Irkutsk in Siberia for 4 days

Don't know about you but both Steven and I had some preconceived notions as to what Siberia might be like and we've both been quickly disabused of them based certainly on what we've seen so far here in Irkutsk. We've spent the last four days here and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute both here and also our one day in Listvyanka, an hour's somewhat harrowing drive by private minibus, aka minivan, on Lake Baikal.

More random info for you, some of it courtesy of my dear kindergarten friend, Lina: Irkutsk has pop. of 1/2 million; it's known for its wooden homes and their generally very intricate and ornate lace trim; it has about 10 sister cities around the world; city of yet more absolutely beautiful churches which I bet you we've seen pretty all of them too!
I'd brought a red "cowboy style" bandana with me to wear in the churches and temples coming up in SE Asia but I switched that out for one of the many scarves available for women to borrow yesterday at the Church of the Transfiguration; my bandana was too small, I found, and I asked, i.e. gestured really, if I could buy one of the loaner scarves. The attendant at the booth selling all matter of icons and souvenirs, as is typical of all churches we've been in, very kindly gestured that I could take it w/o paying; I, of course, left a heftier donation that I would have otherwise.
Talking about wearing real scarves: it was more than a tad unnerving and spooky wearing one every time I entered church as it brought back memories from 32 years ago when I had to wear them after losing my hair to chemo.
Another town and, for us, another great market: the Central Market here is mostly food but also a lot of household products including very small plastic and metal screw on lids by the bucketful; can only think that they're used once a can is opened to keep the contents as fresh as possible; the market has a huge number of both indoor and outdoor stalls and we were there everyday buying our customary raisins, dates (by the kilo), tomatoes, green pepper, bread, etc.
Never seen so many ice cream carts as we have all over Russia, and, yes, we have certainly had our fair share of them too; I, of course, always "had" to be the guinea pig eating one of the ice cream bars or mostly frozen ice cream cones since Steven is so allergic to all nuts; he's then take a small bite to see if he could eat it OK before buying one for himself. Took a picture of a woman selling them and she was tickled pink when I showed her her picture.
BTW, Steven said y'day his favorite country so far has been here in Russia which about blew me away given how reluctant he was initially to come here. I agree with him too based on the country's breadth and depth, the beauty of the churches and the cities, and especially the people we've met.
As always, we've walked huge distances here in I. b/c our hostel is across the Angara River from the center of town but we have loved this hostel too - lots of great young people from all over, esp. Germany and Holland; none of them have kindly made us feel like the old people we are; we actually met a man our age at the hostel so that made us feel we're not quite that crazy doing this trip the way we are.
I. is hardly the provincial sleepy little Siberian town we thought: full of the most chic stores, Cartier and others of that ilk, found anywhere in the world yet you also see in a few places water taps with people lining up with huge bottles to fill; that's the biggest disparity we've seen so far this trip.

Hardly any beeping of horns here and only seen ONE truck anywhere in Russia with an open bed, like a Dodge Ram, etc - and that was y'day in I.

On one hour boat ride from Listvyanka.

Took the funicular up the hill to the rock.

On top of Chersky Rock overlooking Lake Baikal; we walked down from there, I'll have you know!

With Jack whom we met on the Moscow walking tour 10 days ago and then met again on promenade to Chersky Rock about 4 miles out of Listvyanka; he biked 4000 kms from England(with no flats yet!) all the way just a bit west of I.; then is on the road now biking to Ulan Batar.