Jewish cemetry, Krakow, Poland. Predictably enormous.

Auschwitz, near Krakow, Poland. Not much that one can add.

Possibly the most miserable train station on the planet. Arriving at camp Birkenau, Auschwitz, Poland.

We caught up with Jeanette and Stuart in Warsaw, Poland

Catching up with old friends in a cellar bar, Warsaw, Poland

The result of an evening's excesses

Warsaw Old Town, Poland

We watched Poland qualify for Euro 2008 and Scotland not, in this Irish bar

Swans in Siauliai for Mr Ferguson, Lithuania

Hill of Crosses, over 100,000 of them, Siauliai, Lithuania

Old Town, Vilnius, Lithuania

Enroute to Kaunas, Lithuania

The streets of Kaunas at night, Lithuania

Matt in the old student lock up room in Tartu University. This was used as a prison for student miscreants in days gone by. You got 4 days for insulting a women, 3 weeks for duelling, 2 days for trying to escape from the lock up, 3 days for a medieval S5 (cursing) and 2 days for smoking inside a university building. You also got 24 days for aimless wanderings after dark, Matt would have been in trouble.

New ski jump, the K90 and a digger, Otepaa, Estonia

Snowy scenes around the Otepaa lake, blessed by the Dalai Lama no less, Estonia

Walking tour, Riga, Latvia

'Three brothers', Riga, Latvia

Jeremy, Helen and Matt very cold in Tallinn market square, Estonia. It was snowing! Hooray

We warmed up in a Banya (Russian sauna). Here is Jeremy ready to get in

Matt and Jeremy in the sauna. What pictures of atheticism!

Market Square, Tartu, Estonia.

Statue of a ficticious meeting between Oscar Wilde and Eduard Wilde, an Estonian writer. The statue is located outside the Wilde public house, named after its builder, also called Wilde. He was a printer.

Handy that Vicki's brother decided to arrive colour coded with the flat we rented for their visit to Tallinn, Estonia

First night on the beer together for 16ths. In the middle is Jeremy, Vicki's brother and girlfriend Helen to the left.

Classic medieval town view of Tallin, Estonia

On our way to the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, despite no entry sign.

Outside our hostel, St Petersburg. Our place was on the second floor of the building on the right. We were amused to see this enormous pile of wood get delivered during the first night of our stay, perhaps inconveniently blocking the entrance behind it. During our week long stay it moved not a jot, nor did its purpose become clear. Things like this happen in Russia all the time, and no one pays any notice at all.

Our reading of Crime and Punishment lead us to search out some of the sights of the book, which is set in St Petersburg. Thus if you havent read it, this will look like a pointless picture of a knackered attic flat at the top of an oldy, crumbling apartment block downtown. Which, of course, it is. It is also considered to be Rodia's dingy flat. Which is impressive given that he is a fictional character. Nonetheless, on the way up the stone stairs graffiti praises the antihero as, well, a hero. Rodia forever.

Another Crime and Punishment shot. Staring morosely into the very canal en route to axe down a pawnbroker. You needed to be there. In the middle of the 19th century.

Red Square at night, Stalin's delight, Red Square in morning, Putin's warning.

We found this toilet at a house party in Moscow. The whole flat only need Withnail wandering around it to be complete.

Train from Moscow to St Petersburg. We got a complimentary breakfast and everything. We also shared a cabin with a Russian bloke who was really, really into Ham Radio.

Around St Petersburg.

Canals of St Petersburg.

St Basil's cathedral, Moscow, Russia. Probably one of the most iconic buildings in the city.

If anyone was wondering what Mr Blair is doing now, he is a folk singer in Moscow, Russia

Kremlin digger for Hallam Saunders, Moscow, Russia

Nadia. We stayed in the spare room of her apartment in Yekaterinburg, Russia

Train from Yekaterinburg to Moscow, Russia. This actually came from Vladivostok on the Trans Siberian

Feeling the need to read some Russian literature, Crime and Punishment sent Matt to sleep on the train from Yekaterinburg to Moscow, Russia

The very grand interior of the Moscow metro (especially for Mr Ferguson), Russia

The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

Ice skating rink in Medeu, Kazakhstan, our hotel was in one of the stands, very much the most unusual place we have stayed

Day walk around Medeu, Kazakhstan

Us up on the pass on a day walk from Medeu, Kazakhstan

Scenery on our day walk from Medeu, Kazakhstan

The brilliantly soviet building that housed our apartment with 54 year old Nadia, Yekaterinburg, Russia

Matt remembering his scout skills, camp for night two, Tian Shan, Karakol, Kyrgz

River crossing on day three as it started to snow, Karakol valley, Kyrgz

Looking back up the Karakol valley, Kyrgz