around the world with ipuenktchen

hi, folks, after some tel calls without avail to get ANITA_2004, our sweet granddaughter, this eve she called us back herself!!!!! :-))))))))))))))))))))))))) wow, wow, wow - very proud grandmom, very proud grandpa.... :-))))))))))))))) and she told us very in detail what happened there at the caspian sea-side where she's passing her new-year-holidays far from mum and dad!!

and yesterday they went to see a ZOO - yeahhhh!!!!!!



there was a monkey as she told us she got friend with!!! and the keeper brought it to her and she took its hand!!!!! yeaaaaaaaaah!!!! you cannot imagine how happy she was!!!!!!



and later they saw some beautifull peacocks, one as beautiful as the other!!!!! and with 6 - 7 kids!!!! and they invite her to get into and to have one of the kids on!!!!! she was so happy as well as proud!!!!!!!!!



she told us also from some bunnies in different colours and depicted each of them in its own colours to us!!!!!! :-))) what a great day she had!! LUCKY ANITA!!!! her uncle's wife took some photos and she promised to send us, too!!!! LUCKY OMA & OPA!!!! hehe......

Hello!
It's a lovely sunny day in Ilam and we're going to have breakfast! In fact we can't enjoy our journey without it!

Ilam is the capital of Ilam province and just like all western provinces here borders Iraq, too. The city was damaged a lot during the eight years war with Iraq. Poor people lived in tents outside the city due to daily bombing.

Most of Ilam's attractions are natural, located out of the city. We had a visit to the city centre and were going to Vali Castle or Vali House. Vali was the name of an affluent family in Ilam, they had lots of lands. They lived in Qajar era. Later they immigrated to Iraq. There were beautiful rooms and wax sculptures exhibiting traditional clothes of the region. Nomads, their lifestyle, their marriage celebrating, cookings, tents, huntings, and the Vali's life in thelast room.































We are about to leave Ilam to Susa today!!!
Tomorrow we shall see some magnificent places!!!
Can't wait to tell you about them!

Hi every one!
On 18th of March after having a great breakfast we left Sanandaj to Ilam. Weather was lovely and a bit breezy. After 3 hours arrived in Kermanshah. The Capital City of Kermanshah province about 120 km from the border of Iraq.

As we arrived went straight to city's most famous place, Taq-e-Bostan where we could see a series of large rock reliefs from the era of Sassanid Empire of ancient Persia, the Iranian dynasty which ruled western Asia from 226 to 650 AD.

First a mini lake with some boats


and then a 600 year old tree, then the main rock.










The second and third rock were splendid also!




After lunch we bought some cookies called Nan Berenji which is made only in Kermanshah and then to the first Unesco World Heritage site of my journey, BISOTUN about 23 KM from city. Bisotun means "God's Place".

The inscription insists of three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform scripts: Old Persian, Elamite and Babylonian. The inscription is about 15 meters high by 25 meters wide.


Before visiting the main inscription everyone is welcomed by a monument of Bahram as Hercules carved in 153 B.C - which Yasi told me, that it's the fake one! The real one is stolen!!! :-0



Well! My next story will be about Ilam.

uffffffffffffffffff - finally my blog will be *online since 365 days* officially TODAY - as well as it's online since 14th march 2010
as you can follow by yourself!!!!!

!!!!!!!however - the blog's 1st BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!



and it's time to have a look at the stats...........

15,735 pageviews!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!
(it was 14.694 six days ago when I started the lottery!!!)

2.797 total unique visitors
ooo85 different countries

1.300 visitors from germany = 46,5 %
oo547 visitors from iran = 19,6 %
oo130 visitors from the states = 4,6 %
ooo90 visitors from suisse = 3,2 %
ooo86 visitors from austria = 3,1 %
ooo70 visitors from finland = 2,5 %
ooo54 visitors from the netherlands = 1,9 %
ooo39 visitors from Turkey = 1,4 %
ooo36 visitors from Russia = 1,3 %
ooo30 visitors from Poland = 1,1 %

ATTENTION pls: and at the occasion of the blog's 1st birthday
I completed all the postings from oct and nov 2010 with all the promised pics!!! - enjoy all the 40 new pics!!

A HUG SURPRISE for you, dear friends, just in time for the blog's 1st birthday CROSSY arrived back home in tabriz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pls stay tuned to read his adventures from his norouz-trip to western iran!!!!! dear MISSLONDON was so kind to take him with her and with all her efforts she took great pics and wrote a diary to let us know about!!!! :-)))))))))))))))) THANK YOU, dear MISSLONDON!! :-)))))))))))))))))

and I thank you all, my dear friends, mostly in postcrossing :-)))))) and for sure all others, too, for your interest in this blog - LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!!

Hi every one!
Hope that you're enjoying early days of Spring!
I had a great holiday in Western Iran with MissLondon!
we started our trip on 17th of March from Tabriz to Sanandaj,
the capital of Kordestan province.

Before leaving the house I had a picture with a green friend! He was so happy for his hair growing every day to be ready for Nowruz :)


After 6 hours of trip in the evening I found myself in front of
Kurdish Dresses!!! WOW!


Yasi and I had some rest in Hotel, then went to see the
Main Bazaar of Sanandaj.


A beautiful rug shop


Yasi bought some fabrics.
Kurdish fabrics are lovely and have vibrant colours.


We went back to hotel, then bed time. Have a long trip ahead.