Yazd

I went to Kakhe-Sa'ad Abad this morning to meet with Mr. Taghizadeh. Sa'ad Abad used to be the Shah's palace and now it houses the Office of Preservation of Antiquity, and some fine galleries. The grounds are beautiful, full of walnut trees, bushes, plants, lawn, flowers, and much more. I met with Mr. Taghizadeh who gave me a few names to call, one in Yazd, one in Kashan, one in Tabriz, and a few others in Tehran. It was a good meeting, with the ever present cup of tea and sugar cubes. He told me to go and see the museum that houses works by Mohammad Farshchian, a very well known Iranian miniaturist. I was able to walk through the compound and admire the old houses, all looking fine and grand. The Shah had individual houses built on the grounds for each of his brothers, sisters, mother, etc. Sa'ad Abad Palace contains about forty acres of land on the skirts of the Alborz Mountains with a river running through it. Each little palace was built in the style of traditional old homes and they have been renovated and look very well kept. Mr. Taghizadeh had told me that the building the Miraseh Farhangi uses, the one he was in, used to be Gholam Reza's house (one of the Shah's brothers). Farshchian Gallery, which once used to be another prince's place of residence, was a nice surprise. It was nice to see some quality work on display, with its own gallery to boost.

I walked out the door and tried to get a cab. I have become a bit wise to the taxis and ask them ahead of time what their price is. Two of them were asking me for a higher price than what actually is, and I walked away. They lowered their price, but somehow, I don't like dealing with cheaters. I walked down what used to be called Za'afaraniyeh street which is lined on both sides with large trees and was able to eventually get a cab at the right price. Amazing, how one can adjust in Tehran. I am walking around, hailing a cab, crossing the streets, and bargaining like the days when I was in high school and all this was part of my everyday life.

Mom and I took the late afternoon flight to Yazd. The flight was short, about 55 minutes long. I made sure I had a window seat and looked out the window most of the time. The desert, the Dashteh Kavir, is beautiful. It looks so much like parts of Arizona and Nevada. I already like Yazd very much. The city is not crowded and we are staying at a hotel which is very nice. The rooms are cabins built in the style of old homes and are spread out in an enclosed compound with trees and pools with fountains. The air is not polluted and the weather is not as hot as might be expected, given that Yazd is wedged between the two deserts: Dashteh Kavir and Dashteh Lut. My cousin Shahriar had sent his driver to pick us up and he has booked us in the best hotel. We actually wanted to stay, and had reservations, at the renovated ancient home which is traditional guesthouse now, but who can argue with Shahriar? This is not Shahriar Khajenouri, my pesarkhaleh. This cousin is from my Dad's side of the family; he is my pesarameh. His mother and my father were sister/brother. My aunt was married to a very wealthy man from Yazd and since he passed away three years ago, Shahriar has come down to take care of all the land and properties, etc.

Will post pictures when I am able to. The hotel has its own internet cafe, which makes things very easy for me.