The Kaunas waiter also actively discouraged me from ordering the vegan cepelinai alternative: "It's just not good!" Probably true...but amazing Baltic bluntness!

Berneliu Uzeiga, London: ‘A Lithuanian experience I’d rec... This friendly, noisy place offers a lively jaunt through the spirit(s) of eastern Europe

Fun review by @seamas.bsky.social of Bernelių Užeiga. I went to their Kaunas restaurant, where we were bluntly told that we'd ordered too much. The waiter was correct! Šaltibarščiai as "eggy Gaviscon" is genius but I think my ancestors would be offended! observer.co.uk/style/restau...

I'm looking for some examples of free or subsidised outdoor activity opportunities for people (youth and especially adults, since there seem to be fewer schemes) *in the UK* for an article. All suggestions welcome! Thank you!

Next round! Thanks AIPS Sport Media Awards and @thefence.bsky.social

Alpine Club expedition 2028?

Two of the Artemis II astronauts are keen climbers. Are they building up to some future lunar first ascents? 🤔

Thanks to the AIPS Sport Media Awards for shortlisting my
@thefence.bsky.social feature In the Shadow of the Mountain.

Great workshop on Unmanned Systems in Mountain Warfare by the NATO MWCoE. "UAS fundamentally transform command, manoeuvre and protection - integration, dispersion, and counter-UAS measures are critical for survivability and effectiveness on the modern battlefield, especially in mountainous terrain."

Lviv, June 2025 and today following a Russian drone attack. I saw the news and immediately remembered the beautiful afternoon light on the monastery and surrounding historic UNESCO buildings.

The IWMF, who supported our Ukraine trip last June, has been designated as an "undesirable" organisation by Russian authorities for supporting journalists to report on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. www.iwmf.org/2026/03/iwmf...

A magical trip to Uganda with WildPlaces Africa. Still processing thoughts to put it all into words, so here are some images to do the talking.

Thanks to the AIPS Sport Media Awards for longlisting my @thefence.bsky.social feature In the Shadow of the Mountain.

Looking for scientists working on conservation projects on the front lines of endangered species research and recovery with strong human angles (overcoming obstacles, challenges etc.) for a potential film project. Based anywhere. Baby Bornean Orangutan photo for attention/timeline cleanse. Thanks!

A woman was researching her late husband's family but became stuck. She saw my post in a Lithuanian genealogy group, noting similar names/places. I realised that my gt-gt-grandmother and her husband's grandmother were sisters and shared birthplace/details. A good day on the internet!

“I hope that we will achieve our final victory. We’ll get our warriors back home and our children will grow up and continue building a democratic state.” [7/7]

"If our leadership does not change, there will be no future. Even despite all the sacrifices that Ukrainians are now giving to the state, defending it. If we change, and we love, and we honour veterans, then my daughters will have a future, and Ukraine will have a future." [6/7]

"The very best future, that this will end soon, peace will come to Ukraine, and all the forests will be cleared of mines, and Ukraine will become the safest country in the world." [5/7]

"We definitely want the war to be over. We definitely would like some more certainty in our lives. But now, we don't have it. So definitely tomorrow." [4/7]

"That soon everything will end, and we will be able to live peacefully, freely, as before. We will clear our land so that it can be plowed, planted, walked on safely, and breathe freely. I hope for freedom." [3/7]

"A big hope for victory, big hope for families, that we will be working and living in peace, and that we will be living in a country without this war. We hope for a successful future. We hope that Ukraine will win and we will finally find peace." [2/7]

Four years of war. During our reporting trip to Ukraine last summer, I asked people about their hopes for the future of the country. It felt futile to ask the same, unoriginal question, but each person had their own unique wishes and shared a nuanced interpretation. [1/7]

No context Epstein files: "Dud you see your pal Andrew on the News last night climbing down the London skyscraper? Crazy! They make the Royals work to hard over there."

What is SkiMo, the new Winter Olympic Sport in Milano-Cortina 2026? - The British Mountaineering Council Ski mountaineering — or SkiMo for short — will make its Olympic debut at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. As qualification heats up and the GB SkiMo Squad progress through the ranks, here’s a loo...

Ski mountaineering makes its Winter Olympics debut today at Milano Cortina 2026. Last year, I wrote a short explainer for the British Mountaineering Council on the format and the ones to watch. www.thebmc.co.uk/en/what-is-s...

Edinburgh scenes from the last few months.

I lost my translation job to AI last month: "There will be no more human translations." Not even post-AI proofreading. Eek.

Vienna.

Кохана ветерана Азову загинула, захищаючи Азовсталь. Тепер він виховує її дочок

My story for @pravda.ua has just been published in Ukrainian. life.pravda.com.ua/society/koha...

@natalie-berry.com is gazing on our Wonderwall

Optimistic Lithuania puts Britain to shame Thriving despite the shadow of Russia, the Baltic state never took a holiday from history

"Unlike us, Lithuanians never took a holiday from history." Researching my ancestors' stories - from the closest who lived under and then fled the Russian Empire, to those who endured deportations and loss under the USSR - has been a very valuable history lesson. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

An Azov veteran's girlfriend died defending Azovstal. Now he's raising her daughters "The girls could have ten Uncle Mykolas, but they only have one mother," Mykola Ivanchenko told Maryna Aleksiuk in February 2022. She was defending Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks from the Russian sieg...

New work for Ukrainska Pravda. A story that reverses the situation faced by many military families in Ukraine: a father left behind, grieving the loss of his soldier-partner while raising the daughters she entrusted to him: "I love you, take care of the children." www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles...