Of course we won't miss it. So a few days later we start our journey to the neighboring province of Lori. We don't know exactly what to expect, but we're traveling with work colleagues and their children - so we're in best hands.
Day tours in Armenia are carried out by different providers. Unfortunately, the providers' websites are often only in Armenian. So many things remain a surprise - a positive surprise. But with a translation program and the help of colleagues, we find out which hotspots we visit.
In our case, after a 90-minute drive, we made a little rest. After breakfast, we went a little further to the first destination.
Lily pad lakes by Lori
Photo stop on the way to the lakes.
We walk the last few meters to the water lily lakes of Lori. Some Nymphaeaceae show us their open, white flowers.
Our bus driver tries to pull a water lily ashore with a lasso - without success. It is a well-known fact that nature finds its way, and this is also the case with this experiment. We circle the lake, pick St. John's Wort, wild thyme, let a herding dog bark at us and continue to the next stop.
Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas
In the village of Amrakits, there is an abandoned church that has been partially ruined since the 1988 earthquake. By the way, the village itself was founded in 1852 by Slavic families who settled from Borjomi in Georgia to Amrakits. A group of young people gathered around us and told us the history of the church built in 1840. Tour guides can also look like this.
The church can only be visited from the outside. In front of the church we are offered boiled corn and pine cones pickled in sugar. A home remedy for a sore throat, as we learn.
Lakes of Vardablur
The lakes of Vardablur invite you to practice your balance. There has to be some fun involved. Because if you want to explore the small island, you have to cross a rusty iron bridge. Wobbling is pre-programmed.
You shouldn't look closely at the stayers. ;-)
Lunch at the covered barbecue area
Even if we don't barbecue, we still look for a nice place with a roof for our lunch. After a brief stop for refreshments, we continue through the Lori landscape to Hnevank Monastery.
Short stop at the drinking fountain
Due to the drinking water quality, water can be enjoyed directly from the tap in Armenia.
That's why beautifully decorated drinking fountains can be found all over the country. Practical and refreshing.
Hnevank Monastery
Hnevank means "Old Monastery". The former monastery of the Armenian Apostolic Church was founded in the 7th century and is situated in a gorge, near the village of Kurtan. We cover the last few meters to the church on foot. However, there is also an off-road vehicle that drives as a taxi between the parking lot and the church.
The cross-domed church is rectangular from the outside, the floor plan inside is cruciform. Today's ruins have been partially rebuilt and can be visited. The site includes a main church and two other churches as well as residential and farm buildings.
During our visit, it starts to rain and hail, as usual. The ruin offers shelter. When the rain subsides, the all-terrain taxi can resume its journey and we gratefully accept the offer of a taxi ride back. A boozy fun for all 10 in the jeep!
On the way back we stop at the "Gulch of the Massacre". About 12,000 Armenians were executed here by Ottomans between 1915 and 1918. It is one of the last Genocide Memorials in Armenia. At that time, many execution sites were in the western part of the country and now belong to Turkey. This too is part of the country's history.
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