#LocalCuisine Archives - Where Next, Baby?

September 27, 2025September 27, 2025

Dos and Don’ts When Exploring the Former Eastern Bloc

Do schedule a date during the Moldova wine festival Chișinău is a great place to start a former Eastern Bloc tour. It’s a charming city. But the first weekend in October, which coincides with the end of the grape harvest, is its annual wine festival. More than 100 wineries – of the estimated 200 in …

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September 27, 2025September 27, 2025

Russia Looms Large in Former Eastern Bloc

Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland It’s been nearly a year since our trip through several former Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries. Despite that, the region’s overriding concern remains what we witnessed firsthand: the quickly escalating threat of the Soviet Union’s corpse and former KGB and current Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intent to violently resurrect …

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September 6, 2025September 27, 2025

Americans Are Descending On Greenland

When Pittsburgh started direct flights to Iceland in 2017, everybody and their brother went to Iceland. Stop a Pittsburgher in the street and if they haven’t been to Iceland, they know someone who has or they're planning to go. Average traveling Americans typically won’t go through the hassle or have the vacation time for multiple …

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September 6, 2025September 27, 2025

Greenland: What not to expect

Don’t expect the Northern Lights The sun does not set from May 25th to July 25th, and it stays visible throughout the entire day and night. June to August are the summer months and the best time to visit. Expect temps in the 40s that feel like the 20s with the wind, which is often wicked. …

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July 30, 2025September 27, 2025

Marvelous Minneapolis

The purple city Minneapolis did not burn down in 2020. Nevertheless, it was significantly damaged during the riots following the murder of a black man by police. But by summer 2024, those scars only showed themselves as some vacant lots near the site of the murder. It was again a vibrant city, and more than …

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July 30, 2025September 27, 2025

Minneapolis Rocks – and not just the music!

The towering dragon boat outside U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings

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June 8, 2024September 27, 2025

Spring in the Baltics: Casting a Nervous Eye to the East

The canola was in its spring bloom in the Baltics in May. The vast fields of vivid yellow against the brilliant blue sky created a natural Ukrainian flag. Yellow and blue flags are omnipresent across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The Balts are incensed and frightened by Russia’s unwarranted war against their fellow former Soviet state. …

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May 28, 2023September 27, 2025

Latvia beats US to win bronze in world ice hockey championship

"Latvia! Latvia! Latvia!" By chance we are at the Dome Square in the Old Town of Riga as the Latvian national hockey team beats the team from the United States in the world hockey tournament! Even though our team lost we were delighted to be part of this excited crowd! Check out our video: https://youtu.be/Ynkyd4PSj0k

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March 22, 2023September 27, 2025

Passage through Patagonia: breathtaking sights from a special tour

Patagonia is one of the most dramatically beautiful places on earth.

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March 8, 2023September 27, 2025

Encountering Crime in Chile: A Lesson Re-Learned

It was bound to happen sooner or later. In our case, it was later. After decades of safe international travel to more than 70 countries, we had a violent encounter. Walking down a sunny street in Santiago, Chile, mid-day in a nice neighborhood, we felt safe. Big mistake. And we should have known better. I …

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