Rising to the occasion

St. Petersburg, Russia

It was with skepticism that we journeyed to the supermarket in search of a loaf of bread.

Visions from the ‘80s clouded my mind. All I could think of was massive queues in the snow and row after row of empty shelves. I feared that this was to be a brutal Russian rite of passage.

My fears proved to be unfounded: a wide selection of bread provided for a fine lunch.

One word: Fed.

Can’t blog. Eating.

Riga, Latvia

Pancakes are one the world’s best-known sources of satisfaction and Riga is the world’s best source of pancakes.

I love Riga because I love pancakes.

One word: Addicted.

The real thing

Minsk, Belarus

Quick quiz: the coke advertisement pictured, right, appeared in a capital city in which decade?

A) 1950s
B) 1970s
C) 2000s

Correct answer: C.

One word: Recycled.

Meet you at the McDonald’s on Lenin Boulevard?

Minsk, Belarus

A co-incidence or a “told you so” moment? The biggest McDonald’s in Minsk stands proudly on Lenin Boulevard. It was a photograph too delicious to miss.

One word: Triumphant.