67. Stage 'Dilijan, Armenia'

I set off today at 9:00 AM since I needed to cross a border and wanted to visit two very old churches in Armenia. The exit from Georgia went smoothly and quickly. In Armenia, they apparently had an issue with my stay in Azerbaijan. After some questions and phone calls, I was given the green light for entry here too. The roads in Georgia and Armenia were perfect, with one exception. At one point, a road that started out very orderly quickly turned into a dirt track, which I wanted to avoid. My average speed dropped abruptly from about 90 km/h to around 10-15 km/h, throwing my schedule into disarray. Ultimately, it was worth it. I wanted to visit two monasteries that were not too far off my route. Both were indeed worth seeing, and the routes to them were also very scenic. The landscape in Armenia has been fantastic so far and ideal for motorcycle touring. Good roads, little traffic, and beautiful scenery. I reached my accommodation around 7 PM and was promptly invited by Aman, the host, to a little tasting in a garden shed. Here, the family stores not only a variety of preserves but also various homemade fruit juices and spirits. Among other things, I got to taste church juice and homemade cognac. For dinner, I also tried some of the homemade red wine. The dinner itself was not only plentiful but also exceptionally delicious. Tomorrow, I plan to ride along the east shore of Lake Sevan towards Vardenis. From there, I will continue on to Yerevan.