diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
index 657a2b1..2e83e02 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/story.html.twig
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
+<div class="story-progress" id="story-progress"></div>
 {% import 'macros/date-range.html.twig' as dr_m %}
 {% set hero_url = null %}
 {% if page.header.hero_image %}
@@ -46,6 +47,15 @@
 </div>
 
 <div class="story-body">
+    {% if location or date_str %}
+    <div class="story-opener">
+        <span class="story-opener__text">
+            {{- date_str -}}
+            {%- if location and date_str %} · {% endif -%}
+            {{- location -}}
+        </span>
+    </div>
+    {% endif %}
     {{ page.content|raw }}
 
     <footer class="story-footer">
@@ -187,6 +197,25 @@
     });
 })();
 
+/* ── Reading progress bar ────────────────────────────────── */
+(function () {
+    if (window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches) return;
+    var bar  = document.getElementById('story-progress');
+    var body = document.querySelector('.story-body');
+    if (!bar || !body) return;
+
+    function update() {
+        var rect    = body.getBoundingClientRect();
+        var total   = body.offsetHeight - window.innerHeight;
+        var scrolled = -rect.top;
+        var pct     = total > 0 ? Math.min(100, Math.max(0, (scrolled / total) * 100)) : 0;
+        bar.style.width = pct.toFixed(1) + '%';
+    }
+
+    window.addEventListener('scroll', update, { passive: true });
+    update();
+})();
+
 /* ── ScrollySection (Scrollama) ──────────────────────────── */
 (function () {
     var reduced  = window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches;
diff --git a/themes/intotheeast/templates/trips.html.twig b/themes/intotheeast/templates/trips.html.twig
index 60a5726..5c77ed1 100644
--- a/themes/intotheeast/templates/trips.html.twig
+++ b/themes/intotheeast/templates/trips.html.twig
@@ -13,6 +13,20 @@
     {% set journal_count = dailies_page ? dailies_page.children.published()|length : 0 %}
     {% set story_count = stories_page ? stories_page.children.published()|length : 0 %}
     <a class="trip-card" href="{{ trip.url }}">
+        {% set cover = null %}
+        {% if trip.header.cover_image and trip.media[trip.header.cover_image] is defined %}
+            {% set cover = trip.media[trip.header.cover_image] %}
+        {% elseif dailies_page %}
+            {% set first_entry = dailies_page.children.published()|first %}
+            {% if first_entry and first_entry.media.images|length > 0 %}
+                {% set cover = first_entry.media.images|first %}
+            {% endif %}
+        {% endif %}
+        {% if cover %}
+        <div class="trip-card-cover">
+            <img src="{{ cover.cropResize(720, 240).url }}" alt="{{ trip.title }}" loading="lazy">
+        </div>
+        {% endif %}
         <div class="trip-card-title">{{ trip.title }}</div>
         <div class="trip-card-meta">
             {% if trip.header.date_start %}