Perusing PCV: Eurotripping

I am writing from a Bed & Breakfast in Warsaw, on the third of five stops of my two week trip. My graduation present from my mom was a trip of my choice, so after narrowing it down to India or Poland/Lithuania, we chose the latter. I am Polish and Lithuanian on her side, so it has been a bit of a heritage trip, although we weren't been able to bring any useful addresses with us- we just know that her grandparents were from Vilnius and Krakow. We added the other cities for personal interest, and to visit our family friend Jette. Here are some positive and negative highlights so far:

+++ Business Class for IAD --> Frankfurt --> Copenhagen and our return. As my mom said, I feel sorry for people who get to do this all the time! Stuffed myself silly (fo FREE) in the Lufthansa Business Lounge, used the remote to arrange my chair in about 13 different positions before takeoff, and completed one chapter of a Russian language learning program on my personal movie/game screen. Only expression I remember: "Da, bino!" ...Yes, wine! Oh, and enjoyed a three-course meal and plenty of champagne.

Copenhagen, Denmark:
+ Having Jette as a local tour guide
+ Meeting her ex-stepson (son of her first husband), who might be the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Originally from the Faroe Islands. I might move there.
- Didn't get a picture of him.
- Lots of rain.
+ Christiana is so so so cool/funny/unique. To give you an idea of the extreme hippie-ness, the majority of the tenants were originally squatters and they still don't pay rent, there is marijuana grown and smoked out in open (although much less than a few years ago apparently), and there was a "people's liberation" type mural in Spanish on one of the many painted walls. Felt straight out of a 60's LSD trip.

by one of the main restaurant streets by a main canal

entrance way to the former independent republic of Christiana

Vilnius, Lithuania:
- Plane was late and Bed & Breakfast hosts decided we must not be coming, so we were stranded for a while outside on the low-lit street of the B&B at 11pm. Not a comfortable start to our first few minutes in Eastern Europe.
+ Had way more to offer than we expected. St. Peter and St. Paul's Church was the most beautiful church either of us had ever seen, and between the two of us we have seen a number in Europe and Latin America.
+ We were lucky enough to be there on the night of their celebration of their 3rd place finish in the World Championship of Basketball (who knew?). Arrived at the Town Hall Square at around 8pm, celebration started around 9, and the team arrived around 10:30. Despite our best efforts to blend in, we became friends with/the joke of a group of locals who pulled us into their dance circles a lot.
-/+ Failed to get off at the right bus stop for the town and castle of Trakai, so ended up on the side of a random rural street, thinking the next bus wasn't coming for 3 hours. Luckily, we misunderstood the info and one came 10 minutes later. And the castle was awesome- artifacts from the 2nd century onwards.

inside the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. picture doesn't do it justice.

tell it, brother.

a later highlight of the night was singing "we are the champions."

stranded in rural Lithuania

Trakai

Warsaw, Poland:
+ Our 11th floor apartment has an incredible view of the city, and the B&B staff and guests are very nice and interesting. And it is located on Nowy Swiat, part of the "Royal Route" and one of the prettiest streets in Warsaw- restaurant central.
+ One of these days I am going to figure out how Europeans make their coffee that seems to be somewhere between espresso and our drip coffee. It's delicious. Insights, anyone?
+ Pierogi.
- I don't like red meat or mushrooms, which is making Eastern European menus pretty challenging for me. Apparently "mushrooming" in a very popular sport/pasttime in Poland and Lithuania. I did give in and eat the bacon on my pierogi though, and I don't regret it one bit.
- If you ever come to this city, do NOT bother visiting Praga, the formerly independent city across the water. While Zabkowska Street and the former Koneser Vodka Factory were on the Top 10 of Warsaw, we found them to be very unworthy of that title. We had wanted to find a place to sit and have a "wodka" drink (the factory is supposedly now a museum, but looked more like a deserted warehouse), but could only find one bar/restaurant on the entire main street. The next day, one of the B&B staff said she was shocked that another staffer recommended the area to us, since "the only reason you would go there is if you want to get robbed." Still, one bad sight out of everything so far is totally acceptable.