We celebrated Oliver’s last full day in Tashkent by going out to dinner at Manana, a Georgian restaurant in the Shevchenko area. The fish and my chicken soup were delicious, but everything else was below average. We had a snow day on Friday because of icy road conditions. I got caught up at work and took a few photos of the campus. It is so beautiful with snow in the trees and the bright sun shining. My office on the second floor of The House is surrounded by the tops of the trees, giving me an inspiring view as I held meetings, answered emails, and finished document preparation.
In the early evening, Oliver and I had our final session at The Bani before he leaves today. Ollie loves the intense heat followed by the 13C pool and relaxation. It really does make you feel better! I also like the higher humidities of a Russian bath compared to the Finnish sauna. He is taking back a шапка для бани (traditional felt banya hat). Unfortunately for him this winter, the nearest banya to DePere, Wisconsin is Chicago, Illinois. The next time we are in Chicago in cold weather, we’ll have to check out the Red Square Bathhouse.
Owen is getting ready for his week at Rafael Nadal’s tennis camp starting on Monday. He sent a short video of his serve. We watch Australian Open tennis in the mornings together. My favorite players on the men’s tour this year are Novak Djokovic, Tommy Paul, Francis Tiafoe, Danil Medvedev, and Ben Shelton. We’ll see if anyone else catches my eye. I look for entertaining styles of play and personality.
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