Lake Baikal is the largest volume of fresh water in the world – the water is incredibly pure and incredibly cold….even in the dead of summer when the temperature is 30C…needless to say I was a bit shocked to learn that!

Going to Russia in the winter is actually really fun! Sleigh rides, snowball fights, and the Russian banya are just a few of the ways Russians stave off the winter doldrums!

Aside from kissing the Blarney Stone, Blarney Castle is a great place to run around, rain OR shine, the town of Blarney has some great little pubs, and it’s only a twenty minute bus ride from Cork

If you get to the west coast of Ireland, try to make it out to the Aran Islands. This fort, Dun Aonghasa, pre-dates the Celtic tribes of Ireland…just don’t get too close to the cliff edge – the wind really could blow you over!