The Golestan Palace 10 Nov
Where is Heinz and where is our money? Got up about 11:00am. After a cup of tea I go and sell coil, gaskets, wheel nuts, plugs for 250R. Next we went to the top of the Goodrich Building, which is near Ferdowsi Square at the junction of Ferdowsi and Shah Avenue (now called Enqelab Street). We were not allowed onto the roof when in the company of an Iranian, but alone we were all right! Took several photographs from up there. We came down and went and had a lovely cake (sticky bun) and some of those bubbly-looking cross between baklava and waffles - delicious.
On the way back to the hotel we had a look at the Sepahsalar Mosque and School completed in 1884. In 1979 it was renamed Shahid Motahhari Mosque, but many still refer to it by its original name. After lunch we went to "do" the Golestan Palace. When we got there, we found ourselves in a beautiful exhibition of silk fabrics with gold and silver threads in them. Some were extremely gold, and many of them changed colour, and even apparently pattern, as one moved round them - marvellous. Then it was past 4pm, and we discovered that the palace museum costs 30R (not free) - we had no money so that was out. Back to the hotel for a cup of tea.
We went up Ferdowsi to take a photograph of a model of the centre of the ancient Persian city of Isfahan in the second floor arts section of a department store. The woman at the information desk says no photos, we need permission from the minister. We go up and have a look anyway. Two men are working on a carpet loom. It was an unbelievably intricate and time-consuming amount of work. How do these people turn out so many? Other crafts including sort of mosaic knife handle, hand painting crockery and hand printing material. Then hastily erected tripod (with large crowd watching) took two photos before a little bird appeared evidently to tell us no. We obediently put stuff away and slid out.
Off up to Paris bookshop where we exchange "Introducing Greece" and "Guide to Acropolis Museum" for "Decline and Fall" by Evelyn Waugh. On the way up we sight "The Royal Wave" and remove the AC Owners Club badge with 1R piece (I used to own an AC Greyhound). I still have this badge. Just completing operation when Heinz reappears (claiming to have money) and drives away. We leave Paris bookshop and return to hotel for a meal, monster meal, and very good.
We locate Heinz afterwards, in with Yvonne, but now says he only has half the money. That guy's going to be taken apart soon. He really makes the most unlikely stories sound plausible. It's going to be a major crisis if he doesn't produce the money by tomorrow night, in dollars, since the bus is leaving on Wednesday morning. And if we've sold half our belongings unnecessarily, particularly the box and other spares, he's going to be in real trouble. After that we had a minor fire when Brian was carefully filling a bottle with petrol next to the lighted stove. To recover from that we had quarter of a huge melon each, with ginger, which makes quite a difference. I do hope Heinz produces some money soon. I was on the point of going to bed early when in breezes John again. Tonight, he regaled us only until 2am. He really is an excellent bloke (on the surface at any rate).
