Breakfast: cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese and bread.

Lunch: roll and hard-boiled egg.

Dinner at the home of Uli and Dagmar Fischer, a German couple, was one of our nicest evenings yet. The décor inside of their one-level spacious home included parquet floors scattered with Turkmen and Uzbek rugs and numerous paintings by local and Russian artists. While we waited for another couple to arrive, we munched on pistachio and macadamia nuts with salami-like meat and miniature sour pickles. Over drinks, we discussed how the couple has adapted to living in Uzbekistan for the last three years.

We then moved into the dining room filled with Mahogany chairs, a hutch, chest and table covered with a white linen tablecloth and napkins. The chef made a marvelous meal with semi-sour beet soup (Jim hates beets) and then German chicken marinated with ginger, chives, black pepper, garlic and long green onions. Steamed rice, carrots and parsley to garnish. White bread was served but no butter – a rare luxury in Uzbekistan. We drank a splendid Italian white wine (after drinking much local wine that is good at best, how wonderful to have a superb wine). After dinner, we were offered green and black tea. Dagmar, Jim and I had green tea. Uli and the other couple drank an Italian herbal mint brandy, which I tried and liked too. Supposedly the brandy aids in digestion with the many herbs. For dessert, we had a perfect lemon mousse.