With the air temperatures running well above 30 degrees Celsius, the two retired politicians decided not to waste any time talking to reporters, but just waived "hello" and drove off to their ultimate destination, Lake Baikal. Both looked fit and cheerful.
The men have five days of rest ahead of them and plenty of recreational activities to choose from, including fishing, a cruise, a trip along a 19th-century railroad, running through spectacular tunnels cut in coastal rocks, and a visit to the lakeside museum of architecture and ethnography.
Yeltsin and Kohl made their first joint trip to Lake Baikal in 1993, during one of Kohl's state visits to Russia. Both enjoyed themselves here so much that they decided to return on vacation.
Now, 12 years later, their plan has finally materialized.
