The road connecting Tehran to the Caspian Sea region (only 180km)
covers vast types of climates and vegetation. I took this picture at a road an
outlook where the top photo shows the turn to the right, and at the same
spot I took the photo below. You can see the azure blue of the Caspian
sea on the not so distant horizon.

The Alborz mountains separate Tehran (and the central plateau of Iran)
 from the Caspian Sea. This is one of the highest spots on the road to the
 North on an early November day. The picture below is taken from the window my
brother's cottage, closer the the lush regions of the Caspian Sea.

A view of the Caspian Sea, signified by palm trees, and
snow covered mountain ranges in the back ground,
but still a very mild tempered region, with rare snow fall
cases.

Pomegranate, a heavenly fruit. It seems to have a prehistoric
origin, like what Rhinoceros is to animals... There grows
plenty of it in Persia, and very cheap (30 cents/Kg). Iran
has suffered one of the worst draughts of the century during the
last two years. These Pictures were taken in
Southern Central Iran, just outside of Shiraz.
 

My adventurous part of the trip was a sojourn at an ancient village near Shiraz.
Located along a valley, there were three clear water springs floating down the cliffs,
right by where I took this picture. Greatest impression on me was the organic food ingredients, fresh air, deep silence,
 rugged dusty mountains, deep views upon the plateau....
At the bottom of the valley, surrounded by a cluster of  wild fig and maple trees, there is an ancient
church. Beside it a tombstone dates 1190 years ago.
The church was rumored to be a cult from Britain. I very much enjoyed walking through the pomegranate
and fig gardens, with an open view across the valley, overlooking the rugged dry hills.

I also thought I should put a picture of a corner in central (old) Tehran. The rest
of Tehran looks just like any other city in eastern Europe. Dusty aged urban blocks,
that were assembled in better days. This one had a bit of Art Deco in it. Maple trees
are a very common feature of Tehran Streets.

The grand entrance to Persepolis, the capital of the ancient
Persian Empire. Walking on the intentionally shallow engraved stairway
would hold a gracious posture for the king and the queen while walking on them, and also
for me some 2500 years later.
 
 

In the mid 70s, Unesco forbid any further excavation into
Persepolis, so there could be still lots below this vast area
that we don't know. It was a comfortable warm day, with
a clear blue sky.
Below picture is from the main gate to the palace,
kind of the waiting room for the visitors, the guide told us.

Portrait of the royal warriors with the Persian nail scripts on the left.
These were some of the rare faces
that survived  the invasion of Arabs roughly around 1200 A.C.
In the Arab tradition, faces of humans should not be drawn, so they
destroyed the remains of the Persepolis, for a second time, specially any facial carvings.

The Apadana Hall, on the top,  was placed in the heart of the palace. This
is where the king spent his private moments. The walls remarkably portrayed the desert dust of two and half millenniums.