10 minutes away. New and trendy with an up-tempo vibe, the place was populated by young professionals, many sipping wine from the extensive list.

Since this trip had been a spontaneous one, I secured a table and took advantage of the Internet access to plot the rest of my Baltic adventure. I was soon flattered to look up from my laptop and see a 30-something blonde on approach. Her name was Elana, and after chatting, I invited her to join me for dinner. While the wine and food were quite good, the conversation was so much better. The joys of traveling unencumbered.

The first thing I learned from my dinner companion was that Vilnius is home to a monument of Frank Zappa. Apparently, the rock legend's anti-establishment antics had earned him quite a cult following in the Soviet Bloc countries. As the bust of Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan, and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen's dad was near the Vilnius Novotel, I put a visit to his likeness on my Vilnius to-do list.

Strolling around town the next morning, I was struck by extremely fashionable, tall, blonde women who seemed to be everywhere. Is it the crossroads of German, Scandinavian, and Russian genetic heritage? Is it proof that beauty can thrive even in the most repressive regimes? I don't know, but the natural beauty of the women of Vilnius is indisputable. Even more surprising to this geeky car guy, after realizing I was an American with a camera, many of them approached me to talk and pose for photos.