Yerevan

A busy day today.  Both yesterday’s flights were late taking off, and we did not land until 00:45. It was 02:30 by the time I got to bed.  This morning , two long museum tours, the Manuscripts Museum (beautiful but noisy) and the Genocide Memorial (God, give peace!)

 

Afternoon visits to churches, the best surprise being a free concert from an opera quartet in the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral, though some doubt was expressed what relation the “ruins” bore to the original. Not enough time to visit the museum and find out what’s known.  We could not visit Hripsime church because of roadblocks, but found a bumpy alternative route to Game, where weddings were in full spate and a water fountain was welcome. Rafik told us why the Armenian church is non-Chalcedonian (they weren’t invited and were too busy fighting), and claimed that, as a Monophysite church, they did not have pictures of Jesus. This one certainly did – mostly modern but I am not sure about the Presentation in the Temple over the door.  (The Apostolic church is not exactly Monophysite, but I did not understand the difference.)

The cathedral at Echmiadzin, home of the Catholicos (head honcho) was disappointing, quite small, with the central area blocked for restoration, hiding the frescoes.

Back at 6 to a folk concert everyone wanted to attend. Lots of dancing and change of costume, some singing. Not my scene, and I left at half time.

About the food: a varied breakfast buffet, with chopped vegetables and sliced courgettes to accompany the eggs, meat and cheese. For fruit, I had a few cherries. The downside was the coffee, strong and sludgy.  Lunch menu in a café: cabbage and lentil salads, two-coloured pepper soup, onions stuffed with minced meat, and a dessert made with ice cream and flaky pastry. For supper I had a tartlet and lemonade with line and mint in an expensive café before finding a supermarket to stock up on apricots and biscuits.  Still trying to get the hang of Armenian currency, about 600 to the pound or euro.