As the website says:
The great Trans Siberian Railway, the pride of Russia, goes across two continents, 12 regions and 87 cities. The joint project of Google and the Russian Railways lets you take a trip along the famous route and see Baikal, Khekhtsirsky range, Barguzin mountains, Yenisei river and many other picturesque places of Russia without leaving your house. During the trip, you can enjoy Russian classic literature, brilliant images by photographer Anton Lange and fascinating stories about the most attractive sites on the route. Let's go!
via www.google.ru
It's fabulous, especially if you set the music to the balalaika, which then is just like the radio that couldn't be turned off in the carriage.
In 1975, I went from Moscow to Khabarovsk with a stop off for a week in Irkutsk. Photos on Flickr here.
I got so tired of managing only simple conversations in Russian that when I came back, I gave up my yuppie job in London and went off to do a one year full time Russian course and then started a PhD in Birmingham. At the time it was just a gamble which didn't pay off till the break up of the Soviet Union.
But it sure paid off later, as anyone reading this blog would realise.
