Bagh-e Tajiki...our mini garden

our mini garden

Salaam,

It’s the last Friday of the month today. In two days time it’ll be June. Well, actually nothing much is going around here...and to note down today… just relaxing and contemplating in our little mini garden in front of the residence, relishing the beautiful weather and the sunshine of early summer days of Tehran, yet again.

Some spring flowers are beginning to fade away, giving way to roses, gerbera and a few other wild flowers of vibrant colors and shapes. It’s the time of the year when most of them are beginning to blossom now. I particularly like the red roses among all the other roses in the garden.

Besides flowers, I notice there are also a couple of fruit trees in the front garden and backyard of the house, beginning to bear fruits. The white berries in the backyard are mostly ripe by now, ready for the picking. For those who prefer it dried, now is the best time to harvest them, and roast or grill them in a fruit dryer.

However, of all kind of trees and plants in the garden, our favorite and most precious one is the walnut tree, right in front of the veranda. Not a big one though but it’s kind of special to us since moving in to this house. It’s been bearing some fruits ever since, but after a close look again at the tree today; it seems that this summer it’s going to be more bountiful.

Wassalam.

button-size red roses

lily-like

another variety of red roses

simply adorable

for my valentine...with love

I just don't have a name for this one yet, but its so cute n beautiful

yellow rose

pink roses

contrasting colors

some leftover spring flowers...

kind of hycintha family

the one n only walnut tree in the garden

view from the veranda

more fruit this year...

and more to reap

last season's reap (august last year)

ready to eat...

apricot tree...hidden among the flowers and branches

apricot fruit

white berry in the backyard balcony

sweet and tasty when eaten fresh from the tree

rosemary leaves at both sides of our entrance step...use as additional fragrance

in cooking or grilling

grapes grown wild on our left wall/fence...

beginning to bear fruits now

abundant fruits and berries for all...

including the crow...

Lorestan...land of the Lors

Salaam,

Welcome back. Just been back and still recovering though, from a three-day tour of a central Iranian province last Saturday evening. Despite the tight schedule and all the weariness, it was nonetheless a very worthwhile and fruitful visit to one of Iran’s most attractive and remarkable provinces.

Lorestan, which means “land of the Lors” is indeed a province of great antiquity with unusual natural beauty. It is among the oldest and historical western regions of Iran straddling the glorious Zagros mountain range. From the environmental and natural attraction points of view, the province can be considered as one of the most interesting and spectacular regions of the country.

Organized jointly by the Tourism Authority of Iran, Iran Touring and Automobiles Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the local provincial government, the objective of the visit, among others, was to emphasize the significance of the province to foreign missions and representatives in Iran and hence to encourage cooperation in the field of tourism and economic spheres. About forty head of missions, representatives, their spouses and family members were invited for the exclusive tour which began on Thursday morning and ended last Saturday.

Among the many eye-catching sights and places this province has to offer are the splendid natural landscape of the countryside with its lush vegetation and forests, attractive mountain ranges, lakes and waterfalls, some of which were conspicuous during our sightseeing tour of the province. Some of the most prominent and popular historical sites and tourist attractions that we visited were the impressive Falak-ol-Aflak castle or fortress in the provincial capital city of Khorram Abad, and the old Imam Mosque and old houses of Qajar and early Pahlavi periods in Borujerd. A trip to observe and experience the nomadic life of the Lors, one of the main tribes of Lorestan was also arranged on the second day of the visit. On the last day of the tour, the group was taken on a brief tour of Exir complex, Iran’s main pharmaceutical company, followed later by a luncheon reception at the Women’s Park of Borujerd.

Wassalam

our bus chauffeur

escorted all the way

breakfast in Qom...

lunch at Amir kabir hotel in Arak... Markazi province

arrival in Borujerd's Zagros hotel late afternoon

our accommodation for the next 3 days

view of Silakhoor plain from Choqa hill

friends from Ukraine...

recreation park of the hotel

participating countries

view from the road

statue of Arash, heroic archer-figure of Iranian oral
tradition and folklore

roses in the hotel garden

handicraft shop in the lobby

saying of sayidina ali a.s. pertaining to safety of a traveller