Iran homecoming

Two weeks in Iran. It felt like months - renewing old friendships, seeing family we'd not seen for 4 years, and being bombarded with the sights and sounds of a city of 20 million people. A long way from Cambridge!

What's new? Motorways through the city centre, air conditioned buses, bus lanes, metro from north to south Tehran, electronic number queuing system in banks, supermarket deliveries to your door, top of the range safe playgrounds in every park, paintings and tiles on kilometers of motorway walls, and tight mini roopoushes (Islamic coats)on young women .

What's the same? Taxi drivers complaining about the government; family warm and welcoming; people unwillingly observing Ramadan; zoolbia and bamieh; every market trader and acquaintance remembers you. This is a city that doesn't need surveillance cameras: there is always someone watching you.

What's surprising? Water fountains working during Ramadan; women actors performing and reciting poetry in a public park; the price of bread and virtually everything else, has more than tripled in 3 years.

It was a wonderful, intense, 12 days.

Now back to the slugs and weeds on the allotment.