Exploring Armenia further

Right now I'm either horribly hungover, poisoned, or have a virus. Quite possibly a side effect from the big wine festival last night.

Yesterday we started the day with another traditional home-cooked breakfast from Dada, our host's mother. While in Armenia it made sense to see Lake Sevan, being the largest body of water in the Caucasus region. It is also one of the largest high altitude lakes in the world and one of the most popular holiday destinations for Armenians, who being in a landlocked country do not have access to the ocean or sea. Not too far from the lake are expansive and rolling mountains, giving them the nickname "Little Switzerland".

Dilijan

Ever the proponents of local public transport, we took the 46 to the northern bus station, where a tightly packed marshutka took us to Dilijan. The spa resort capital of the country, it offers scenic views of the surrounding mountains, though not snow-capped at this time of the year. It also has the feel and atmosphere of a typical mountain resort town though, though noticeably less well maintained than one in France or Switzerland.

Sevanank

Following Dilijan, we found a Yerevan bound marshutka that was able to drop us off at the shore of Lake Seven. Nearby is an inlet that led to one of the core sights of Lake Sevan, Sevanank, a picturesque medieval monastery complex offering pretty impressive backdrops of the surrounding lake and shoreline.

While at Sevanank it, unfortunately, began to pour down intensively. A stroll to the main road was no out of the question, so we flagged down a taxi driver who drove us to the nearest bus stop that was in the town of Sevan, a few km away.

Once back in Yerevan and after eating a hearty stew at one of the local restaurants nearby festival, we headed over to the Yerevan Wine Days. The stew on the left here is Kchuch, and I was surprised by how big that pot was. It is a traditional casserole of mixed vegetables and meat; lamb and pork, baked and served in a clay pot with pieces of bread. Another stew definitely worth trying while in Armenia is Ghapama, a pumpkin soup baked in a clay pot with boiled rice and a variety of nuts, raisins, dates and more.

Yerevan Wine Days Festival

Armenia being a winemaking nation for about 6,000 years, this was something I just had to check out. Not surprisingly it was totally packed full of people. After waiting 20 minutes or so for a wine glass and a ticket book of coupons, and 6 euro lighter, I was ready to taste. The coupon book allowed for many free samples from various wine stalls around the place. The coupon book was more than enough, and in a couple of hours I was barely walking.

Next: Back to Georgia and homebound