First half of our adventurous road trip to Yerevan completed. Discovering Tbilisi, tour to Mtskheta. We made it to Armenia, a night in Dilijan and on to Yerevan. Infernal drive from Armenia to Georgia and challenging border crossings until our return to Turkey.

 Erzurum, Turkey, Sunday 21st April, 2023.

Proof we made it to Armenia. Tuesday 16th May, Border town of Bagratashen

Dear friends and readers.

I am now writing from Erzurum in Eastern Turkey, on our way to Capadoccia on day 31 of our journey. Turkey is enormous, double the size of Germany and our travels from the Georgian border in Eastern Turkey in Posof to the border of Greece near Kipi is over 2400km. Add another 200km more to divert to Capadoccia. I thought you might like to see a proper map of Turkey with all its surrounding countries to see exactly where we are today and where we are going. 

Map of Turkey

Turkey borders with Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia (closed border), Syria, Iran and Iraq. If only we had more time here to visit Syria, Iran and Iraq but they are pretty no-go countries for EU citizens. Maybe we shall do so in another life. We are in Erzurum in the east heading for Capadoccia, via Sivas,  in the centre and will them go west towards Greece. On the way out we drove from Edirne on the Bulgarian border in the west, all along the Black Sea to Georgia near Batumi. 

It has been exactly one month since we left Madrid on this amazing road trip to discover the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Our final destinations were Georgia and Armenia and I can't tell you which country I liked best - I fell in love with both of them. But we didn't like everything as you will read on. We also had some adventures and mishaps when, at times, it felt as if our Guardian Angel had abandoned us. But he or she has always come back, so far. 

Last Sunday we woke up in Tbilisi and had splurged on a private city tour with our own guide and driver. But first we went to church. We both love Orthodox church music and  Georgian church music is quite unique. There is of course the polyphonic choir but also the Georgian chanting. With a bit of research I found out that the best choir was at the oldest standing church or Basilica in the city - built in the 6th century. It has the very difficult name of Anchishkati. I may not remember the name but I shall never forget the music. We got there by using "Bolt" (similar to Uber) for under 2 euros! We arrived early just while clergy and church helpers were preparing for the 2 hour service. It was an interesting experience; similar but different to the Russian Orthodox church. I wondered once again what the main theological difference between the Orthodox church and the two other main Christian churches, are, apart from the liturgy and ritual which is so ancient and profound with people constantly crossing themselves from right to left, kissing icons, bowing and lighting candles. The main difference has to do with how the churches view the Holy Spirit. In the Orthodox church, the Holy Spirit comes only from God and not Jesus and in the Protestant and Catholic church the Holy Spirit comes from both God and Jesus. We could not take photos inside this ancient church so I had to suffice with photos taken outside. 

The ancient Anchiskati church in Tbilisi

Before the service started  I spoke to two priests or deacons, introduced myself and asked a few questions.I learned that the service in the Georgian church is conducted in modern day Georgian, unlike the Russian Orthodox church which mainly sticks to Church Slavonic. In turn they asked if I was a church goer. Well, I'm not am I? But I've been to a lot of churches, especially on this trip.

It was mostly the music we had come for. It was so unique and haunting I had to take a quick video to share and to remember but got caught by one of the priests so had to cut it short. This is it. 

We did not stay for 2 hours as at 11 our guide and driver were meeting us at the apartment. On time Lana the guide and Guiya, the driver arrived.  I told Lana who is of Armenian origin, that her name meant "wool" in Spanish. She was a lovely girl but sometimes it was difficult to understand her English.

The first place she took us to was the funicular which she called a train, up a mountain to the top of the cities for views. We were lucky that for once it didn't rain. Here we are about to take the funicular. Finally we had someone to take photos of the two of us. The funicular reminded me of the ones in Valparaiso in Chile and in Hong Kong. 

The funicular and view from the top

While enjoying the view of the city, we quizzed Lana on the political issues that face both Georgia and Armenia. Georgia is a country that has been in the hands of invaders during most of its existence. Georgia, which borders with Russia, Turkey, Azerbajan and Armenia, has a population of just under 4 million people and up to 1.5 million live in the capital. Lana told us 500.000 were immigrants, mostly Russians and Chinese. Both Georgia and Armenia were the first countries to adopt Christianity. The country has been in the hands of Mongols, Turks, Persians and of course Russians under whose influence Georgia still remains with a semi pro Russian government in place. As Lana told us, the city was founded by King Vakhtant Gorgasal in the 5th century while hunting. He found hot springs and decided to build a city. Apparently the word Tbilisi means warm. Today there are many Georgian baths, similar, but different to Turkish baths. 

We came down from the top of the mountain by car and then began exploring some of the city which lies on the River Mtkvari. We crossed what is known as the Peace Bridge after having driven through the main sites of the more modern part of the city. There we got a photo with our guide Lana, a darling of a young girl. 

With Lana on our city tour last Sunday in Tbilisi

She took us to pretty streets in the old part of the city, the most beautiful part. I loved what she called the "drunken tower". I'm not sure if that's its real name. Again we got a photo together. 

By the "drunken tower"

It is actually a clock tower, similar in mechanism to the famous clock in Prague. We were then walking along small cobbled streets lined with houses with lots of balconies. Lana explained they were built as a stop off place for merchants on the Silk Road and that they slept in the rooms above and their goods were stored in the cellars. We saw these type of houses everywhere. The one below has been turned into a cafe where we got an excellent cappuccino. 

Typical balconied house in Tbilisi

We then walked on and came upon the door of the Patriarch's house. Called "Ilia", he is now nearly 90 but still in power. The patriarch is equivalent to a Pope - meaning Ilia II is the spiritual leader of the whole of the Georgian Orthodox church, which does not, by the way, report to Moscow, being an independent church. 

The entrance to the house of the Georgian Patriarch, Illa II

Our guide then walked us underground to the Meidan Bazaar. I've never really seen anything like it. It is small and only slightly similar to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. What I loved most is that it only sold local produce. There was none of the usual stuff you see in markets all over the world which mostly come from China. I found it fascinating. 

Inside the Meidan Bazaar in Tbilisi last Sunday

I don't think the next place we visited was on our programme but when Lana pointed out an Armenian church, The Church of St. George below, we asked to go in. 

The Armenian Church of St. George in Tbilisi

We were in tremendous luck as a choir was rehearsing for a baptism and oh what a choir it was. This time I was able to take a video. Watch it; it moved me to tears. I never got to hear more choir music in Armenia so this was the experience I am taking home with me. 

Later Lana gave us two candles each. See Eladio below placing his. Mine were for my mother and father. 

Eladio placing a candle in the Armenian Church of St. George in Tbilisi last Sunday

I came out feeling profoundly touched by the music and the atmosphere of the church. It took me a while to feel normal again. We were then to see the last church of the day - a huge cathedral built not so so long ago, the Holy Trinity Cathedral - by, of course, the Patriarch - which dominates the city. It is the only one with a golden roof. Most churches in the area are cone shaped. This place was a bit over the top for me. I far preferred the ancient church of Anchiskhati where we attended service that morning. 

The huge Holy Trinity cathedral in Tbilisi

By then it was nearly 4 pm and we hadn't eaten. Eladio and I always eat, when we can, at 2pm and  8pm but last Sunday was special. We were too tired to take in any more sight seeing and asked to be taken somewhere to get something to eat asap and then be driven home. It took a while but by about 4.30 we had a durum (called sharma in Georgia) each in our hands which we ate greedily in the car. Of course later we would not be hungry for dinner. 

That was a pity as Lana had booked a table for us at Gorgasali restaurant where they put on a folk singing and dancing show. Here is Eladio sitting at our rather opulent table. And here are some snapshots of our evening,our first proper evening out on this trip. 

At the Gorgasali restaurant for dinner and a show last Sunday.

We were absolutely not hungry but had to order some food, most of which we took home to be eaten another day. Eladio had a beef stew and I went for the Georgian style "pelmeni" or dumplings called "khinkali". I could only eat one - what  a pity. We also had had a huge glass of Georgian red wine which we din't finish either. Georgian wine is famous for being made in a different way to wines in the rest of the world and is recognised on the list of the  Unesco's Intangible cultural heritage. The method is called Qvervri wine making and dates back to ancient times. Wine is stored in a huge egg shaped vessel for ageing and Georgians are very proud of their wine. We liked it. 

The singing was good but I was a bit disappointed the singers wore street clothes. The dancing was good too and reminded me a bit of Cossack dancing. I loved the costumes. Eladio remarked this was the equivalent of Flamenco shows in Spain. He is right. We wouldn't be seen dead at one but in Tbilisi we were happy to see the show. Truth be told though, we both far prefer church music; it's so haunting.

We were back in our apartment shortly thanks to another cheap Bolt taxi ride and there was still time for uploading photos and generally pottering around until we went to bed at just before midnight Georgian time - 2 hours ahead of Madrid and 3 hours ahead of London. Turkey is one hour behind which is probably why I was awake at 5 am this morning instead of 6:-(

Monday would be another full day in Tbilisi and we had arranged with Lana for her to show us the other ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta - impossible to pronounce. Mtksheta is close to Tbilisi - about 23km, but would take nearly an hour to get to - due to Georgia's challenging roads and famed traffic, hahahaa. Lana came to our apartment to pick us up in her car at 10.30. We were grateful that she drove. People hardly wear seat belts here and they are only obligatory for the driver and front seat passenger. Traffic  slowed us down but we made it to the beautiful Javri monastery church which sits on a hill above the ancient city of Mtksheta, where Christianity attained the status of the state religion in 337. The Armenians beat the Georgian too it by becoming a Christian country just a few years earlier. This is the church which sits on top of Mount Javri and which belongs to 30 monks who live nearby.  Below too is the view of the city of Mtksheta where two rivers meet - one blue and one grey. 

Javri monastery church with the views of the ancient city of Mtskheta

It was a very windy day and the proverbial stray dogs were everywhere. They have been vaccinated by the government - in the past they were just killed. We would see more in Armenia and in Turkey.  Eladio took the photo below where you can see a dog lying on the step into the church just in front of me. 

Javri monastery church entrance - notice the dog lying at my feet

It was (Saint) Nina who brought Christianity to Georgia by converting King Mirian III and the Queen. Legend has it the Queen couldn't have children so went to see "Nina" after which she became with child. That was how Georgia became the second country in the world to become Christian. At this church, legend has it that Nina built a cross with vine wood (now the Georgian church cross) where miracles happened and attracted pilgrims from all over the Caucasus. Below is the icon of St. Nina with her peculiar cross. She is venerated everywhere in Georgia. 

The icon of St. Nina at the Javri monastery church

From high above we drove down the mountain to the pretty town of Mtskheta. With a population of about 5000, the town lives off tourism. There too is another church dedicated to the story of Nina, one of the most important cathedrals in Georgia, the Svetitiskhoveli Cathedral. See the photos of the outside below. 

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

We had a very funny encounter with the local priest as we walked through the walls that surround the cathedral. As soon as he heard we were from Spain he started chanting Barça and we said "Hala Madrid" back. It was such fun we had to have photos with him. After all it is not often you meet a Georgian Orthodox priest who is a football fan. 

A funny encounter with a Georgian priest at Mtskheta Cathedral

We certainly had our fair share of churches in Georgia. Svetitskhoveli_Cathedral was built in the 11th century but founded in the 4th century by Saint Nina who chose to build the first Christian church there after a miracle to do with Christ's mantle which is buried there. There is also a replica of Christ's grave in Jerusalem  - the Holy Sepulchre  -and this Cathedral is viewed by Georgian Orthodox Christians as their second Jerusalem. We loved the story of how Christianity came to Georgia as we loved the cathedral but by 2pm we had had enough and were beginning to suffer a sort of church Stendhal syndrome. Besides we were hungry. Thus Lana drove us back and we stopped at Agro Hub - that local supermarket in Georgia we liked so much, for us to buy lots of fruit and some home made Georgian cuisine. We took it back to our apartment but ate a very small amount as we had a dinner date that night and couldn't repeat what happened when we went to the Georgian show and were not hungry.

But there was time to what these days is called "to chill" before going out. We were meeting  a Georgian friend, David who is our Georgian Airbnb guest and who has stayed a few times with us. His son who is only 15 is at the football school near us sponsored by the Spanish premiere league (La Liga) and the NBA. His daughter is studying in Hamburg and his main home is Bangkok where his wife works for the UN. David is a business man who exports blueberries and manages real estate. We arranged to meet at the Stamba Hotel, previously the main publishing house in Tbilisi and where the state newspaper was printed in Communist times. And there was David waiting for us at 8pm on a table in the garden. It was so great to meet him and to be hosted by a local. David had given me lots of advice while planning this trip and I am very grateful to him. Here is one of the photos we had taken together after the dinner. 

With David our Georgian host and our Airbnb guest in Madrid

He was keen for us to try local dishes as Georgian cuisine is quite famed. We loved what we ate there. He wanted us to try Khachapuri but as it is made of cheese I couldn't eat it. Eladio loved it. 

Typical Georgian dish - bread with cheese and egg - Khachapuri

So I had to choose from the menu. I spied the Russo Ukrainian borsch but David didn't allow me to choose anything Russian hahahha. So he chose this wonderful chicken dish for me which is eaten cold and with a sort of soft semi uncooked dough. It was delicious. 

Cold chicken stew like dish with"Bazhe" sauce made with walnuts, garlic and pomegranate;  served with "elardji" - a semi cooked dough

He also chose the wine and it had to be a "Qvevri one - the unique method of making wine only in Georgia. I had tasted it before when he brought us some to Madrid so it was wonderful to try it in Georgia with him. 

Qvevri wine

Our conversation focused on our trip and what we had seen so far. We had spent 5 nights in Georgia which David though was nothing but a flying visit and that we had to stay longer. We would have if we could and maybe one day we will be back. We also spoke a lot about local politics and the situation and history of his country; always threatened by Russia. He was very bitter about the Russian invasion in 2008 when Russia declared South Ossetia and Abkhazia independent states - they literally took 20% of Georgian territory. He was bitter because the West did nothing and, as many Georgians like him, he fears Russia will invade again and take over his country after Ukraine. 

It was an interesting and entertaining evening and a great end to our stay in Tbilisi. We parted but will see David again at the end of June when he comes to visit his son. We look forward to that. 

We were "home" early and as I sat on our terrace I once again saw the horrible illuminated sky scraper which I only realised then is the modern part of the 7 star Biltmore Hotel. David told us the story of the building of this monstrosity had a lot of controversy around it, including bribing the government. I wondered who stays there and he said "rich Arabs". I can imagine. Many nationalities come to live or spend time in Georgia because it is generally visa free. 

The monstrous Biltmore hotel as seen from our balcony in Tbilisi

It was our last night in Tbilisi and we went to bed early and amazingly for me, again I slept well- I have been sleeping marvelously on this road trip.

We woke up on Tuesday to sunshine, great for our road trip to Dilijan in Armenia. We drove out of the city in thick traffic past Freedom Square which we never stopped to see, so here it is. 

Freedom Square in Tbilisi

As we left, I wondered if I would ever come back. It took a while to get out of the city because of the crazy and heavy traffic but soon we were on our way. There was no dual carriageway, never mind a motorway to the border town of Sadahklo in Georgia which is only 73km from the capital but took forever. It's true we stopped for petrol, stopped again to wash our filthy car, as well as to get some tablets for the "runs" which had been affecting me since Italy. Here is our Mini being washed. As we waited, I spied cows on the road! 

Our car being washed on the way to the Armenian border

As I returned from the "apotek", my husband was not in the car. He had been offered tea by 2 Turkish shopkeepers. It's not often he engages solo with strangers so I was pleased to be met by this scene.

Turkish hospitality in Sadhaklo, the border town in Georgia

I then took the wheel and it was just 4km to the border with Armenia. On the other side was the small town of Bagratashen. This was the sight that greeted me when I had passed Georgian customs. The passport official called me "Mashenka" which I found delightful. 

The Armenian border

There were far fewer vehicles than at the Sarpi crossing from Turkey into Georgia but the bureaucratic procedures were far more complicated and extremely slow. We were greeted by border officials who looked like Russian generals with all sorts of badges on their uniforms and great big hats. Again Eladio had to leave the car and I was the one to interact with the officials. I got through ok but then I was told to go to the part where I had to declare my car. Neither is a Green Card nor International driving licence of any worth in Armenia. They need money from travelers so they charge them for taking in a car and then for insurance. This annoyed me as we had got all these papers plus expensive international insurance. I forked out 25 euros from a 50 euro note and got change in Armenian drams - over 10.000. 1 euro is equivalent to 418 drams. That shows you just how poor Armenia is. The whole process was very slow to declare the car with about 4 different people involved. It was very reminiscent of Soviet times I think. Anyway, I got through and there was my husband waiting for me. We had to have a photo together on Armenian soil just to show we made it!!!!

Photo on Armenian soil on Tuesday 

Once on Armenian soil, I made a beeline to get a local Sim card for a paltry 4 euros but then I was made to get local insurance for 10 euros. It was all very time consuming but finally I emerged with everything done and we could continue our way. 

Again there is no "highway" to the capital, Yerevan - it's just a normal road; well not normal as there are potholes everywhere and all water deposits in the road seem to stick out so you have to swerve round them. Our destination was the small town of Dilijan as we didn't want to drive all the way to Yerevan. It was not far but took ages. Dilijan is a local tourist spot where most people come to hike but I had been told the town was beautiful. Its biggest claim to fame is a monastery called Haghartsin. 

What we loved was the incredibly green scenery and the sight of snow capped mountains some of which must be over 4000 metres high. We stopped by a river to have our sandwich and got out our chairs as finally we had good weather. Here is Eladio posing for the camera. 

Eladio posing for a picture when we stopped to have our sandwich on the way to Dilijan. 

Dilijan was only 96k, away but took forever. Our guest house which I had booked on Booking and was advertised as a typical Armenian house but with all the mod cons was a bit disappointing. To start off with it was a few kilometres outside the town which meant we wouldn't want to visit Dilijan after arriving as the road was ghastly. This was it. 

Our accommodation outside Dilijan

We were met by the owner, a slightly sinister large woman who spoke English. She was proud to tell me she was a chartered accountant and had lived in London. She also told me she was a designer! Well, I didn't particularly like the design of the house. 

It was big enough but OMG the bathroom was outside! We could choose from 3 rooms and took the largest with 3 single beds! The kitchen was fine but badly equipped. Here are some pics.

Our accommodation in Dilijan

Its saving grace was the big terrace above. At least we had a roof over our head and it was warm. Eladio was dead beat and slept until about 7 pm. I stayed up and pottered around. Dinner was some of the delicious food we had bought at Agro Hub in Tbilisi. 

I slept well but my husband didn't. He was suffering from pain coming from what we thought was a boil on his scalp. We kept toying with the idea of seeing a doctor but read that boils go away themselves. I hoped he would be ok on Wednesday. 

On Wednesday we would be driving to Yerevan but couldn't check into our Airbnb until past 3 pm. It's only 100km but no doubt would take at least 2.5h. So we decided to explore Dilijan before leaving. I was up at 5.30 in the morning! That's because I went to sleep so early but it was exciting to wake up in Armenia. 

It wasn't quite so exciting for my husband who had been in pain and hadn't slept all night. I had looked up whether there was a decent medical centre and that's where we went when we checked out - later we realised we had rushed out without paying. Our guardian angel had gone astray again. Dilijan may be pretty but it's awful to drive around and we went round and round in circles. Once I was so desperate I got a taxi driver to ride ahead of us to find a place. But we found the Medical Centre ok and oh wow, how well we were treated; like royalty, honestly and the place was sparkling clean. This is it. 

At the medical centre in Dilijan

While we were waiting - not for longer than 5 minutes - I realised Eladio had a rash on the right side of his face and all around his neck. What was it and why did it hurt so much? It didn't take long to find out. A lovely and very senior dermatologist saw him and a young doctor translated. He had Zoster Herpes, commonly known as "shingles" which had spread.  God knows how he got it. The doctor said it could happen if he had been in a lot of wind and we had been , the day we went to the Javri Monastery. Really? I had it once years ago and remember the pain. We were prescribed specific pain killers and anti viral tablets. We bought them at the clinic pharmacy and were given just the amount he needed. We paid a pittance for the pills and the clinic refused to charge us for the treatment. Armenia may be poor but its health system looks solid. In Soviet and Communist times, it is well known that both education and medicine were excellent and it seems it is the same today; just as it is  in Cuba. The dear doctor even gave us his son's mobile phone number in case we needed to reach him  - as he said his son speaks English. Bless the man. Wouldn't it be great if doctors were like that everywhere?

Eladio came out feeling relieved and took his first dose of the tablets immediately. Only then could we concentrate on seeing a bit of Dilijan before driving to Yerevan. So off we went in search of the prettiest street - Sharambeyan Street, full of 19th century Armenian wooden houses. That was when we needed the help of a taxi driver hahaha. Eladio was not very impressed with the street - we have seen prettier ones elsewhere. But I had to have a photo and here it is. 

We had a few "episodes" that day, the next one was to pay for our accommodation. I though it had been prepaid on Booking but I was wrong. We were still in Dilijan, on our way to have coffee at a place recommended to me by an Armenian, Ruzanna, a friend of a friend - Cafe#2 on Gorky Street - so many street names are named after Russian writers or famous people, like Gorky. That was when Nellie from the guest house wrote to say we had left without paying! OMG what a moment. It meant going back to her place via horrible potholed streets which would take ages. We got there only to find out she wouldn't accept payment by card. She wanted euros which we didn't want to part with. Thus she took us into town find an ATM. After attempts at 3 banks I was finally able to pay her. I really hope she believed me when I told her we had left thinking we had already paid Booking which we hadn't. That took up more than an hour of the day. I also got some cash out for ourselves as visa is not used much there. I had to get out over 100.000 Armenian Drams - imagine the amount of notes. 

Our guardian angel seemed to have disappeared that morning! Finally we made it to Cafe #2 and it was lovely to sit right next to the lake in Dilijan and have a proper cappuccino rather than the thick dark Turkish coffee served everywhere in these parts. And here I am smiling for a photo I wanted to send to Ruzanna.

At Cafe#2 in Dilijan

We couldn't leave Dilijan before seeing the famous 13th century  Haghartsin Monastery, also recommended by Ruzanna. It's about 7km up a mountain but felt like 20 as the road is steep. Most monasteries are built on hills for some reason. We were to see another church on our trip or rather 4 as this monastery is made up of 4 churches. And here I am just before we went in. 

At the Haghartsin Monastery near Dilijan

On this trip as you will have noticed we have seen our fair share of churches and mosques. In Tbilisi we saw one Armenian church but here we were to see one on home territory. Did you know that Armenia was the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as the state religion? It became Christian in 301 AD, a decade or so before Georgia. Way before 301 AD, Christianity was preached by Thaddeus (Judas) and Bartholomew, two of the 12 apostles. But it was Gregory the Illuminator who converted King Tiridates III. Bit of history for you and me. I learned that the Armenian Church does not belong to either the Catholic or Orthodox churches but has its own called the Armenian Apostolic Church. And who better to explain to me the difference between the churches, than a young Armenian priest at the Monastery. I never learned his name. 

Encounter with a Georgian priest at the Haghartsin Monastery

He made us feel very welcome. He didn't speak much English so we tried French which both he and I had learned many years ago at school. Thus my question about the main difference of the Armenian Church was answered in French. And what is it you may ask? Well, it has to do with what is known as "filioque". The priest explained to us that for the Armenian church Jesus was fully divine and not human, even though he appeared human during his lifetime. Or rather that the divine and the human came together in him.  I later read that the Armenian Apostolic church believes in "monophysitism" as opposed to "miaphysitism". It was all very complicated. Different too is the cross used by the Armenian church which never has Christ on it, rather leaves or flowers, meaning that life buds from death. It's called the "khachkar" and the priest was wearing a beautiful silver one. Here is one close up. 

The cross of the Armenian church

Our encounter was rather spiritual. I later told Eladio that, in a way, this trip has been a bit of a pilgrimage with so much contact with the church. It has made a huge impact on me. I am not a church goer but somewhere deep down there is belief. I know with my head that the liturgies and rituals, mostly at the Orthodox church  - all that bowing and scraping to God - are very old fashioned but for a spectator it is the mostly beautiful liturgy that exists. Add the incense and the singing and it is haunting. If you ever get a chance, please go to a service at an Orthodox church to understand me.

Anyway, enough of churches. It was getting late and we had to make our way to the capital, Yerevan, the official end of our outbound road trip. It was only 100k, away but took forever although I have to say it was party dual carriageway. We had planned to picnic by the Lake Sevan - Armenia's jewel in the crown and the largest lake in the Caucasus and Eurasia. As Armenia is landlocked, this is their sea. But when we got there it was cold and windy so we couldn't. We took pictures though like this one below. It's a pity you can't spy the snow capped mountains in the distance. 

Posing by Lake Sevan on our way to Yerevan

By then it was nearly 3 pm, way past our lunchtime so we looked for somewhere decent to eat on the road. I had no high hopes but our Guardian Angel was back and found us this place. 

Where we had lunch on the way from Dilijan to Yerevan

I do not remember the name but we got royal treatment, great food and a wonderful welcome for about the equivalent of 10 euros. This was the food - kebabs with salad and "lavash", unleavened Armenian bread which enjoys Unesco world heritage status - more about that later. 

Our lunch on the way to Yerevan

I took over the wheel as we approached Yerevan, a city of over 1 million people and a pretty chaotic city with lots of traffic. But I made it and we reached our Airnb in the centre. I felt as if I had conquered Yerevan hahahhahaha. You have to fight against other cars to change lanes constantly but I wasn't having it and often resorted to sticking my arm out of the window as my indicator hahaha. 

There waiting for us was our host at the Airbnb place I had found. It was nice to meet a fellow host in Yerevan. Hakob was most helpful and carried most of our luggage up to his 8th floor apartment. We were to be there for 2 nights. It wasn't the best we had stayed at but it was very spacious, clean and well equipped. It also came with a small balcony and when I sat outside for a moment I just couldn't believe my eyes. There on the horizon was Mount Ararat of Biblical fame. Just look. I hoped the skies would clear during our stay so that we could see it better but they never did. I suspect that could be because of pollution.

Mount Ararat as seen from the balcony of our Airbnb in Yerevan

Called Big Ararat as well as Masis, it is 5317m high. It is actually joined at the base by a smaller mountain called Small Ararat as well as Sis (3900m). This is where the Bible says that Noah laid his famous arc. It's just so steeped in history. I mean you learn about it at school and in the Bible but actually seeing it is something so special. For me it was a magical moment. I think I had come all the way - over 5000 kilometres, just to see it. Another profound moment my friends in what is not just a road trip but a sort of piligrimage.  I later wondered whether Noah would agree just how ugly the Soviet style tenement blocks look beneath this sacred mountain. Yerevan is full of them.

Sadly, this sacred Armenian mountain, now belongs to Turkey with whom Armenia has a closed border due to bad diplomatic relations. I think the main sore point is the massacre of the Armenians in what became known as the Armenian Genocide. As many as 1.5 million people were systematically killed under the Ottoman Empire during WW1. This is something the Turks don't recognise. It is well known, that mostly because of the Genocide,  more Armenians live outside the country than inside. At least 7 million live abroad whereas the current population is 2.7 million. 

The Genocide Museum is one of the top sights to see in Yerevan and as I planned what we would see and do the next day, it was on the top of my list. 

We didn't go out again, needing to rest; especially my husband who slept for a while. We did some clothes washing. It is always a joy to find a washing machine at our accommodation. Dinner was more delicious food from the Agro Hub supermarket in Tbilisi.

I woke up early on Thursday morning. We had one full day in Yerevan to enjoy and  I spent a while planning our day before leaving to explore the city, the capital of Armenia and the final destination of our outbound road trip. Top of my list was the Genocide Museum and then Republic Square, Vernissage Market, some churches and the Yerevan Cascade from where you can see Mount Ararat - although it can also be seen from many points in the city including our balcony. 

Poor Eladio had hardly slept again because of his bout of shingles (Zoster Herpes) and I actually wondered if we would be able to go out. The rash was looking worse which worried me but after breakfast he felt better and out we went. I knew we would have to take it slowly and wouldn't be able to see everything. The sun was shining and it was so warm compared to the weather we had experienced during the first part of our trip.  I had to have a photo of Eladio coming out of our block of flats by the courtyard where our Mini was safely parked. If the Airbnb host had included the picture of the outside of the building I doubt I would have booked his place. Thankfully, inside, it was perfectly alright. 

The back of the block of flats where we stayed in Yerevan - very ugly

The Vernissage market was the nearest to our apartment and that's where we headed. Vernissage which comes from the French for exhibition, is an outdoor market basically for tourists and which sells all sorts of Armenian handicrafts. I loved it immediately. 

By the Vernissage market in Yerevan

And so we made the rounds where there were very few tourists. Yerevan is only really on the tourist map for Russians.  That's not surprising as it's so difficult to get to. Here are some shots I took that morning including a stall with the proverbial cat. 

 

We had hardly bought any souvenirs since we started our trip but I had to get something in Yerevan to remember it always and to remember our trip. I wanted an Armenian cross but also a pomegranate ornament; one of the symbols of Armenia. There were many of these on sale and I now have one to add to my collection of little ornaments from our travels around the world. 

We met two Armenian brothers from the US who were interesting to talk to. Due to the Diaspora of Armenians - those who survived the genocide - their family moved to Iran. They then left due to the Ayatollah! What a life.  I asked them what life was like in Iran under the Shah of Persia and they said they lived like kings. 

I would have loved to talk to them all day but we parted ways and we made our way to Republic Square, the heart of the city. On our way I passed a group of Armenian police who wear a military style uniform. Eladio was worried I would get into trouble but I didn't. 

A group of Armenian policemen in Yerevan 

Republic Square

Republic Square which is enormous was quite recently built and was called Lenin Square in Soviet times. Of course his statue is no longer there. 

We decided that what we both wanted to see most after that was the Genocide Museum which is outside the city. Thus I ordered a taxi on the local equivalent of Uber. It's called GG and is dirt cheap. After two attempts our driver arrived. He actually took us to the wrong place but near enough. But then our Guardian angel disappeared again when we realised Eladio's phone had been left in his car. Thankfully I had his number and rang him, only to hear him say "no English" and put the phone down. There was a moment of panic and I asked a local to talk to him. After a while he finally came back but wouldn't hand over the phone unless we paid him quite a few euros. I have a feeling the guy was not Armenian. I mean if he didn't know where the Genocide Museum was then I doubt it. Anyway, we had the phone back thank God. 

We then went in search of the Memorial complex called Tsitsernakaberd which means "swallow's fortress in Armenian. It is there to remember those massacred and sent to their death between 1915 and 1920 by the Turks. An estimated 1.5 million died. Under the Ottoman Empire, before and towards its end, the Armenian genocide was akin to what Hitler did to the Jews. It was the systematic destruction of its people and their identity. It included mass murder of one million Armenians during death marches to the Syrian Desert. At the same time Islamization was forced on others, mostly women and children. Still today the Turkish government does not recognise its role in the Armenian Genocide. Those who survived fled and that is why there are more Armenians living outside the country. It was very chilling to be there, like in Yav Vashem in Jerusalem or Vukovar in Croatia. This is what the memorial complex looks like from afar and up above the city of Yerevan. 

At the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

I wondered what the memorial stones meant. In the first place they represents the rebirth of the nation. The 12 slabs represent the twelve provinces lost to Turkey in the 1920 war!!! No wonder the border is closed with Turkey I thought. In the middle of the circle, at a depth of 1.5 metres, there is an eternal flame dedicated to the 1.5 million people killed during the Armenian genocide. 

The memorial complex and the story of the genocide impacted us as I am sure it does to anyone who visits. 

By then it was lunchtime and we needed cheering up. One of the things that I had wanted to see in Armenia was the making of Lavash bread. It is a traditional thin bread that forms an integral part of Armenian cuisine and is represented on the Unesco list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.  So where better to see and taste it than at a restaurant of the same name: Lavash restaurant? There we were to have the best meal of our trip so far. I doubt we shall experience anything like it again unless it is at an Armenian restaurant abroad. Our meal there was the highlight of our stay as far as food goes. I wanted to dry their walnut paste - just look. Of course it is eaten with lavash. 

Our first course - just divine. 

This is what it looked like on a plate. 

An Armenian style dip made of walnuts and eaten with lavash bread. 

Eladio who had ordered a soup and then trout had to wait a while so I took a photo of him, except that he came out double hahahah as I took it through the window from the street. 

Eladio at the Lavash restaurant in Yerevan - double Eladio and in the background our darling waitress "Armene". 

For my second course I chose this dish called "Khurjin" - lamb in lavash (of course)

But when it came it was huge and I could only eat a third of it. Leftovers would come in handy the next day. 

My delicious second course at Lavash restaurant

Our meal was long and leisurely and we enjoyed every moment, not being in any rush at all.So with my hunger satisfied I asked to see lavash being made. The ladies making it - it's a complicated process which needs various hands - were delighted to let us take photos and blew kisses at us, bless them. 

Lavash in the making what a sight. 

Dessert had to be baklava for me - Eladio chose fruit and they brought a huge platter. With my baklava I ordered some tea and Armene, the waitress, recommended I try pomegranate tea. It was delicious. Just as I was drinking it, some flowers were placed on my table. The two men on the next  table - both Armenians - had bought them for me from a passing flower seller. I asked why and one of them said because he liked me. Wasn't that lovely?

Flowers from a stranger and pomegranate tea at the Lavash restaurant in Yerevan

By then Yerevvan had captured my heart - more than Tbilisi although I shouldn't compare them. It was past 4 pm by then and we decided to skip on the churches - we have seen so many - and go back to the apartment to rest and for Eladio to catch up on lost sleep. He was taking his anti viral tablets but I supposed it would take a while for the effect to kick in. Thankfully his bout of herpes did not spoil our stay.

I spent time on Google Maps which had tricked me while planning our return trip. It didn't take into account that the border between Armenia and Turkey is closed. Thus the distance back to Turkey which has to be via Georgia was much longer than I thought. Plus I couldn't decide where to sleep the following night as I didn't know how much distance we would cover.  Between us we chose a place just before the Georgian Turkish border (BCP Vale) called - just try and write that name - Akhaltsikhe - as there seemed to be nothing in Vale itself. 

After our delicious lunch, neither of us was hungry at dinner time. We went to sleep early and by mistake I got up at 5 am, thinking it was 6 am, on Friday morning. 

It took about 45 minutes to emerge from Yerevan but soon we were on what they call a "highway", the "M1", nothing like the M1 in England hahhaa. There were road sellers everywhere selling delicious looking strawberries, not to be seen in shops. We had to have some as we were running out of fruit. Here is Eladio with our 3kg strawberry basket - you couldn't get a smaller amount. Again, I had to have a photo.

Eladio with strawberries bought on the road as we left Yerevan

There are four border points between Armenia and Georgia and to get to Turkey from Yerevan we had to go through the Bavra - Ninotsminda crossing. This is a main road for international traffic, mostly lorries coming from Turkey to Yerevan. There are 3 lanes on either side of the highway as you leave the capital of Armenia but it soon turns into a country road or track at some stages. It was very frightening and we had the scariest drive of our life because of the appalling state of the road  which was literally full of potholes. While Eladio drove I took some pictures and a video. While I drove I hung on for dear life praying we wouldn't have a puncture and would make it to the border. Just look. If I had complained about the roads in Georgia, welcome to Armenia I thought. 

The state of the road from Yerevan to the Georgian border in Ninotsmenda 

That day felt like an obstacle race with booby traps everywhere, including passing the awful border in the middle of nowhere. You can see the infernal road here on my YouTube channel. 

The last 15km were the absolute worst. Just before we crossed the border we stopped the car to gather the documents we would have to show; Georgian insurance, our passports, my driving licence and what custom officials refer to as the car's passport. That was when I realised I couldn't find my driving licence anywhere. I think it got left behind at the previous border, damn it. But at least I had my international driving licence and a photo of my Spanish driving licence. 

Leaving Armenia was fine. The official asked if I had liked the road. He also mentioned Real Madrid had lost to Manchester City so I thought it would all be smooth sailing but it wasn't. The problem was getting into Georgia without my driving licence. Eladio was made to get out and take our big suitcases to be scanned while I remained in the car. A supervisor had to come and grudgingly let me through despite not having my Spanish driving licence. I then thought all was ok but it wasn't. I was stopped again and had to show my passport again and then the contents of the car were inspected.  I was asked to take out a bag containing our first aid kit and there began our troubles. In it I had some codeine for headaches or a cough.  Apparently it is considered a narcotic so I was bringing drugs into the country! Thus I was detained, for at least an hour as was  a group of tourists from the Czech Republic and Belguim. Their crime was carrying a drone with a camera. While Eladio patiently waited outside where it began to hail and pour it down, I waited inside wondering what would happen to me. Would I just be fined, would they call the police? I even wondered if I would be taken to prison. I was in the hands of the unfriendly big boss of this awful border crossing and did not feel great I can tell you. I told his subordinate that if Georgia wanted to join the EU and increase tourism, they would have to change their game. He grudgingly agreed. Finally I was called into the boss's office and I asked him what he was going to do with me? In the end he let me go because I think he had no other option. I wasn't exactly bringing in a stash of drugs was I? 

What a horrible episode. It left a nasty taste in my mouth regarding Georgian customs. Once on Georgian soil I no longer had internet as my local SIM card has expired and there was nowhere to buy one. This border between Bavra and Ninotsminda had no services whatsoever. So we continued our journey on what we were told would be a better road. I'm not sure it was better but there were fewer potholes. Our next adventure was to get petrol and to try to pay with all my leftover Armenian drams. We passed a few forlorn looking petrol stations with no luck until finally we saw a decent looking place where they did accept my drams giving me Georgian Lari in return which would come in handy to buy lunch, that is if we found somewhere to eat. By then it was past 3 pm and we were starving. 

We went through the town of Akhalkalaki which was drenched with rain water - I got my trainers soaked but there was a place to eat, a "sharma" or "durum" restaurant. So we stopped at this colourful town which reminded me of villages I have seen in Morocco or other underdeveloped countries. Here is Eladio on one of its wet streets. 

Eladio in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, on Friday in search of food for lunch

Soon we were sitting down and enjoying a delicious sharma served by 2 young Armenians who spoke good English.

Lunch in Akhalkalaki

The boys put on Spanish music for us and even let us use internet.  We were definitely the only tourists in town and no doubt people were talking about us. We left feeling a lot better. We then had to try and find the road to our stop over in Akhaltsikhe near the Turkish border. We had downloaded the map to get there but it played tricks at times and there were hardly any sign posts so we had to keep stopping to ask people if we were on the right road. 

Roads are not good in Georgia but slightly better than in Armenia. We were on a country road with beautiful scenery, following a river and surrounded by green with snow capped mountains in the distance. The problem was that in many parts the road was being repaired. Thus our obstacle race with booby traps continued. When I got to an impasse where the road was a dirt track with potholes I thought it was  a joke but I had no option but to continue. I stopped to take a photo - just look what I had to drive on. We should have come in a 4wd but we don't have one. I felt very sorry for our Mini. 

Part of the road from the Armenian border to the Turkish border - to Vale

But we made it and were finally in a town called Akhaltsikhe - try pronouncing it. I learned that the "s" is silent. I had booked an apartment at a hotel called Old Town Akhaltsikhe  on Booking for just 21 euros a night. There was not much choice. We didn't like it much but it was clean and met 3 of my criteria: private parking, wifi, balcony but no kitchen. Not to worry though as there was a fridge and we had our camping stove if we wanted to cook or heat anything up. I couldn't believe this place run by an elderly Armenian couple who only speak Russian, had a 9.6 rating on Booking. No way. But, it was clean, large and we had a roof over our head. 

We were exhausted from our harrowing drive and unpleasant border crossing so we did not go out to explore the town. Besides, it was pouring with rain. We weren't hungry for dinner but devoured at least a kilo of strawberries between us. We went to bed early. Eladio was better and I think he slept the night through but sleep evaded me after the worst day of our road trip. 

I was awake at 5.30 yesterday, Saturday, the day we crossed over to Turkey again. The Vale Posof border,  I learned later it is one of the least known - it's tiny and is on very mountainous territory but the drive to the Turkish border was beautiful. See if you can spy the snow capped mountains below. 

The country road in Georgia which we drove on to get to the border of Turkey (Posof)

It was only 18km to the border which was soon looming upon us in the middle of nowhere. It was obviously under construction and quite a shambles. This time I left Eladio in the driving seat as I had lost my driving licence, and had to get out to go through security. There was a massive dog right by the door as I got out. Later we saw it had puppies which were just lying there at the border. 

A shambles of a border between Georgia and Turkey

While Eladio sat in the car, I had to go "registration" in a dusty makeshift office. Everything was in order except that our Green Card expires today! We tried to get another one online last night but were told we had exceeded one month and couldn't get another one. But we have our own international insurance thankfully.

Finally we were in Turkey again and this was the sight that greeted me in this middle-of-nowhere country border. 

On the Turkish side of the border yesterday morning

By then I wanted to spend a penny and this was the loo available at the cafe on the Turkish side of the border. But no way was I going in there.

Turkish loo yesterday at the border

I thought to myself that if Georgia and Turkey want to join the EU they are going to have to up their game in many aspects - roads, borders and loos. But no worries I went behind the shed. 

What came next was a beautiful drive to Erzurum past snow capped mountains in the Ardahan region. We were literally on top of the world. Just look. Many of them are over 3000 metres high. 

Beautiful mountain roads on our journey yesterday

I got out to enjoy the view, take photos and a video which you can see here. 

We were on mountain roads for a lot of the day, passing small villages like the one below. This was no tourist road I can tell you. 

Typical Turkish village in the north of the country

We took this road trip to get to know different countries, cultures and people.What we didn't realise is that we ourselves have often been a subject of interest to locals. We stopped at a small village - Ashar (?) to buy some bread. I went off in search of bread and other provisions while Eladio parked. When I got back this was the scene that greeted me; my husband (Koka in Turkish) being treated to tea by three men from the village. 

Turkish hospitality yesterday on route to Erzurum.

When I joined them a glass of tea was immediately served and then we got talking - via Google Translate of course. These men are pro Erdogan. As I could only see men sitting around in the village I asked them where the women were. "At home" was the answer - damn them. I told them off. In these parts of Turkey and unlike Istanbul, most women wear a full length chador. 

We left them thanking them for their hospitality and no doubt they had lots to say about us. Not many Spanish registered cars pass through their village I imagine. And off we went on mostly decent roads - many of them dual carriage way. We stopped at a service station which had a small park next to it, to have our picnic for which we used our camping gas stove which has been most useful on this journey. 

Our picnic yesterday on our way to Erzurum

I wasn't able to find anywhere to stay in the city in Erzurum but somewhere about 7km away in what turned out to be a nice quiet suburb. We found our our hotel (the Boropark "Otel") which I suspect is the only one in the area. It looked far better than in the pictures. Here is Eladio standing outside it yesterday after we arrived. 

Our little hotel just outside Erzurum

My expectations were extremely low as it didn't have great reviews. But our guardian angel was back and the place was perfect, a veritable suite of rooms with a huge terrace overlooking a children's park and surrounded by colourful and rather pretty blocks of flats. 

We settled in soon and rested. Dinner was the highlight - their gas stove didn't work - the receptionist told me it was there for "decoration" (really?) but no worries, we brought up our handy camping gas stove and enjoyed a lovely dinner with Armenian wine. 

I slept ok last night but was awake at around 4.30 which for me was 5.30 after being on Georgian and Armenian time - but I had slept enough; around 6 hours.

And here I am now, writing from the kitchen table in Boropark Hotel. Today we travel to Sivas, a longer drive than yesterday and let's see what the accommodation I have booked there is like as you never know. Both Erzurum and Sivas are pit stops to Capadoccia. In Capadoccia I am excited to tell you I have booked a cave home in Urgut but more about that next Sunday, wherever we may be then. Who knows? Hopefully somewhere in the Balkans.

Cheers till then my friends and thanks for following our epic adventure.

Masha (and Eladio)