Mythical Homelands

The weather was a lot cooler today, dropping about 8 degrees to 21, and mostly cloudy as well. I had a leisurely start, enjoyed my fresh figs for breakfast, and then made my way to the Dilijan Local Lore Museum and Art Gallery, with a few detours along the way. The gallery was worthwhile, if only to see as much Armenian art as possible during my stay. The building needs repairs, and some very large canvases need to be restored but lack funding. Mindful of Soviet censorship, I am now on the lookout for work that might have escaped Soviet ideology. (I found a few examples in the gallery.)

After my visit, I went to Hatsi Restaurant for a beautiful setting and great ambience. I was keen to order lamb kebabs, as I had seen the menu online in advance. When my meal arrived, I was surprised to see that it was lamb koefteh kebabs instead! In Armenia, I learned that kebab always refers to ground meat, whereas khorovatz refers to whole meat. Nevertheless, it was very tasty. I will have to find khorovatz in Yerevan…

My final stop in Dilijan was to attend the summary findings of the COP17 Biodiversity pre-conference. It was at Villa 3, a rather posh co-working space off Maksim Gorky, up the road (of course!). I walked up a very scenic path (of course!), only to learn that there was no event at 2 pm as per the program online. Instead, there was a display created by participants. I was expecting a seminar, but I was glad to discover Villa 3’s co-working space. Highly recommended for the mobile workforce!

My GG shuttle back to Yerevan was uneventful. I welcomed the warmth and sunshine in Yerevan after a cooler day in Dilijan, and rewarded myself with a pistachio gelato cone on arrival. (The Gelateria could become my new hangout near the Matenadaran!)

After arriving home, I did some laundry, a quick grocery run, and then settled in for a quiet evening. Soon after at about 8 pm, Boris and Marina (friends of a friend) sent photos and videos of dancing at the Cascade. This happens the last Friday of the month. I could have done the 1/2 hour walk back, but decided to enjoy the event virtually: it had been a long day!