Shiraz

When I wake up on Friday morning, January 31, 2020, Txell and Koohyar are already on their way to the city. Time to get out of the nest. After breakfast and a hot drink with Patricia and François, we also head towards the city center of Shiraz. I'm practically part of a family outing with Rango, and the parents seem quite happy that Rango is attracting some attention. We pass by the Karim Khan Fortress and head to the Shah Cheragh Shrine and the Friday Mosque. I can park Rango outside the premises, and a merchant agrees to keep an eye on him. On the premises with the shrine and mosque, we are immediately taken over by a kind of guide or caretaker. It's Friday, and we can't visit everything, which the man apologizes for several times. Nevertheless, we are busy with his guidance for a while, and at least I'm glad that there is not much more to do. Then I free Rango from the crowd of onlookers that has formed around him in the meantime, and I join the family in search of ice cream. Throughout the afternoon, we stroll through the city more or less aimlessly. In Iran, Friday is a day off, and most shops are closed, so some streets are deserted. Back at the camp, I cook a small meal for Rango and me before I can go showering with Txell at an acquaintance of hers. Here I get to try dates with sesame sauce and homemade wine of the famous Shiraz variety. Both are really excellent. Then we go back to the tent, and a little later, we go back to the nest.

I start Saturday with a morning walk through Azadi Park, of course as a companion for Rango. After breakfast and coffee with François and Patricia, I take the opportunity to do some laundry. It's laundry day for the family, and so after the work is done, our part of the parking lot looks like a hippie camp. Colorful textiles flutter in the wind. Throughout the rest of the day, I stroll through Shiraz with Rango and can buy a new pair of pants and sunglasses. The shops are open again, and the city is generally much busier. In the evening, we return to the parking lot. After dinner and a chat with the community, the lights go out shortly before midnight.