As the title of my blog implies (the kitsch part), I am a collector. I have mild hoarding aspirations that I attempt to disguise by portraying myself as a discerning collector of random, yet…
So I know that the time for year in review posts has come and long gone, but, like your hoarder neighbors who leave the Christmas wreath up until Spring, I too have put off…
While Vilnius, Lithuania is a destination known for its sprawling old town, abundance of churches, and quirky Užupis Republic, its well preserved examples of Soviet architecture is what enticed me most prior to our trip (and the…
My boss at my last job spent two years in the Peace Corps in Estonia in the 1990s, and when I told her my now husband and I were planning a trip to the…
I am a fledgling urban explorer. Urban exploration, or urbex in shorthand, is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation…
When you’re on a road trip (through the Baltics, or anywhere, really), one of the challenges in keeping things interesting is finding places to stop in between your destinations. I can say from experience…
On the first day of our road trip honeymoon through the Baltics (after leaving Tallinn, that is), David and I had quite a day planned – heading first to Lahemaa National Park, then on…
While the typical tourist kitsch of shot glasses and refrigerator magnets can be found on every street corner in Vilnius Old Town, shopping for the more discerning tourist proved to be a bit difficult.…
When travelers think of the Baltic States (if at all!), it’s usually of Tallinn and Riga, the relatively well-touristed capitals of Estonia and Latvia. We loved Tallinn and Riga, but in our time in the…
There is no question that Old Town has a lot to offer any tourist – from backpacker to cruiser just in port for the day. We arrived in Tallinn at the end of Summer,…