Kharkiv, Ukraine - from its grand Soviet-era metro stations and old rattling trams to its wide boulevards and massive railway station. Even with less than a day in the city, it felt like a place full of history, character, and resilience.

My trip to Gdańsk was never intended to be a deep exploration of the city’s history, yet history seemed impossible to avoid. Arriving by train into this Baltic port revealed layers of the past woven into everyday life, from merchant streets and shipyards to the rail lines that continue linking Gdańsk with the rest of Europe.

Our journey across Siberia finally brought us to the shores of legendary Lake Baikal, the deepest freshwater lake on Earth. After days aboard remote railways and the famed BAM line, we arrived at Irkutsk for a memorable excursion filled with crystal-clear waters, historic railways hugging the shoreline, ferries across the Angara, and the unmistakable flavor of local Omul fish.