Monday, July 15, 2013
I met my cousin, Francoise, at Charles de Gaulle in Paris and we flew to Yerevan. The flight to The Republic of Armenia was another five hours in the air. We arrived at 9:55 PM local time at Zvartnots International Airport. As an American, I had to purchase a Visa to enter Armenia, so first we stood in line to exchange my dollars to Drams. European Union citizens did not need visas. There are about 420 Drams to one US Dollar, so I received about 20,500 Drams. Afterwards, I waited on another line to purchase the Visa. The third line which was to pass through Customs, was the shortest and quickest. Finally we passed through the doors to the waiting room. Our distant cousins, Anahit and Gagik were waiting for us to take us to the Europe Hotel to begin our two-week stay in Armenia. It was very kind and generous of Anahit and Gagik to meet us!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
After a European breakfast at the hotel, Francoise and I went out to explore the neighborhood. The Europe Hotel is located very close to the city center of Yerevan called Republic Square. The ‘square’ is actually a large traffic oval surrounded by government offices, the central post office, a Marriott Hotel, the Museums of Armenian History, National Gallery of Art, and the famous “Singing Fountain”.
Pink Buildings Around Republic Square
Government Building
Pedestrian Mall
We crossed Republic Square and walked along Nalbandyan Street to the Hyur Tourist Service office. They were a reputable company which offered tours from Yerevan to historical sights outside the city. We arranged two separate day-tours for this week to explore the small country of Armenia.
The Singing Fountain
The agent at Hyur Service recommended a nearby restaurant for lunch, the Tumanyan Pandok. The weather was very warm and the restaurant was located below street level so it was much cooler downstairs. We had stuffed grape leaves (dolma), eggplant & pepper salad (in the photo below), and Uzbek Pilaf. Everything was delicious!
Georgian Salad for Lunch
We walked back to the Europe Hotel. The temperature was very hot (41 degrees Celsius) and the air conditioning at the hotel was great! The hotel was centrally located on a small quiet side street. Our room was clean and comfortable and the entire staff was friendly and helpful.
Exterior of the Europe Hotel
Anahit called to invite us out to see the city in the evening. She and Karen drove us to The Cascade which was a sight to behold. It was a multi-level modern art museum built into the side of a hill with interior and exterior stairs to the top. There was also an escalator inside with art objects along the moving stairs. The sculpture garden at street level was filled with modern art objects created by world-famous artists.
The Cascade
Francoise, Karen, Anahit
View of the Sculpture Garden From the Top
Top of the Cascade
As night fell, Anahit and Karen drove us to a really nice restaurant called Poplavok Jazz Cafe to have dinner and hear live music. The temperature was much cooler near the fountain and the jazz was very good. We sat and had a very enjoyable time.
Poplavok Jazz Cafe
Cool Evening & Cool Jazz
American Jazz Band at the Poplavok
Armenian Pizza
After a good supper of pizza, salad, fries, and veggies, we left and Karen drove us to Republic Square to join the people at the “Singing Fountain.” The water sprays up to the beats of classical music. The crowd, a lively blend of multi-generational families and young people, cheered as the music played.
The Singing Fountain at Night
The Crowd Around the Fountain
Singing & Dancing Water
It was a very active and interesting first day in Yerevan.