Tag 18 - 21.9.2023 Jerewan

Today is Armenia's national holiday. Let's see what's going on in Yerevan. First of all, I'll go swimming in Lake Sevan. Then there is a hearty beach breakfast with leftovers from dinner. We then quickly reach Yerevan. First we drive to the congress center and park the van. Then we walk to the Memorial of the Turks' Armenian Genocide. An impressive scene with the eternal flame. Unfortunately the museum was closed. The next stop is the Ararat Distillery. This is where the truly excellent Armenian cognac comes from. Unfortunately, a tasting cannot be arranged at such short notice. But we stock up properly at the factory outlet. With difficulty we find a parking space in the center and first walk to Republic Square with the Parliament. There is a heated atmosphere about Nagorno-Karabakh. Many demonstrators demanded more decisive action from the Armenian government. The bench we sit on is simply taken away from us and used to block the street. First we go to the flea market and then we walk into the hip artists' quarter near the Cascades with countless bars and pubs. We stop here and gather ourselves. At some point we have to go back to the center to our van. The whole city is in turmoil, Republic Square is full of demonstrators and police everywhere in between. We reach our car unmolested and drive to Geghard Monastery, where we spend the night in the deserted parking lot.