Russia day 17 – Trans-Siberian, Listvianka to Ulan Ude

Glorious day, blue skies and sunshine.  So clear that we can, for the first time, see the snow-covered mountains across the lake.  Today we transfer from Listvianka to Irkutsk at 10 am and spend the day there before catching the overnight train to Ulan Ude.  Irkutsk is a very charming and attractive city which retains many wooden houses as well as other historic buildings.   It is situated on a bend of the river and is largely very low rise.  There are more Asian faces here – Lake Baikal is considered to mark the border between eastern Russia and the far east.  We arrive at 11am and drop our luggage in a local hotel for safe-keeping.  We then spend the day exploring the city including the shopping area and the indoor and outdoor food markets.  Catch the train at around 20:30. We are sharing a compartment with Jennifer and Bryce.  Hope Bryce’s snoring doesn’t keep us awake!