Huw's Bit

Lazy start - up at 7! Great views overlooking Lake Baikal for breakfast with loads of Russian cops! They have a conference in our hotel!

Good tour of Irkutsk - photos with Lenin and Yuri Gagarin. Learnt heaps about Siberia and its people's. clearly some resentment towards Moscow with the perception that all good things go to European Russia and Asian Russia is overlooked despite its huge contribution to the state economy.

Traditional Russian fare for dinner: borscht followed by awesome pork dish and of course vodka!

Off at 5.30am tomorrow - thought this was supposed to be a holiday. 2 days, 2 nights on a train - next stop Yekaterinburg where the Romanov's came to a sticky end!

Forgotten about Nth Hem.summer time, still light at 10.15pm!

Russia back in the good books!

Christine's bit

Off to Irkstk ( which turned out to be a very pleasant city) with a mad Russian driver and a new guide, a former teacher in languages from the university - very well informed with excellent English (almost no one speaks English in Russia ) and answered our myriad of questions about the indigenous people of Siberia in the Museum.

30 % of people still live in traditional wooden houses with beautiful wooden lace work around the doors and windows ( to keep out the bad spirits). The only Catholic church is Polish and renovated after the Revolution when it was given back to the church, majority of people are Russian Orthodox. We had an excellent traditional meal in a restaurant and retired to our great hotel ( a true 4 star hotel) ready for our 5.30am pickup the next day.