Pas Ramazi

So, my friend varske was here, from Tbilisi, and we thought we would try out the new Georgian restaurant in Vilnius. Called 'Pas Ramazi' (I've never come across the name Ramaz in Georgia), it is situated in Valakampiu (Valakupiu?), on the riverside beside the Antakalnis/Zirmunu bridge. It's a nice modern building, with a large balcony facing the river, and yesterday the wind. The trouble with these huge Kalnapilis parasols is that they are so big they cannot be put down very easily, to catch some warming sun.

The meal was ok; my Georgian salad, with a walnut sauce was nice, as was varske's aubergine salad. Then she had chicken tabaka - nothing special Georgian about this, you get it anywhere in the former Soviet Union, and I had a nice shashlik with salady things alongside, though no starch (eg chips, rice, potatoes etc). Along that came a nice bottle of Saperavi.

Then came the bill - 199 LT for us two! That's shocking! Those salads were 22 or 23 LT each, the main courses 30 LT each, and the wine a whopping 60 LT for the bottle. Normally restaurants have one price per glass (here 8 LT for 100 mls), and another for the bottle, usually less than the sum of the glasses in the bottle. Not in this case - the price of the bottle was exactly 7.5 times the price of a glass. That's just greedy.

Not sure what customers they wish to attract; for foreigners it is too difficult to find - it's quite hidden, and the menus are not in English, but these prices....who is prepared to pay that? Answers on a postcard....

German privacy legislation?

The privacy aspects of that horrific murder series in Winnenden, Germany, where 16 people died, are very interesting.

The perpetrator is known to Germans as Tim K, which is the way all accused are referred to in the German media. I as a foreigner have somewhere (The Guardian?) picked up the boy's surname, though I won't mention it here.

Meanwhile the State Justice Minister in Baden-Wuerttemberg told the world at a press conference that the young man had had some psychotherapy involvement, according to his military call-up papers found in his room. Oh no, he didn't, say the parents. Oh yes, he did, says the director of the local psychiatric hospital - he was here five times, and then refused further treatment. Not sure about the role of the state minister, but I would have thought the hospital director's statement would be against all privacy legislation; it's not as if young Tim could have given his consent to this. Interesting.

Phew!

Another rich, Lithuanian Russian (or Russian Lithuanian?) was trying it for president. Without wishing to be racist, but Russians in Lithuania (Uspazkich - former economy minister and fugitive from Lithuania for reasons of corruption and under-the-table tax-free payments to his employees) or their associates (Paksas, a president impeached after one year for strange links to a Russian called Borisovas) are not generally good news for Lithuania.

This time Vladimir Romanov, owner of Ukio Bankas, and of Hearts Football Club in Edinburgh, tried it. Thankfully he failed, what with not having been born in Lithuania. No doubt he expected to get the job easily, by throwing some sweets at the people in the countryside.

But it seems that everyone who has a few bob has a try at becoming president here, like a few years ago the Australian/Lithuanian Piecaitis (who later had a spell in prison accused of some strange dealings involving icons - not sure if he got convicted or not).  Unfortunately this does not seem the prerogative of a small country, seeing as in Poland they elected Tweedle-dum(b?) and Tweedle-dee into their government some time ago.

I gather in Latvia and Estonia the president is elected by Parliament, not the populace - maybe it's time to consider that here?

Rampant inflation!

The Baltic Course reports that from March public bus tickets (if pre-purchased) will rise to 2 litas per bus journey (if your journey involves more than 1 bus, you pay it for each bus). Only in December 2008 the cost had increased from 1.10 LT to 1.80 LT, after several years at that level. Shocking or what?

Meanwhile the same paper tells us that the government is now looking at establishing a new airline, in place of flyLAL which went bankrupt in January, with the state holding a share in it. At the moment the situation is rather chronic, with folk having to hop via all sorts of places to get to major capitals. I hope they get it up, soon - as long as the state does not take too much of a financial hit. Does not look like we could afford that!

Landsbergis for President??

Story in Lietuvos Rytas today about some idea that Vytautas Landsbergis (76) should run for president at the next election later this year.  I don't think so!

He was a hero in 1990/1991 when he led Lithuania to freedom, but now he seems like a frail old man, who has in the past had some serious health problems.

Time to let the young ones at the job.

Imbrasas is out!

The Vilnius city Mayor, Juozas Imbrasas, who I never cared for that much, has finally been voted out, in a vote of no confidence, it says here. Thank goodness for that. He was kind of unknown before he became mayor and people saw him as Rolandas Paksas' puppet (Paksas was the president who was impeached a few years ago). The vote of no confidence was based on the suggestion that Imbrasas managed the city in the interests of his political party.

But, in true old Soviet fashion, he is going to appeal to the courts over this; meanwhile it seems he has no intention of vacating his seat. Not sure what the courts have to do with a democratic process.....

Georgian Prime Minister Resigns

it says here, on health grounds, after 3 months in the job. He seems to have a kidney condition which requires intensive treatment. Poor soul.

He was Saakashvili's fourth prime minister; the previous one had lasted for about 9 months.

Saakashvili is under pressure from the opposition to resign, over the war last August. Finally it is becoming clear to the Georgian population what happened there. But will he resign? Will he heck!