There’s a bakery in California we love called Tartine, so when Austin suggested meeting at a bakery here with the same name, of course we had to go!
We talked for hours over pots of tea and pastries. When I wanted to pay for a second pot of tea, the owner wouldn’t let me. He said “Welcome my country!” The conversation was good, mostly about theology and ideas I hadn’t thought of before. (Is the priest more righteous than others because he’s held to a higher standard? Should Luther have worked for changes and stayed rather than split the church? Was Calvin right? Why do Anglicans have icons and relics?)
By the time we left there it was lunchtime and we walked to a beautiful Tajik restaurant.
Austin encouraged us to try qurutob, a traditional Tajik dish served warm. It’s made with torn pieces of flatbread soaked in a tangy yogurt-based sauce and topped with vegetables, herbs, and sometimes meat. It tasted better than it sounds!
We enjoyed the view from the top of the Istiklol (Independence) Monument, a 121-meter-tall landmark in Dushanbe. Built with the help of a Chinese construction company, it opened in 2022 as part of Tajikistan’s celebration of 30 years of independence.
We said goodbye to Austin. We wish him all the best in his work and as he continues learning the language. He was a wonderful host, and we’re grateful for the time we spent with him. 💜
I was asleep by 7 p.m. so I could get a few hours of sleep before we had to leave for the airport at 1 a.m. (Many international flights out of Dushanbe depart in the middle of the night.)
