuanian version of sour cream (similar to alfredo sauce but less cheesy). Grocery stores are conveniently located and carry items are inexpensive and fresh. Farmers markets are common.

Items to pack: fitted sheets, hair product (expensive here), plenty of plug converters.

Gediminas Tower

Yarn-bombing in Vilnius...Cool!

View of the city from Gediminas Tower

Gediminas Tower

Three Crosses

Vodka Icecream?!

Chocolate Dessert = Heaven

So, I travel a lot. By plane, by boat, by car, by bus, by foot and by about any other means you can think of. As you can imagine, I have had several “interesting” experiences that perhaps aren’t the most comfortable. For example, in Yunnan Province, China I have taken several mini-bus trips with a load of chickens on the lap of the person sitting next to me. Uncomfortable, but not terrible. Recently, on a plane from the US to Iceland, I sat next to a young couple with their lap child. Never my favorite seating arrangement. What made this even more special was that the couple changed their child’s dirty diapers (four times!?) while sitting in the seat next to me. Put simply, that was pretty gross and probably the least pleasant travel experience I have had.

My visit in New Orleans was centered around a conference I was attending, so I didn't anticipate having a ton of time to visit the city itself (too bad because what little I saw was beautiful!). I did; however, make time  to visit Cafe du Monde on 800 Decatur St. where I was able to sample delicious beignets that seem to be famous worldwide. (If you've never had a beignet before they can be compared to fried dough with powdered sugar from the east coast of the US.) They were so good and entering Cafe du Monde felt like I was walking back in time, and the waitresses with their uniforms certainly set the scene.

Black coffee and beignets-note the mountain of powdered sugar!

Have you been to Cafe du Monde?