A Quiet Day

Although I've enjoyed the sauna in our hotel suite, I can imagine how important it can be for clients who come during the skiing season.  It gets bone-chillingly cold here -- actually, too cold to ski.  It can be -40 degrees Centigrade for a month.  An online calculator tells me that -40 C is... -40 Fahrenheit.  So imagine something about 60 degrees below freezing.

The recommendation was made to me to set the sauna for 50 degrees C, and to stay in it not more than 30 minutes.  Converted to Fahrenheit, that's 122 degrees.  I've found that after taking a shower in the morning, my hair dries really quickly in the sauna.

The enclosure has a reading light, however I've felt it would not be a good idea to bring in the book that I'm reading, Nicholas and Alexandra.  It's an e-pub from the Arlington County library, and reading just a few pages in the sauna would undoubtedly fry my iPad.

Slava had to leave the conference here in Abzakova to fly to Moscow for a meeting in Skolkovo with oil pipeline officials.  I'm semi-on-my-own.  Actually it would be hard to brag about my independence because of the affectionate guardianship I've gotten from Slava's deputy director, who has arranged several outings for me with an English speaking guide.

 One outing was to the Zoopark, the entrance to which is pictured above.  We saw a tiger, a bear, three camels, an ostrich,  an American bison, and rabbbits.  Actually there were more animals than I have space to mention.