Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Morning CC'ers
Today I find myself in what was once a the lovely Prussian capital City of Koningsberg, but since WW2 duly flattened it, has been a concrete Soviet jungle. Some will know that it was also the home of Immanuel Kant who has a museum just around the river-bend from the hotel in one of the few old buildings remaining. One often thinks of the obvious horrors of war, but that such a beatiful city as Konigsberg once was should be destroyed and replace witk Kaliningrad was a further crime.
Kaliningrad area is a small isolated triangle of Russia bordered by the Baltic, Lithuania and Poland.
My first impressions....
The modern airport served direct from Gatwick seemed buzzing, the immigration slow but not unbearable, the system worked. There were buckets everywhere, it seems the building leaks...
Leaving the hotel at 0745 this morning, the drive to the factory from the city is about 20 minutes, the factory being in a slightly wooded area (silver birch) on the edge of town where there are some big detached houses. Driving out, the city looks grim. Of course it's dark and damp, not much street lighting, row apon row of large concrete Soviet tenament buildings built in the 50/60's, traffic heavy, many people standing in the gloom, heavily coated and hatted (it's not too cold this morning) awaiting the bus, squeezing themselves into heavily laden trams or shepherding their kids along the road. Compared to the splendour that was once Konigsberg before WW2, Kaliningrad is a pretty grim concrete place. Last night my driver told me not to venture out unless by taxi, and definately don't walk from the hotel (the best in town) drunkenness and violence amongst youths in the city at night is high (so it'll feel like home then...) as are levels of HIV apparently. There is a BMW car plant here and some other heavy industry as well as much food processing and shipping. The area is an "Economic development area" and there are new modern commercial centres being built and executive appartments. Not far away are forests and typical Baltic coast beaches.
I was informed by colleagues that the women are very atttractive and dress in a certain "chic" I can see that's true, there are certainly a lot of attractive girls in the office here that manage to "catwalk" up and down at regular intervals, I'm glad it's winter and they're covered-up, apparently the summer collection was something to see!
Saw exactly zero cycle commuters this morning.
While I was sat in the office, the sun slowly rose above the houses and trees like a large fireball, almost everybody stopped working and several stood at the full-length tinted window just to watch it rise into a clear Baltic sky. I took a photo. After the grey damp darkness, the bright sun is such a contrast. It is moments like these that make the travelling life worthwhile.
Last week was heavy snow, now long gone, it's going to be quite warm today.
Have fun y'all.
Today I find myself in what was once a the lovely Prussian capital City of Koningsberg, but since WW2 duly flattened it, has been a concrete Soviet jungle. Some will know that it was also the home of Immanuel Kant who has a museum just around the river-bend from the hotel in one of the few old buildings remaining. One often thinks of the obvious horrors of war, but that such a beatiful city as Konigsberg once was should be destroyed and replace witk Kaliningrad was a further crime.
Kaliningrad area is a small isolated triangle of Russia bordered by the Baltic, Lithuania and Poland.
My first impressions....
The modern airport served direct from Gatwick seemed buzzing, the immigration slow but not unbearable, the system worked. There were buckets everywhere, it seems the building leaks...
Leaving the hotel at 0745 this morning, the drive to the factory from the city is about 20 minutes, the factory being in a slightly wooded area (silver birch) on the edge of town where there are some big detached houses. Driving out, the city looks grim. Of course it's dark and damp, not much street lighting, row apon row of large concrete Soviet tenament buildings built in the 50/60's, traffic heavy, many people standing in the gloom, heavily coated and hatted (it's not too cold this morning) awaiting the bus, squeezing themselves into heavily laden trams or shepherding their kids along the road. Compared to the splendour that was once Konigsberg before WW2, Kaliningrad is a pretty grim concrete place. Last night my driver told me not to venture out unless by taxi, and definately don't walk from the hotel (the best in town) drunkenness and violence amongst youths in the city at night is high (so it'll feel like home then...) as are levels of HIV apparently. There is a BMW car plant here and some other heavy industry as well as much food processing and shipping. The area is an "Economic development area" and there are new modern commercial centres being built and executive appartments. Not far away are forests and typical Baltic coast beaches.
I was informed by colleagues that the women are very atttractive and dress in a certain "chic" I can see that's true, there are certainly a lot of attractive girls in the office here that manage to "catwalk" up and down at regular intervals, I'm glad it's winter and they're covered-up, apparently the summer collection was something to see!
Saw exactly zero cycle commuters this morning.
While I was sat in the office, the sun slowly rose above the houses and trees like a large fireball, almost everybody stopped working and several stood at the full-length tinted window just to watch it rise into a clear Baltic sky. I took a photo. After the grey damp darkness, the bright sun is such a contrast. It is moments like these that make the travelling life worthwhile.
Last week was heavy snow, now long gone, it's going to be quite warm today.
Have fun y'all.
in Jeans and very buckled/strappy boots (bandage fashion anybody?) to little make-up, smart office hairdo, chic "intelligent looking" glasses, tall pointy suede knee length boots and a very tight and fairly short dress affair... chuffin' heck! This lass is catwalk quality, no doubt, what a strut 
. There are a few others looking a bit sassier than yesterday. Can't wait for tomorrow!
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