After two days spent in Kashan on the way back to Tehran I was ready to face the big smoke again. But it was not to be for as long as I imagined.... Kashan is famous for its traditional 'houses', clustered together on a few streets just outside the city centre. Many of these 19th century Qajar style palaces built by Kashan's great and good, are now empty and echoing, lit by delicate stained glass windows, the light hitting the faceted mirror decoration. Once large extended families as well as their legions of servants would have lived here. I visited the [View Full Entry]

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Here in Shiraz, the city of the poet Hafez, wine, grapes and poetry, nightingales and roses; the people are even friendlier and more relaxed than elsewhere in Iran. They pride themselves on their liberal attitudes and sophisticated way of living. Shiraz is most famous for the ancient site of Persepolis which is nearby. Someone who will remain nameless, and should know better, said ‘Oh you saw the film in Iran, I wouldn’t have thought they would show it there!’ They have shown the film a few times in Tehran apparently, so that is a small victory. But no, I saw the [View Full Entry]

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Yazd is a small oasis city in southern central Iran, in the middle of the desert. The landscape during the journey from Esfahan did not look like it changed much in seven hours, though admittedly I was not looking out of the window all the time, allowing the bus to rock me to sleep.The city's water comes from underground qanats miles away in the mountains. Here the women are almost exclusively dressed in chadors and the men a little too friendly! The weather is hot, hot at 35 degrees C, but as a dry heat was bearable as long as you [View Full Entry]

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Or as they say in Farsi Esfahan nesf-e jahan... As am sitting here in this most beautiful and welcoming of cities we find out that Israel is sabre rattling against Iran by carrying out military excercises in Greece. Here on the ground I have never been in a city more hospitable where people talk to you on the streets and buy you icecreams, this happened today a young student (girl) bought me and Rita an icecream. She is studying English at Esfahan University. We plan to meet her and her boyfriend later for a meal. Yesterday we wandered around the Imam [View Full Entry]

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The last days in Istanbul were spent partially laid up with a twisted ankle which was interesting, seeing as still had miles to go before I went home! I twisted it in the harem in Topkapi palace, maybe overcome with the feelings of claustrophobia in the narrow marble corridors listening for the sounds of the sultan in his silver slippers... I could feel the souls of the trapped women, although it is true that many wanted to be there and were sold voluntarily by their parents with the wish that they could end up in the Topkapi Serail - the pinnacle [View Full Entry]

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Here I am in the middle of Iran, in Isfahan. But first let me take you back to my arrival in Tehran at IKA airport, because you have some catching up to do. Sitting on the flight, wondering what was awaiting. The stories some people told, women never travel on their own, you will not be able to get about without a driver and interpreter, and of course, is Iran safe?, all are easily batted away with facts and figures when on solid land, but once in the air there was no going back. I was sitting next to an Iranian [View Full Entry]

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Well I saıd that I would tell you about the football. It ıs one of the reasons am not up to date wıth thıs... I was just walkıng down Kallavı Sk thınkıng about how much I needed a pedıcure when what should I walk past but a haırdresser and beauty salon - great! called AR Kuafor ın Turkısh ıt's just on the corner of Istıklal. The lady was really nıce very frıendly, they also do manıcures - 10 YTL whıch I mıght go back and have just before I come back to UK, [View Full Entry]

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So, they have been fılmıng ın my hotel, a famous Turkısh sınger, Hande Yener ıs makıng a musıc vıdeo ın the room next door to mıne! I dıdn,t see her, but have felt fame brush (or push) past me... Hande Yener - try the lınk I can't check ıt as for some reason banned from thıs machıne. The nıght of the boat trıp to Kadıkoy I got back to the hotel to fınd a full blown party on the roof terrace, cıty lıghts on the golden horn la [View Full Entry]

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Well I have already been told, mentıonıng no names, to ınclude more about rakı ın my blogs and less about mosques (or well culture ın general). Thıs ıs dıffıcult, because as yet, I have drunk none... I know I know... ıt really does have to be done. Doesn't beer count? Thınkıng of beer, as I do, and wıll thınk about ıt even more am sure ın Iran... I dıd go to an excellent bar called Bar Pasıfıc on Sofyalı Sokak ın Asmalımescıt near Tunel... round the corner from my hotel a [View Full Entry]

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The sun ıs goıng down over the Galatsaray square just off Istlıkal Cad, one of the maın streets ın Beyoglu. Four floors down the pedestrıan street ıs heavıng wıth shoppers, walkers and those performıng the Istanbullu equıvalent of the passegıata. It ıs all very cıvılızed, gıve or take the odd antıque tram that you have to jump out of the way of. The road used to be called the Grand rue de Pera, and has gone through many permutatıons through the centurıes... Pera ıs where the Western or Fran [View Full Entry]

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