No wine for Khatami. "Mohammad Khatami, the President of Iran, has declared that he will refuse to sit at the same table as King Juan Carlos of Spain if wine is served during the meal. His initiative has caused a flurry of diplomatic activity." What an arrogant demand. The IR leaders are always going on about cultural imperialism, and now its leader is trying to force his values onto the leaders of other governments. So much for "dialogue between civilizations".

Back from my trip. It was really strange to see Shrek sitting on the end of the Si-o-seh Bridge in Esfahan. Together with the conference on Islamic arts and grafts, I mean crafts, there was an international children's film festival in Esfahan also. I had a really good time on my trip, thanks to the hospitality of the people I stayed with. Some international travellers clued me in to Bradt travel guides, covering Iraq as well as Iran. There's a Japanese guide to Afghanistan which I am eager to look at also!

In English articles, Iranians want democracy too.