I still find it weird every time I walk past the sign saying Minsk this way. Minsk seems like another world, it's impossible to think it's only a few miles away. There are so many odd, interesting and entertaining things here. I think the time difference is the thing that's thrown me most. It's only two hours but it means things like I've been out for hours and am exhausted and ready to come home for the evening yet it's only early afternoon back home. Or I've been sitting around watching TV and writing up my day but I can't phone home because everyone's still at work.

Well, Trakai is a town in the middle of five lakes and is apparently an easy day trip by bus. The guidebook even suggests making it your base in Lithuania instead of Vilnius. I could get the train to Kaunas, which is the second city but it's an hour and a half away and doesn't look nearly as pretty as Trakai. Not to mention the fact that the station is a fairly huge distance from the city itself.

The thing is, he kind of is. One glass of wine a week and a bottle of beer once in a blue moon. And besides, I'm taking everything as hand luggage and thus am restricted to 100ml of all liquids/gels etc. Even getting it at the airport on the other side of security isn't an option because I have to do it all over again in Brussels.