All around Vladikavkaz, you'll find these mobile coffee kiosks. They seem to be open 24/7 (or at least stay open very late). The coffee is really good. Prices are reasonable.

Overall, the city is very pleasant. Lots of old buildings, plenty of lush greenery. In the evening, the center feels very cozy, with crowds of people strolling around. Tons of cafes and eateries with delicious food. But I'll tell you more about the food separately.

But at least you can taste ready-made dishes in stores :)

This is what lunch looks like. The guys don't know how to cook and they hold the meat over the fire mostly for show. It's completely raw inside, but who cares?

Along with the meat, there's some kind of weird flour paste. Looks completely inedible, but they're fine with it.

PS. They fed this same meat to a kid in front of us who was maybe a year and a half old, max. The little guy didn't like the meat and spit it on the ground. An adult picked up the piece, blew the dirt off it, and put it back in the kid's mouth 🙈

This is what lunch looks like around here (~ 240 rubles). The meat portions are ridiculously small. And it's like this everywhere I've been (maybe I just don't know how to choose properly). But there's way too much rice or potatoes.

One of the coolest spots in the city is the fish market. Fresh-caught seafood and all kinds of fish are brought in throughout the day. The fishing boat captain sells the catch at auction, it goes to regular vendors, and then finally to the end consumer.

Sometimes the fish you buy doesn't go home with you—instead, you cross the street where specially trained folks will cook it for you, and you can eat it right away.

Taking photos at the market is tricky though. The local security guards see a camera and immediately swoop in: "Hey, what are you photographing? No way, stop right now!" And then they offer to sell you permission for a "photo session." They'll even print you a receipt :)

I tried to get away without permission, but ended up having to spend some cash. The "permission" comes with a guide included—one of those same security guards. He wasn't much help, except for one time when he shooed away a beggar. To be fair, that was literally the only beggar I saw all day.

The atmosphere is incredible. The real action happens early in the morning, but it's interesting even during the day.

If you're in Amsterdam, check out Rob Wigboldus Fishmonger. They've got amazing herring there.

As for me, I'll wander around the city a bit more in this lovely drizzle and strong wind, then head home :)

upd. While looking for food, I chatted with a Lebanese restaurant owner. He says this rush is connected to the holidays. Many locals go around to restaurants to celebrate. That's why you need to book well in advance for these days. On other days, there are no such problems.

Turns out you can't just walk into any restaurant in central Segovia. If Google's rating shows 4.2+, everywhere there's this massive crowd hanging around the bar, and you can only get into the actual restaurant with a reservation. There simply aren't enough tables for everyone.

If you ask about booking for tomorrow, they apologize at length but say everything's booked up for tomorrow too.

Why is there always fresh, delicious, affordable bread in Europe, but back home you have to struggle?
(1 euro is for 5 pieces, not one)

It's January, winter, but oranges are ripening all over Spain. This is a garden at the Toledo Cathedral. The staff is so unhurried about collecting even the fallen fruit that some have already started to rot.

The local Spanish oranges from an ordinary store taste absolutely amazing (I hope the harvesting for sale is done more carefully :) ). You won't find a flavor like that in Moscow even at fancy food courts.

PS. The cathedral is really cool. And Toledo itself too. It was definitely worth the trip.

My flight was delayed, so I barely had any time to walk around Riga. But I managed to dash over to the market in the old airship hangars. It's got such a great atmosphere there. I really liked it.

A lot of guidebooks recommend checking out Silkītes un dillities while you're there, but it didn't seem particularly special to me. But the market itself is awesome :)

They're selling Borodinsky bread in France!

Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris are everywhere. They're literally on every corner. A whole hundred for the city. Only Tokyo and Osaka in Japan have more.

By the way, a Michelin star doesn't mean crazy high prices. There are plenty of places where you can eat for just slightly more than a regular decent restaurant. But you need to book your table in advance: there are tons of people who want to eat well and cheap, so if you just walk in, there won't be any tables available.

Although even Michelin doesn't guarantee that the food will definitely be unforgettable. Actually, you can see this pretty clearly from Google reviews.

And here's another interesting quirk: the opening hours usually look something like this: open from 12 to 2 pm and from 7 to 10 pm. Closed the rest of the time.

I always have this problem at Starbucks with them spelling my name correctly. The simpler I try to introduce myself, the more creative the variations get. I've already been Rose (!!), Russian, and now I'm Raj. Delighted, really.

Hard to believe, but New York is actually a wine state. The Finger Lakes are covered in vineyards. Local winemakers even win prizes at wine competitions (and I mean real ones—who makes the best wine, not who can drink the most).

And honestly, the whole area around the lakes really reminds you of Europe (same latitude and all). Nature, forests, lakes. Straight-up Europe vibes.

Street food? Of course made from lobsters (:‌

An American diner. It's a quick-service café that's a lifesaver when you're on the road. The food is always edible, and often actually tasty too. The interior is classic. It's got to have that stainless steel look.

New Jersey, according to the internet, is considered the world capital of diners: there are more of them here than in any other state.

Though the café in the photo is in Milford, Pennsylvania (almost on the border with NJ). But New Jersey also has a town called Milford. And so does New York. And Connecticut. Plus 23 other states...

The record holder for repetition is Riverside. There are 43 of those across the country.

Here's what the sandwich looks like.

I stumbled upon a really unusual eatery by chance.

When you walk in, you grab a ticket—make sure not to lose it. Then you head to the counter to order food. There are specially trained people there who prepare everything right away. The menu has all kinds of sandwiches, so you don't have to wait long. Once everything's ready, they write the cost on a piece of paper and you can go eat.

The sandwiches here are absolutely massive. The amount of meat is insane. I couldn't finish my portion. But it tastes great. And the prices are reasonable. Plus it's got tons of atmosphere. That's honestly a pretty rare combination.

Then you need the ticket when you leave. That's how they charge you.

The place basically operates like fast food, but tips are still expected. Standard 18-20%. I'll write about tipping separately sometime.

People here are so laid-back about lunch that they often just grab street food and eat right there on the nearest ledge by the stall. It's smaller scale in winter, but in summer it's like this all the time. You can see the same kind of hangouts in the evening too, but during lunch hour it's just something else.