Another day in Tehran
Our next step was a visit to the artist forum a square block of three story brick buildings surrounded by a lush garden.The house of the artists was closed until 2 PM. So Lisa and I went to a little gift shop then went to the second building eat lunch that served the best meal we had been so far. Chicken curry and rice was creamy wonderful and the thick vanilla and chocolate shake. Our driver ordered a huge something hamburger and scrunches from potato slices.
We returned next door walking through the offices and work space for an hour. Many powerful posters were showing the progressive modern programs which was coming. Sohrab took us to an upscale merchant area lined with antique stores that we happily strolled and investigated. Finally we drove to the old airport check through and boarded a Mahan air airbus to Kerman with Sohrab. Our hotel was another large and established marbled, The Pars where we partially unpacked and crashed on the hardest king bed I lied
Kerman
The lighting in our comfortable room, low dimmed at night, but morning brought a sunny day in the forth. From the hotel window the city lace surrounded by stone and snowcapped picks, its millions of inhabitants in white street lines stores felt very contemporary interesting.
We fist drove to grand bazar. There was a gird of shop line and passages under dome break and coverings around the center square. Stores sold everything typical of the similar market area. We had seen and felt wonderfully fun and familiar. The crowd mostly women scarfed and had their children. We visited spice stores, carpet artifacts and a magnificent small Iranian rug venue, a hundred over a three by four rug with red raised wall grid and gorgeous design. Lisa bought a black abaya for her sister and I a 40 inch embroidered table cover.
In our trip to Mahan we had lunch in a beautiful garden restaurant with the 20- 30 rug’s square pillows. we drove out of town 60 kilometers to Mahan to see the world heritage garden by provincial governor by continuous of stone channels of water descending 50 levels flanked by rams and staircases for visitors.
A two or three story set of rug covered in fireplace rooms invited the small group to enjoy the pristine sitter lined place. Our final stop in Mahan was the shrine of Shah Nematolah of 17th century, Sufi priest. I guess whose perimeter was surrounded by 10 gift stores. The rug covered large chamber shrine had been a sanctuary for spiritual seekers of peace and meditation within the culture of old Iran. Dinner at the Pars was again dine with rice, salad, pounded fillet and yogurt before we start our four hour trip to Yazd tomorrow
On the way to Yazd
After breakfast we loaded the car and drove through Kerman to the Sanati museum of contemporary art. We visited 40 year old beautiful set of three lines of one story buildings separated by large rectangular garden. The central walking contained the lovely tiled set of water channels. The originator of the facility a hundred years ago established a philanthropic orphanage. The array and bright glass enclosed galleries contain a permanent collection that included a small Wassily Kandinsky landscape oil and watercolor, a Henry Moore maquette of two small abstract figures. The temporary back gallery was filled with the most powerful works, many by Iranian women and belonged to the artists and changes every 6 months.
Sohrab took us to a truly spectacular modern restaurant for lunch that displayed a cold and hot appetizer selection unparalleled in our experience. Each offered a deliciously combination of Iranian specialties before every getting to the huge main course menu selections. The restaurant was on a block that contained an incredible candy and bake food desert store and a super high men and women accessory store. We slowly work our way through the cluttered traffic to reach the highway, 250 Km to Yazd. The land way uniformly arid and absolutely flat till heading a low but very crack set of beige stone hills by other side about 10 Km away.
about 50 Km from our destination we stopped in a magnificent circular 400 year old caravansary, one of the chain subsided created every 25 miles by Shah Abbas one. This renovated place covered with Persian rugs and it was rented for overnight tourist Zin or Din. It had the most pristine bathrooms and a superb restaurant where an antique giant brass samovar had been put in it. We shared a cup of tea before finishing our trip to Yazd.
Our Moshir garden hotel was thoroughly unusual room was flanked a Persian garden water channel around the length of the property, lavish with trees and foliage exotically. Our room had a brick dome, white walls and heated by exposed radiators. There was a static sweetness in the space. We grabbed a mediocre buffet dinner and arranged ourselves in the room for a night