---

---

I've been using TripIt.com to organize specific travel plans, and a Google Docs spreadsheet to track details and compare options, but neither one of them works well at all as a trip-sharing platform to let other people know the obvious basic questions: where am I going, for how long, and why?

Without further ado:

Seattle, Washington - depart Aug 26

IcelandAir flight FI680 from Seattle to Reykjavik, 7 hours

Reykjavík, Ísland- Aug 27

• English name: Reykjavík, Iceland
  
• Language: Icelandic
  
• Time zone: GMT (UTC +0)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 55F high, 46F low
  
• 9-hour stopover en route from Seattle to Gdańsk
  
• Side trip: 4-hour Reykjavík Excursions tour to Blue Lagoon geothermal spa
  

Iceland Express flight AEU267 from Reykjavík to Gdańsk, 4 hours
(Operates on Fridays in summer only - this is the last flight of 2010 - wish me luck!)

Gdańsk, Polska - Aug 27 to 31

• English name: Gdańsk, Poland
  
• Language: Polish
  
• Time zone: CEST (UTC +2)
  
• Average temperatures: 75F high, 56F low
  
• Also known as: Danzig, Germany until 1945
  
• Staying at: Gotyk House
  
• Why it's interesting: German/Polish history & culture; Baltic beaches; very important WWII and Cold War sites; my Rehbein ancestors (probably) emigrated from Danzig, Prussia to USA in 1882
  
• Side trip: Malbork Castle
  

PKP train Pospieszny D7 from Gdańsk to Kaliningrad, 6 hours

Калининград, Россия - Aug 31 to Sep 4

• English name: Kaliningrad, Russia
  
• Language: Russian
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 69F high, 50F low
  
• Also known as: Königsberg, Prussia until 1945
  
• Staying at: Hotel Paraiso
  
• Why it's interesting: German/Polish/Russian history; Baltic beaches; WWI and WWII sites; parts of Kaliningrad were closed to foreigners during Cold War; geographically oddly disconnected from Russia today
  
• Side trip: Baltiysk (Pillau) and Svetlogorsk (Rauschen)
  

Belavia Belarusian Airlines flight B2-1950 from Kaliningrad to Minsk, 1 hour

Мiнск, Беларусь - Sep 4 to 8

• English name: Minsk, Belarus
  
• Languages: Belarusian, Russian
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperatures: 68F high, 47F low
  
• Staying at: Private apartment near main rail station
  
• Why it's interesting: WWII historical sites; Lee Harvey Oswald lived here 1959-1962; most "Soviet" culture of former USSR states
  
• Side trips: Khatyn; Mir Castle and Nesvizh Castle
  

Belavia Belarusian Airlines flight B2*-413 from Minsk to Riga, 1.5 hours

Rīga, Latvija - Sep 8 to 10

• English name: Riga, Latvia
  
• Language: Latvian
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 64F high, 48F low
  
• Staying at: Hotel Ekes Konvents
  
• Why it's interesting: Latvian/Slavic/Germanic/Russian cultural mix; Old town German Art Nouveau architecture; forcibly annexed to USSR in 1940; was among first Soviet states to declare independence, in 1991, leading to breakup of USSR; ethnic Russians remain a majority in many areas
  

airBaltic flight BT343 from Riga to Vilnius, 1 hour

Vilnius, Lietuva - Sep 10 to 13

• English name: Vilnius, Lithuania
  
• Language: Lithuanian
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 64F high, 46F low
  
• Staying at: Bernardinų B&B House
  
• Why it's interesting: Lithuanian/Polish culture; forcibly annexed to USSR in 1940; was the first Soviet state to declare independence, in 1990, leading to breakup of USSR; minority Russian exclaves remain
  
• Side trip: Kaunas
  

airBaltic flight BT331 from Vilnius to Tallinn, 1.5 hours

Tallinn, Eesti - Sep 13 to 15

• English name: Tallinn, Estonia
  
• Language: Estonian
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 60F high, 45F low
  
• Staying at: Valge Villa
  
• Why it's interesting: Russian/Scandinavian/Finnish cultural mix; forcibly annexed to USSR in 1940; was among first Soviet states to declare independence, in 1990-1, leading to breakup of USSR; minority Russian exclaves remain
  

Tallink Silja Line ferry Star/Superstar from Tallinn to Helsinki, 2 hours

Helsinki, Suomi - Sep 15 to 17

• English name: Helsinki, Finland
  
• Language: Finnish
  
• Time zone: EEST (UTC +3)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 56F high, 47F low
  
• Staying at: Hotelli Finn
  
• Why it's interesting: Finnish/Scandinavian/Russian cultures; ultramodern architecture, economy, infrastructure; interesting Cold War political history as a wedge between west & east
  

IcelandAir flight FI343 from Helsinki to Reykjavik, 3.5 hours

Reykjavík, Ísland- Sep 17 to 18

• English name: Reykjavík, Iceland
  
• Language: Icelandic
  
• Time zone: GMT (UTC +0)
  
• Average temperature on these dates: 51F high, 42F low
  
• Staying at: 1912 Guest House
  
• Why it's interesting: volcanoes! location between Seattle and Europe! irresistible IcelandAir fares!
  

IcelandAir flight FI681 from Reykjavik to Seattle, 8 hours

Seattle, Washington - return Sep 18

---