We take a break for a few days in Kashan. We spend our typical working days at the old wall to some park. We don't really care about Kashan, we need some peace and quiet. We need to come down a bit. The work is good for us. In this park we are left alone (sounds strange, but it's important for our salvation and our emotional centre), have good internet and even fresh water.
We spend the evenings eating rösti and fried eggs in our Felix and playing Skipbo. Just normal days in our little cave with no outside influences.
On Wednesday, we want to explore the oasis town near the desert a little, but we take it very slowly and meet up with Haniye, who shows us around the town and is an English teacher. We stroll through the bazaar, which is incredibly long and we get lost again.
Kashan has some really impressive old mansions, one of which we want to visit. Unfortunately, we learn very little about the history of the house, so we have to get out our guidebook and read the following: "The complex comprises four residential courtyards, contains fine wall paintings, elegant stained glass windows and a variety of classic traditional elements of the domestic culture of the time." We are deeply impressed. Not by the guide, but by Chane-ye Tabatabayi, the manor house in question. We sit down in the park, listen to the singer calling to prayer on a balcony. And realise that this country impresses and challenges us in equal measure.
We spend the afternoon in the Fin Garden, one of the most beautiful Persian gardens in Iran. In these gardens, inner courtyard gardens are often connected to the neighbouring outer gardens by structures such as arches. The inner gardens are intended to symbolise the domestic, while the outer gardens reflect the surrounding world. The primary purpose of such a garden is for rest and relaxation. In addition, a garden is also used as a place of spirituality, for social activities and, in the past, for banquets etc. They follow a square layout with a central watercourse, which is used for irrigation and as an aesthetic element. These gardens reflect the importance of water in Persian culture and serve as places of peace, beauty and contemplation.
At teatime, we sip ash, a kind of soup with vegetables and noodles (the noodles look like wooden sticks), which I would most likely compare to our pearl barley soup. In the evening, we go out for dinner with Haniye, learn a lot about Iranian marriage culture and are always amazed. Different countries, different ways of starting a family.
Kashan, we learn, has so much more to offer. But we've had enough and want to move on. Into the desert - maybe we'll meet a few camels again. Or just sun, sand and peace and quiet.
Let's see, we'll continue tomorrow morning.
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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These are marvellous experiences. We share your impressions wholeheartedly.
Thank you dear ones!