Pearls On Wheels

Each day Dick prepares the route in his head. His homework includes checking possible routes on a map, on google maps and mapsMe. He checks the weather, too, a good brain workout. We tend to set off early in the morning because there is ess traffic and it is cooler. Today is no exception. we ride south and into the desert. We thought we would be riding alongside a lake, but when we get there the lake is dry. There are some salt pans along the way, along with intermittent patches of green where water has brought life to the desert. Crops of potatoes, tomatoes and some corn... At the traffic lights tobacco smoke fills the air. We become acutely sensitive to smells  on the bike. the majority of the cars that we see on the road are Peugeot. Some Renault and Citroen and Japanese and Korean and Chinese brands. There are other brands that we don't recognise. Many family vehicles have loads on the roof. Many have CNG tanks in the boot. The fuel stations often have g

Come and join us for breakfast in the stunning breakfast room.  Fresh flowers, beautiful painted walls, chandeliers... An omelet for me and the egg stirred into a tomato and onion sauce for Dick.  Fresh fruit. The white melon is especially delicious. Luscious peaches, too.       The Local newspaper in English. We found the newspapers to have less opinion and more reportage than newspapers in New Zealand. Here are a couple of references to articles on food security and on settling the treasury bills that the government had given to contractors in lieu of payment after the global financial crisis.    We go for a walk to explore some of the sights. Chehel Sotun Palace. The original was built by Shah Abbas 1 in 1647 but this pavilion was built in 1706 after a fire destroyed the original. This building is the pavilion which is surrounded by classical Persian gardens that are listed with the UNESCO heritage list. The walls and vaulted ceilings are decorated with frescoes.     Highly decorate

We roamed the market during the evening. Rested to the sound of babbling water fountains in the courtyard. Dined under the stars. Slept. All ready for a new day in the morning.   Macaroons at the market. The baked treats were tender and delicious.   I was looking forward to the evening meal because we had heard such good reports. This would be a departure from the shashlik and kebab as we have seen in the menu most days.  The eggplant vegetarian dish was delicious. I was a little disappointed with the lamb and chicken dishes. They looked good but the chicken was overpowered by the pomegranate and spices.         Dresses at the market are beautifully decorated. Fabric stores have many rolls of black chador fabric. When I looked more closely I could see that they had be woven with all kinds of patterns. The are really black - the flash has 'greyed' them.         The ancient design of the wind towers (badgirs) provides effectived air conditioning in the hot, dry climate. The first