Again with the stomach problems. At last, everybody felt good enough on Sunday to do a stroll through town. We started out towards the Museum of Antiquities which is south of us, not far at all. Past the Opera, past the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance.

The chestnuts are falling. Leaves are turning. It's still very warm during the days but the evenings are cool and the women in the neighborhood are washing the summer dust off their carpets. Fall is here.

The museum has gorgeous stuff. Shivas and old dishes, jewelry and idols. The building is nice enough. Inside, it's post-Soviet, with carpets and home-made display cases with glass that reflects too much light, making it hard to see the artifacts. The carpets need protecting, so you have to slip on surgery slippers before entering.

I found myself wanting to bring in my friend Dana who is a museum ninja - the things she could do with these pieces! Because you know what they have? They have the biggest Buddha statue of all of Central Asia. And then they went and put him into a living room, with normal ceiling height, and a red carpet. There is a small table with three vases in front of him. I don't know what that is about. I couldn't back up enough with my 24mm to get a shot of the entire statue, that's how big it is, and how small that room was. It needs space! High vaulted ceilings! Skylights!

He is glorious. You need to come to Tajikistan just to see him.

Then we walked some more. Past the old library which is closed, sadly. They are renovating, apparently.

Past King Rudaki and all his (real!) golden shine.

Through tunnels.

Past alluring portals.

And along the fountains on Rudaki Avenue. We stopped at a café to have a refreshing drink and a chat with an acquaintance we met there. Finally, we walked home. That was also the point where my camera battery died. Let me tell, this has never happened to me before.
The kids and Doug later helped another friend walk his dog to the Russian and the Jewish cemetery but that's his story to tell. Now it's Sunday evening, the kids are showering and getting ready for bed, and we're set for a new week.