I've enjoyed the Baltics

I had breakfast at my 5* hotel. What makes it 5* I don't know, though the room and the appearance of the place was good. But that aside it was no better than any other hotel and I first had to move traffic cones that blocked off my carpark exit. Then the barrier wouldn't let me (and at least one other guest) out without going to reception to pay a €5 ransom. I was thinking of calling in Jimmy Carter to rescue me but the manager weakened. The other had already got out when I got to the barrier. Apparently another gratuitous service I have delivered to mankind.

The south piece of Latvia and the North bit of Lithuania were still very rural. Not so much forest, which was mainly replaced by fields, mainly of grain I think, stretching as far as the eye could see. Got me thinking of the UK with all those hedges, which I suppose from the Enclosure Acts of which I know nothing at all.

I was surprised to see storks in the fields. I had only previously seen them in pictures on tubs in the margarine shelves and I have seen their nests on the top of lamp posts in Austria.

That one was not one of mine but it could have been his sister.

Somewhere along the way I spotted a trolley bus in one of the towns we traversed, though I saw little of towns. Anyway, it was raining. Took me back to Liverpool in the 1960s when they had just replaced old fashioned trams. Plus ca change...

I found Riga a bit disappointing for no easily-defined reason: it was OK but didn't grab me like Tallinn. Vilnius is a return to form!.

About 2000 I had decided to sack Honeywell's travel agent - Thomas Cook I think _ and went to the market to test applicants for the contract. One of our (dodgy) salesmen had just done a (dodgy) deal with a (dodgy) bank in Russia. Why we were dealing with Russia - normally only just UK and Ireland - I forget, but our agent had made a mess of the travel arrangements. This must have been the era of Glasnost so my cunning plan including flying someone and finding a hotel in Vilnius, a city I had never previouly heard of. Well, they were very confident and their plan pleased me. They did not suggest the Urbihop hotel where I currently reside but I imagine this was not built until approc 2024!

I arrived just after lunchtime and headed for the Old Town and found the Cafe Montmartre and a lot of interesting old streets.

At first I thought this was a wedding, then a photo-opp for members of Vilnius town council. Too young and good-looking to be councillors and to prove it, passers-by were clapping. Decided it was a graduation event.

That's enough for today. Oh, a couple of bits. My hotel is next to a massive new sports centre, seen from my 6th floor bedroom window.

The corridor outside is funky, like me.

And while I was not especially eager to pay the tourist tax of €2 I agreed with the idea. About time we did similar in London

Saved me having to do the translating for you.

And I saw this today in Vilnius

Put there by the Mayor. He also doctored a signpost ro Minsk saying "Occupied by Kremlin" and named the street outside the Russian Embassy "Ukraine Heroes Street".

That'll do for today. A drink and a light dinner calls me. A Polished contribution from Poland tomorrow