Listvyanka

Today we made the 70km trip north from Irkutsk to the village of Listvyanka on the shores of Lake Baikal. It is a small fishing village which is rapidly becoming a tourist destination. In summer it is like a beach resort with water sports and cruises on the lake. In winter there is dog sledding, walking, driving or skating on the lake and skiing nearby. Lots of families and children were playing on the beach and sliding about on the ice as if it were the seaside. Women still in those elegant fur coats of course. This afternoon we went up the chairlift to see the spectacular view and as a skier it was very hard to look at the beautiful dry, powdery snow without any skis on.
We are staying at the Chalet Guesthouse in an enormous room with view down to the lake and a nice home cooked dinner for about $15.