WE WOKE AT 7 or so and had breakfast and then up to pack and have our bags down by 0830. We climbed into our bus and drove north which took nearly two hours due to the traffic, but finally we arrived at the various palaces of the

Shaw.  Our guide spoke kindly of the Shaw and was admiring of his wife who did many things of cultural interest of preserve them. Also of the many good things that the Shaw did.  Our guide speaks about the present government and the corruption and their absolute miss use of power with total contempt and how many young people are now calling for the Shaw to return.  He was known as a benevolent dictator.  

We visited the Shaw s palaces and were allowed in to the green palace where the glitterati was almost over whelming.  We were not allowed to take photos which was a shame as the place would have been amazing to photograph.  The return bus took ages also but we stopped at the archeology museum which had some interesting treasures.  Lunch followed.. we have four vegetarians with us and they are gong to get tired of eating eggs and scooped augergine.. we watched a man make huge fresh flat bread.. rolling it out on the flat surface and then putting the final touches to the product by putting in on a curve cushions over which he stretched the dough.  It went into a wood stove oven, a small hole in the wall , and the result was wonderful 18 inches across delightful flat bread served straight out of the oven. 

We then got on the bus again and drove to the Jewel Museum.  Where the Thenlargest Diamond in the world resides.  We were the first allowed in at 1400.. we lined up against a wall and then with a fat moving fast speaking guide we saw what must be billions of dollars worth of jewelry dating from early days.  The Shaw and his family did not take any of it with them in fact the jewels were on loans and they only borrowed them.  I it was an amazing site.  And the security was intense.   There must have been billions of dollars in that room.  

We then got on the bus in the rain and drove to the rail way station, were we again efficiently herded to our platform and on to our reserved seats on the train.  Very comfortable. 

We have had a succession of goodies. Water bottle.. then chocolate snack and of all things a juice carton size carton of milk.  

Then orders for supper which was going to be picked up at announced stops.  We ordered what seems ubiquitous chicken kebab.. which is cooked chicken .. usually fried or grilled, cut up into a strip and served under a Ute Lund of rice.  The Iranians eat more rice than the 

Chinese.  I had agreed to give my rice to one of the vegetarian travellers. A bottle of coke,  it came with a sachet of lime juice and another one of salt. 

I now usually order what ever we are going to have without rice please.  

We have a twenty minute stop and went out to rain and wind and dropped my typing board and lost a key.. cannot remember what it does.. but nothing else seems to have broken.  

We are now i our quiet garden hotel in the small desert city of Yazd.  Got the internet up and running it is nearly midnight...6 hours on the train which ran absolutely on schedule. Very comfortable.  At first when we could still see the desert and mountains reminded me of Mongolia.