Last Supper in Armenia

I'm back in Florida, happy to be home, but haven't had time to post any more photos.  I arrived Friday night, May 24.  Friends from New Jersey and Michigan arrived May 25.  I hosted a barbecue yesterday (May 26).  Today, we are resting.

Here are photos of my last dinner in Armenia.  It was also my best meal there.  We dined at Caucasus restaurant on traditional food.  It was delicious.  I already miss Armenian food.  I hope you enjoy these photos at least half as much as I enjoyed the food.

These clay salt and pepper cellars are very common.  I now have one in my kitchen.  Salt is "in the belly", red and black pepper are held in the hands and toothpicks on top.

This appetizer was made of greens and ground nuts and was fabulous.  Sort of like a dry'ish spinach dip, but tastier.

We ordered bread.  It cost less than $1 for the whole basket.

My plate of first course.  The dumpling is filled with melted cheese and butter.  How can you not love that?  In the lower right was a chicken/yogurt dish that I scooped up with the wonderful bread.  On the lower left is the greens/nuts ball and bread on the upper left.

I believe I could happily live on this appetizer until I died from a heart attack.  Bread is baked with cheese, butter and an egg in the middle.  You pull off a chunk of bread from the outside and dip it in the melty goodness in the center.

Another bread/cheese/egg/butter dish - this one in thin layers.  Amazing.

Lamb kebab.  

A whole fish.  The dinner, as is typical in Armenia, was served family style.  As we kept ordering and eating I started to worry about the expense.  I shouldn't have.  Dinner came to $5 USD per person.  For an Armenian feast.

The morning I flew out dawned clear and cool.  I had a perfect view of Mt. Ararat from the airport.

Food in Armenia

One of my favorite things about traveling is the food.  Let's be honest.  Food is one of my favorite things about life.

I love to try new foods and am up to try pretty much anything.  After having visited over 60 countries, though, it's becoming harder and harder to find new taste treats.  Armenia has served me well.  From mulberries to fruit lavash, my taste buds have found a new home.  Here are some photos of our trip to the market in Yerevan yesterday.

Denise and Otis swore that their color coordinated outfits were not planned.  I'm not buying it.  They're standing in front of the fountain which is at the entrance to the subway.  Sadly, it is no longer operational.  After the dissolution of the USSR, Armenia (and other places) was left with little infrastructure.  Many parks, fountains, factories, etc. have still not been restored.  The progress made in the last 20 years is a testament to the strength and determination of the Armenian people.

The entrance to the subway has a bit of a Mad Max/end of the world feel to it, but the subway itself is clean, efficient and only 25 cents a ride.

First sight when entering the market.  Dried fruit plates.  Decorative and completely edible, they're offered to guests with coffee.

These are the fruit juice covered strings of nuts I first tasted at the art/craft market on Sunday.  America - we need these!

One of the tragic side effects of the conflict in Syria is the number of refugees seeking asylum in Armenia.  The bright side?  One Syrian family started this spice/olive/etc. business at the market.  Best hummus in Yerevan.

Spices!  Cheap and fresh.  Want some fresh saffron from Iran?  Yup, we got it.

Olives are popular and inexpensive here.  I bought a quarter kilo of the small green ones on the right.

Fruit!  It's only May, so most fruits aren't ready for harvest yet.  This is some of what is available - some local, some imported.

I was taking a photo of these beautifully displayed local cherries when a vendor wanted to literally get in the picture.  For effect, he snagged a cherry from the top.  The vendor who owned and had just stacked the cherries gave him a cheerful telling off.  Laughs all around.  It was early (for Yerevan) and we were among the few shoppers.  Vendors smiled, chatted with Denise and Otis in Armenian and I just smiled.

The man in the middle sells the dried fruit/nut mixture that I love.  He gave us samples of EVERYTHING he sold.  Otis goes to him regularly.  Denise and the female vendor from a nearby stall were using the dictionary to help with translation.  She was every bit as interested in learning English and about us and we were to learn Armenian and about her.  It's a friendly, safe place.

Another view of the dried fruit plates.  Amazing.  No sugar/preservatives added.  All edible.

We bought zucchini, garlic and some other stuff from this lady who sells to Otis regularly.  She was so pleased to have her photo taken with him.  There aren't many black folks in Yerevan and he still gets strangers asking to have their photo taken with him.  They also don't see a lot of natural blondes, so the two of us walking together get stares.  Just like Peace Corps.

The market is about 5 times the size of the Apia market and offers fresh meat, sausages and dried meat and fish, fresh fruit and produce, cheese and bread.  One stop shopping and more free samples than Costco!

Lavash is the staple bread.  It is thin and comes in a variety of textures. It is similar to a tortilla and delicious.  I asked to take this woman's photo and she was pleased to oblige.  Her neighbor asked me "German?"  I said "No, American."  She seemed a bit disappointed.  Wish I could have explained in Armenian that while I was born in America, my genes are from Germany.

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but had to try the local brew.  Served with a frosty mug it was cold and tasty.  A bit heavier than typical American beer.

Yuck.  Yet another PDA.  Young love.

My chicken schwarma lunch.  That's grilled chicken, herbs and pickled veg wrapped in lavash.  $1.75

Breakfast this morning.  So sweet, so delicious, so fattening.

I can't remember which fruit this is made from but he called it the Snickers.  It tastes just like a Snickers bar.

The tomato, stuffed with nuts and dried fruit.  I hate fruit cake but I could eat this stuff all day long.  Or until I went into a diabetic coma.

More Photos of Armenia

As we drove out of Yerevan (a lovely, cosmopolitan city), I wasn't too impressed with the landscape.  Malawi was much more beautiful.  But then we drove a few more kilometers and the terrain began to change.  Here are more photos of our tour to Khor Virap, Noravank and Areni.

Climbing up to Khor Virap

Denise at Khor Virap.  If she looked straight ahead, she'd be looking at Turkey and Mt. Ararat.  Because of the long-standing issues with Turkey, the border is closed and you can't cross from Armenia to Turkey.

A herd of sheep slowed our drive a bit as we left Khor Virap (about 45 minutes out of Yerevan) to drive to Noravank.  We climbed to a much higher and cooler elevation to Noravank.

It is traditional to release doves at Khor Virap, as Noah did after the flood.  This is believed to be the cradle of all civilization, since only those on the ark survived the flood.

From Khor Virap, facing away from Turkey - looking down on a cemetery.

The terrain began to change as we climbed toward Noravank

Denise and I met in Samoa.  We both lived in northern Arizona.  We agreed that these red rocks reminded us of there.

The weather at Noravank was cool, a bit drizzly and perfect.  The setting is remarkably peaceful and beautiful.

A few rain drops didn't put a damper on  our enjoyment of the beauty of the place.

The great thing about travel is the opportunity to meet amazing people and make  friends who get your passion for experiencing the world.

Photos don't do justice to the panorama.

Yeah, it's a monastary, but where tourists go, Coke and vending machines are sure to be there.

We stopped for lunch on our way back towards the winery at Areni.  Traditional (and delicious) Armenian food.  Beef shish kebab, grilled potato slices, cucumber/tomato salad (I've never tasted sweeter tomatoes than in Armenia).  You can barely see the slices of fresh cheese that you put with the fresh herbs on lavash bread for a wonderful treat.  The herbs included tarragon, basil, dill and something I didn't recognize.  Lunch, which included water (still or gas) and tea or coffee, was less than $7.  That's at a touristy tour bus restaurant.  Lunch was served open air, next to a river.

The world is a beautiful place.  This is in Areni.

After the 8 hour tour, Denise went to yoga and Otis and I strolled a few blocks from their apartment to Republic Square to watch the nightly fountain display and listen to the music.  Note that it's just getting dark.  It was 8:45 p.m.

Lots of people (most seeming to be locals) enjoyed the beautiful evening along with us.  I predict that Yerevan is going to be the next hot tourist destination, with prices rising dramatically.

Tour of Southern Armenia

On Monday, we took a tour with Hyur Services.  They did a great job and we saw beautiful countryside and fascinating monasteries.  The wine tasting was a nice way to end the day.  Here are some photos:

First stop:  Khor Virap.  A beautiful and historically significant monastery and also close to the Turkish border.  It is the closest you can get to Mt. Ararat in Armenia.  Sadly, clouds covered the top of the mountain.

The main chapel at Khor Virap.  I prayed there.  That I wouldn't have a heart attack after climbing all the steps to get there.

The cell where St. Gregory was imprisoned for 13 years.

Wild flowers at the Noravank monastery.  Set in among skyscraping red rocks.

Thousands of stone carvings depicting symbols of Christianity were placed in Armenia.  They are both gravestones and messages of salvation.

Noravank

In addition to red wines, Areni Valley specializes in cherry, apricot, pomegranate and peach wines.  I liked apricot the best.  It was tough having to taste them all but I felt it was my duty. 

We expected a tour of the winery to see how the wines were made but just got the tasting.   We drank one of the reds we bought with dinner this evening.