I had a leisurely start today. This doesn’t mean that I am lolling about, though! I got up at 7:30, made myself an Armenian coffee, and did a little research. I contacted Argulis, the company that makes pigments sourced from Armenia’s various provinces. They will help me with accessing some of the colours for my art. Then, some blogging, some travel research, and a decision to go to Jrvezh Forest Park. I read that this is a sought-out destination close to Yerevan on a hot day. I imagined a cooling walk through treed paths, with park benches to sit at, much a lunch, and sketch. I was also curious because this was one of the towns I had considered doing an art residency in.
It was a hot day, and I didn’t anticipate all the walking I would end up doing in the sun to get to the park. Nor did I anticipate that the gate would be locked when I finally got there! I managed to find a hole in the fence and avoided the barbed wire above and below as I snuck through. (My online search indicated that the park was open 24/7 to hikers, so I am not sure what happened there! (NB. I later exited through another “main” gate that I likely missed due to a shortcut I took.)
I only met five other people in the park (did they get in the same way as me?!), so I didn’t quite catch the vibe that everyone comes here! Nor did I find a single chair or bench throughoutout the park, except at the point of entry/exit. The suggestion to bring a picnic should have also included bringing a chair.
Finally, my forest walk was unavoidably 90% in the sun. So much for cool and shade! Even so, I enjoyed myself. The views were interesting with the land formation of the hilly forest, the semi-desert valleys below, the city further out, and the mountains in the distance. There is a lovely pond near my starting point. I found a rock to sit on and did a little sketch. I watched the birds. And I had another good day!
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