Bahador woke up even earlier than me and when I got out of my room, breakfast was ready. I learned to know I new kind of halva, more a dark brown paste, made by Maryam’s mother and very tasty. I only had to cough one time, and Maryam not only gave me fruits for my trip, but some medicine to save my bronchia…
On the way, I saw a village/city from far seen meeting my idea of efficiency:
Normally, cities seem to grow, where the land is fruitful and by that covering more and more of that ground that would feed the population. In the case of Zarghan, the city seems to be on barren ground and the houses are high, so in the same area more people can live.
I didn’t say beautiful, I said efficient
After the second hill,
I had expected to have a good view on Shiraz, but in fact I had to wait for that until I more or less was in the city.
With Arash I had arranged to arrive at 11:50 and because of leaving before 7 and only 50km (with to hills), I knew I would be earlier. My plan was, to go to the confectionery, Arash had told me about, to buy some cakes as dessert for the family. Maybe Arash knew, too, that I would be early, because at 10 he called me when I was near the center on a bridge over that “river” Khoskh
the river is modest enough to share his bed with cars on the left and the right
and when I reached the house and got down from my bike he stood there waiting. Of course, now he was the one who bought the cakes…
Short after, Arash made the first sightseeing tour with me, visiting two gardens. The first was the Afif Abad Garden, one of the oldest gardens in Shiraz (2nd half of 19th cent.).
i like “cold weapons” more than hot ones
In the Palace is a weapon museum, as the garden belonged to the army.
Above, you can see some beautiful rooms
extra room for taking on and off clothes
What a deplorable nobleman saw when he looked out of the window
and then a window in the inner palace from where you can look through all the rooms between there and the entrance to see visitors come.
The second garden belongs to the University of Shiraz, showing many breedings of roses, fountains,
unofficially some animals (I don’t know their names)
and a street lined with cypress trees.
In the later afternoon, I got a tast of the musical talents of the kids. Originally, it would have been Negin playing on the violin, but soon her little sister joined in to sing not only good but with expression of a professional singer and then Armin also made is contribution on Negin’s old keyboard. (I will have to readjust that scene as I didn’t want to interfere with the camera)
In the evening, Nikoo had English class and meanwhile we visited 2 smaller parks nearby, the art garden, Sattarkhan garden
rich pomegranate trees and lush rosemary
and the neighbouring Be’Sat park.
Then Arash went to the public pool with me by bike. The water is very warm, not many visitors were there, the pool is open until midnight and at the entrance, you must deliver your own shoes and take some slippers out of a basket. So far, some facts. We met Arash’s brother Mustafa there, who would continue my sightseeing tour the next day.
At home, Arash started planning the rest of my trip to Bandar Lengeh. His ambition is, to find someone (friend or relative) for every night of this section (as he also had done between Isfahan and Shiraz). Besides that, he calculated that one week remains and made clear where I would stay this week: at his home!