BEER CHEESE AND COGNAC- Yerevan and Around, Armenia

......our time previously in Goris and Tatev.....

We decided it was time to leave the countryside, and get ourselves into the big city, Yerevan, about a five hour drive by share taxi. We arrived with not much idea about where to stay, and after traipsing around to some downright dodgy dwellings, we ended up in a fantastic hostel which was quiet, run by a gregarious young Armenian woman, with only a few other very nice travellers staying, and scored a sweet little room of our own which we immediately loved. In fact we loved the place so much, we decided to stay in Yerevan for the remainder of our time in Armenia. Much of Armenia’s history is centred around Yerevan, so there is heaps to see in and close by to the city.

Gigantic mushrooms for sale by the road

Our cute little Yerevan room

We were delighted to find Yerevan to be a very European feeling city (with a Soviet twist), with outdoor cafes, artists selling pictures in the park, unbelievably fashionable people (we were still coming to terms with the amount of skin on display!), big city squares with monuments and statues, and parks and trees lining the streets. It was particularly lovely being there in summer, when the days stayed light from 5am until 8pm, and we were free to hold hands in public! One of our first stops was the giant Opera House, where we were hoping to partake in some cheap tickets to a classical show, but found them sold out. We enjoyed exploring the old part of the city, watching old men play backgammon in the park, and searching out the little churches and even one mosque in the back streets. A particularly interesting morning was had at the Verissage Flea Market, a remarkable place where interesting goods were sold such as home made crafts, paintings, Persian rugs, Armenian lace and embroidery, touristy kitsch, second hand electrical and clothes, antiques, religious paraphernalia (including a portrait of Jesus in sequins!), old Russian cameras, second hand surgical equipment (!), and Soviet era memorabilia and uniforms.

A man and his rugs, Verissage Flea Market, Yerevan

Clunky old cameras, Verissage Flea Market, Yerevan

Second hand surgical equipment, Verissage Flea Market, Yerevan

Street art, Yerevan

Enjoying the arty vibe, Yerevan

Yerevan policemen

Soviet era apartment blocks, Yerevan

We're not in Iran any more!!

Although our budget couldn't stretch to eating in any of the many restaurants or bars around town, we were happy to find the supermarkets extremely well stocked with many goodies that we tried. Smoked cheese (called “beer cheese” here, and very strange with a meat like texture) was a particular favourite, with various hams, salamis and breads being our other staples. The wines from $2 a bottle and famous Armenian cognac at about $5 a bottle were a real treat too!

Armenian cognac and smoked "beer" cheese

Armenia has been a Christian country since 300 AD, and many of the sights involve churches, monasteries, cathedrals and convents. This was so different for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed the change from mosques!

Geghard Monastery was a must see for us, although we unfortunately visited on a Sunday when the hordes of day trippers were also present. This detracted somewhat from the beauty of the place, but it was also lucky in a way as a beautiful service was going on in a little side chapel, complete with an angelic singing choir, bearded priests waving around frankincense, candles and blessings by the priests. The churches in Armenia seemed very casual to us, with people coming and going during the services, some wearing scarves, others not, and people entering in inappropriate clothing. Geghard Monastery was very old, perhaps as ancient as the 4^th century, and the carvings, grottos, light and structure were simply gorgeous. One room upstairs particularly gripped us, especially when a man came in and sang a beautiful religious song and left again.

Angelic choir in Geghard monastery

Worshipper, Geghard monastery

Rich at Geghard monastery

Sunday faithful, Geghard monastery

Exterior, Geghard monastery

Carvings, Geghard monastery

From the heavens?!

Sunday service, Armenian style, Geghard monastery

We notice a path nearby, which we later read was the beginning of a hike to a hill top monastery, and we returned another day to heave ourselves up the very strenuous, but scenic climb to the top.

Organ pipe rock formations, near Garni

Strange rocks around Garni

Unusual checker-board design on church, near Garni

Pretty gate on church

Inside the church ruins, near Garni

Unusual church entrance

A long way up!

Made it to the top, Garni

The highlight of the scenery around Yerevan is Mount Ararat (the one Noah crash landed on with his ark), sacred to the Christian Armenians, and devastatingly for them, now in Turkish territory. The famous monastery, Khor Virap is perfectly placed in front of the mountain, and attracts day trippers who want to ogle at its beauty. We were a little disappointed with the interior after the two other fantastic monasteries we had visited, but the setting could not have been better.

Khor Virap monastery with Mt Ararat in the background

Beautiful vineyard scenery around Khor Virap monastery

A visit to the simply grand train station in Yerevan (via the old and clunky, but efficient Soviet era metro), saw us easily buy a ticket to Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia), and a few days later, we left perfectly on time on our way to another new country!

Soviet era Yerevan train station

....next, on to Georgia......