My 12 Day stay in Isfahan - Day 10 - Isfahan - Along the Zayande Rud river; Iman square and socializing with the neighbours - The 6th of December 2017

 

 

Why I decided to photograph the way out of my hosts'  will keep on being unknown to me ... though I feel it may be related to the fact that my stay was coming to an end and I felt the need to register those images ... the images of a path I walked everyday ... one which made me undeniably happy.

 

 

I walked all the way towards the dry Zayande Rud river to admire its  green shores and bridges once more and to just sit somewhere  and ponder ... the old Iranian way I was beginning to identify myself with.

I was going to miss Isfahan ... How I was going to miss it!!!

Upon reaching my hosts' I was introduced to the neighbour's grand-children and invited over to share lunch with them, which ended up being another emotional-like experience I'll cherish for ever ... What a beautiful family ... and one of gifted artists. One of the lady's daughters made wood puzzle-like paintings and painted egg-shell frames for her own amusement and so did her husband  ... intricate horses made out of bent iron like nails ...

 

 

My 12 Day stay in Isfahan - Day 9 (morning) - Isfahan - The Soffeh Mountain - The 5th of December 2017

Saba and I set off fairly early in the morning to Soffeh Mountain, which overlooks Isfahan and is located just South of the Zayenderud river. I finally understood Iranians' love of nature and  the absolute need they have to be in almost permanent contact with it.

 

 

It was cold and I had no particular intentions of leaving the home until Saba suggested we  took advantage of the morning breeze to breath in some air and admire the view from up there. There seem to be quite a few different opinions as to the name of the mountain - whether it derives from the Arabic word "sofa" (meaning stone bench or raised platform) to a mystical music called "Mir Ali-ye Soffee) or even the Iranian word "Safa" meaning pleasantness and enjoyment.

 

 

 Unconcerned as to which the most adequate linguistic approach might be we treaded those paths, filled with Iranian families doing what we were just attempting to actually do -  to take advantage of the beautiful scenario and breathe in.

 

 

As we made our way down so as to catch a taki to take us back into town we came across a statue depicting a mountaneer which prompted me to think how lucky Isfahanis actually are ... they have everything they need to be happy (at hand)...  including a mountain they can climb onto ...