Armenia Day 4 - Armenia's largest lake

Today we had to get up early for the first time, as we set out for Dilijan by bus at 9 AM. On the bus, we met Tzovinar Talyan, a choir director and our tour guide, who would accompany us on our excursions in the coming days. She made the bus ride enjoyable with many interesting stories and information about Armenian history. Our journey took us through a hilly region with breathtaking nature. We also crossed the Dilijan National Park, which is referred to as the 'Armenian Switzerland' due to its nature and mountainous landscape.

Our first stop was Dilijan, a former spa town famous for its health-giving climate and mineral springs. We had some time for souvenirs, a break, and for some, their first coffee :).

After that, we continued to the Haghartsin Monastery, an old monastery nestled beautifully in a mountain. Tzovinar guided us around the monastery, from where we had a lovely view of the surrounding villages and mountain ranges. In the entrance hall of the monastery, we sang four pieces, creating a very special atmosphere. Afterwards, we met Father Thaddeus, the local priest, who told us an Armenian parable and then prayed with and for us.

Next, we continued our journey as our next stop was Lake Sevan, the largest freshwater lake in Armenia and with an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level, one of the highest mountain lakes in the world. There, we first had lunch at a fish restaurant right by the lake. With the panoramic view, we could enjoy our meal while observing the lake and unfortunately, our first rain shower. However, once the rain stopped, we made our way to the Sevanavank Monastery, which offered a beautiful view of the lake from a higher vantage point and, according to Mr. Kammel, was an ideal spot for a 'Grubbafoddo.' Afterwards, most of us headed back down, as we definitely wanted to admire the lake up close. Although the water temperature of 16 degrees didn’t invite swimming, some of us dared to dip our feet in the water, and eight NKClers seized the opportunity to swim a little in the lake.

At 6:00 PM, we drove back to Yerevan. We had the evening free again, and most of us went out to find something for dinner. However, a small part of the choir decided to attend an outdoor ballet. We had received the tip from Mr. Kammel on the way back that the ballet company from St. Petersburg would perform for free in Tumanyan Park, and the trip there was worth it!

After this long day, we all fell into our beds, tired and exhausted, to be fit for the next day.

Joke of the Day (David): A mountain can’t swim – but Baden-Württemberg can.