Back In The USSR

Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure

Hello! This episode is a little unusual. See, it's occurred to me that in the spring of 2014, I did a backpacking trip around the western edges of what when I was growing up was the Soviet Union. And it seemed like an apt time to talk about it, given not only events in that region at the time of recording, but also considering the background to the current situation in the region pretty much effectively started only a month or two before my trip. My visit took me from Romania, which doesn't count for this pod so I haven't mentioned it save in passing, into Moldova and Transnistria, then a hop into Ukraine, followed by trains to Belarus and then Lithuania. I would say: I'm giving you this travelogue as a memorial of more peaceful times, but as we shall hear, that was not the case. Topics discussed include: * Twitter Spaces update & the disappearence of Episode Numbers * Soon I will have a newsletter! * Background to my 2014 trip to Eastern Europe * An overview of trains in the ex-USSR * A couple of days in Chisinau, Moldova * One full day in Tiraspol, Transnistria * Why I didn't go to Odesa * Kyiv after the revolution * How Minsk (Belarus) didn't look as I expected it to * The World Ice-Hockey Championships * My first career-break-era mental health crash * How I found Vilnius (Lithuania) relaxing and pleasant * Why I was barefoot in Vilnius * Notes from a much smaller international train * Surviving on potatoes and cabbage A PDF transcript of this episode is available. As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. The pod has a Facebook group you can join, too. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over. Until next time, bye for now. :)