Iran: a look into cities of the Old Silk Road

We miss our bikes already! The last week we have been travelling by bus to charge ourselves with some Iranian culture in Isfahan and Shiraz, once important trade centers on the Old Silk Road. Those cities showed us the trading soul of its inhabitants, the hustle and bustle of the big bazars, the beauty and serenity of various mosques. All the while kind Marzie took care for us in Isfahan while guiding us through the city, arranging our transport and offering us to broaden our Iranian food experience.

In Shiraz, we were reunited with our "bicycle partners-in-crime" Audrey and Eloy in a very funny way! We spent 2 splendid days together, thank you so much @audreyeloy_thisishowweroll! While we were buying things in the supermarket, kind Mozen invited us to his home to cook and eat together, as the city center was blocked by traffic and his house nearby. We will keep this memory of the interesting talk with you! We enjoyed a (much longer than expected) relaxing afternoon in Masoud's cosy coffeebar! It almost felt like home (yes, sometimes thats also very much appreciated!). Masoud learned us more about the concept of Taarof, the Iranian art of civility and one of the explanatians about our experienced hospitality.

We encountered Mehdad, the fascinating assistent director of short films and Iranian tv series. He worked together with Asghar Farhadi, director of Grand prix winner 'Hero' and Oscar and golden globe treasure 'A Separation'. Mehdad is working on his own movie which will be released soon. After seeing the preview, we're very curious! This interesting soul arranged for us a free tour to Persepolis, the Unesco ruins of the 2500-years-old ceremonial capital of the Persian empire. The conservator Leila even allowed us to take a look in the tomb of one of its biggest kings Xerxes in Naqsh-e Rustam. We were already very happy spirits but the adventure wasn't over yet. We were invited by the Iranian Television 2 to give an interview about how we experienced Iran. Broadcast will be in one month, we'll keep you posted!