we drove for an hour or so into the desert to Rayen. the city is a 1000year old mud brick city and citadel which is slowly being restored. it was also a perfect spot for picnic lunch in the shade of trees just outside. there is water here from the mountains which provide a snowy backdrop. not fare away was the Shahzadeh garden,a walled garden with water flowing through it to the verdant town below and a gatehouse that is a symbol of Iranian cultural tourism and has unfinished decorated walls. our final stop was the 15th century Shah Nematallah vali shrine. of particular interest are the ancient wall paintings,copy of a portrait of Mohammed and the shrine of his descendant. Kate was besieged by schoolgirls who wanted their photo taken with her and once a teacher always a teacher they gave her an apple. in the lonely planet guide our hotel is recommended as the best place to stay and eat even though it's very tired. on our last night here we had no electricity and Sebastian was woken early by a large lizard crawling about by his bed. thankfully it hid under a big chair as we packed.