We're now winging our way south to our "home countries" (Australia and NZ) for the summer. The world we've arrived back in is very different to the one we've left, but our memories of those ancient and intriguing worlds are still strong. Here is a collection of our favourite snaps for the second half of our journey through Iran.
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| Special Iranian dish, Mirza Ghasemi, made by our Tehrani hosts; You start by BBQing some aubergines (as in our countries, this is typically a job for the men!) |
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| The BBQ'd aubergines are then peeled and transformed (with the help of other amazing ingredients) in this delicious, smoky dish. It's eaten with either rice or bread. It was my (Phil's) favourite dish of Iran! |
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| Sculpture in a North Tehran park |
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| The sculptures continued in this cool park |
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| ...which had amazing views north to the Darband mountains |
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| After exploring the bazar in Tarjrish Square (Tehran), we stopped for some traditional Tehrani fast-food: At the back is Ash (Iranian soup, which can come in a variety of forms). At the front, a dish almost like porridge, but sweet with sesame seeds, cinnamon and sweet syrup. |
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| Iran of course is the home of saffron, and it is a key ingredient of many Iranian dishes. They even have saffron ice cream! |
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| Iranian's love their bread, and it comes in many shapes....and sizes. |
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| In the National Museum of Iran there were a number of surprisingly (for me) interesting ancient artefacts. What stood out to me was how these ancient Persian homewares were so intricately detailed. |
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| Essentially a Persian "beer glass", this cup is so shaped that the holder can't put it down (and thus keeps being refilled), until that is he is not physically able to hold it any longer. |
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| A number of buildings around Tehran are decorated with cool murals. |
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| Landscape on the way to Esfahan |
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| Esfahan is known locally as "half the world". It is a very beautiful and captivating place. A river runs through the city and multiple ancient bridges traverse it. |
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| Easy way to spend and afternoon in Esfahan |
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| One of the many paradoxes of Iran...Out of all the churches we've visited across Britain and Europe, this Armenian church in Esfahan is the most beautiful we've ever encountered. |
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| Every part of the surface was covered with elaborate paintings and patterns, with the colours still vivid and bright. |
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| Bridge by day |
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| After a day of exploring, our favourite late-afternoon activity was grabbing a chai (for me) and "Nescafe" (instant coffee for Jean) from a stand nearby our hotel. The total cost? 2,500 toman (about €0.60) |
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| Imam square in Esfahan |
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| With mosques, pools and fountains, it was a popular place for locals to come, picnic and promenade. |
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| With stunning architecture to admire |
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| A local tea house, tucked away inside the Esfahan bazar |
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| Enjoying Iran's favourite fruit with our hosts in Esfahan! |
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| Another amazing meal! |
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| We had a Chinese couchsurfer staying at the same time in Esfahan and we did more exploring together |
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| The parks in Esfahan were very pretty, especially in Autumn colours |
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| Spice mix from the bazar |
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| I decided to climb one of the mountains behind Esfahan. One of the hosts was part of a local climbing club, and I joined up with them to climb up Mt Darband. |
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| It was good to get some exercise after all the eating we'd done! |
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| Fantastic view from the top. Everyone was, as usual, super friendly and made me feel so welcome |
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| Later that evening (!) we went to the house of a "relative of a friend" where we had a mini recital of various instruments and music, including an Iranian dance session. At the end the host played his "Tar" for us - a very unique and cool instrument |
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| Iranians love their picnics! Everywhere and any time, including breakfast (what we're having here)! |
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| In Shiraz, stopping in to some family of our host there. This house was more traditional, just rugs and cushions for the lounge! |
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| In the morning we had Ash (soup) and bread for breakfast! |
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| We visited an amazing Mosque in Shiraz |
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| Not the biggest by a long way, but the stained glass gave an amazing effect in the mornings |
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| And the tiling was incredible |
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| Inside a shrine made from mirrors and mirrored tiles |
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| Jean taught the kids to play "Peaknuckle". While the battles ensued, the mothers knitted away happily. |
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| Like other Middle-Eastern countries, the motorbike is a hugely important form of transport. The law only allows bikes of a capacity up to 150cc, so all are this size (or smaller). Safety has a different definition in these parts. It wasn't uncommon to see people riding and using a cell phone (texting or talking) at the same time |
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| In Iran, it is said that almost all Iranians have two books: The Qu'ran and the poetry of Hafez. |
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| Hafez is revered like a prophet here, and his tomb visited like a pilgrimage site. |
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| Chai! |
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| Typical bazar store, selling pots, pots, and more pots! |
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| The Iranian toilet. Without going into too much detail, toilet paper goes in the bin (not the toilet), and the hose is used to do a final "rinse off" after finishing your business! |
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| On our last day in Iran we had time to kill, so ordered a falafel on the way to the beachside. Cooked and made right in front of us, just how we like it! In this very bottom part of Iran, there are more Arab people (rather than Persian), who typically have darker skin. |
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| Waiting until the time to board our ferry to the UAE. Khoda Hafez Iran! |
