#80 Travelogue Armenia: Soviet Yerevan
▶️ Welcome to 🇦🇲Armenia, a landlocked country in the South Caucasus region. Landlocked countries and societies of mountain dwellers are usually more conservative and slower to develop. Armenia’s capital Yerevan is a vibrant city that offers all the modern comforts but doesn’t hide its Soviet past:
Architecture and ornaments
To honour the state and society, socialist architecture is all about extravagant buildings in city centres and boring standard greyish buildings everywhere else. Ornaments celebrate the big themes in small details.
A familiar metro
Like other Soviet-built metro systems, Yerevan’s metro is deep, dark, beautiful and has heavy machinery. It is so noisy that having a conversation during the ride is sheer impossible and the distance between stations is quite big.
Abandonment
Old iron stuff lying around? Like in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan people feel no hurry to get rid of it. Maybe they’re at peace with the past.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia
▶️ Welcome to 🇦🇲Armenia, a landlocked country in the South Caucasus region. Landlocked countries and societies of mountain dwellers are usually more conservative and slower to develop. Armenia’s capital Yerevan is a vibrant city that offers all the modern comforts but doesn’t hide its Soviet past:
Architecture and ornaments
To honour the state and society, socialist architecture is all about extravagant buildings in city centres and boring standard greyish buildings everywhere else. Ornaments celebrate the big themes in small details.
A familiar metro
Like other Soviet-built metro systems, Yerevan’s metro is deep, dark, beautiful and has heavy machinery. It is so noisy that having a conversation during the ride is sheer impossible and the distance between stations is quite big.
Abandonment
Old iron stuff lying around? Like in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan people feel no hurry to get rid of it. Maybe they’re at peace with the past.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia
#3 Travel Notes: Mount Ararat
▶️ Borders are weird sometimes. Mount Ararat is the national symbol of 🇦🇲Armenia although it is entirely in 🇹🇷Turkey. The sight of the mountain is truly impressive and graces (=make sth more attractive) the Yerevan cityscape (=landscape of a city), especially when there is less air pollution. The mountain is 5,137 metres high. Read more about it on Wikipedia.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia #turkey
▶️ Borders are weird sometimes. Mount Ararat is the national symbol of 🇦🇲Armenia although it is entirely in 🇹🇷Turkey. The sight of the mountain is truly impressive and graces (=make sth more attractive) the Yerevan cityscape (=landscape of a city), especially when there is less air pollution. The mountain is 5,137 metres high. Read more about it on Wikipedia.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia #turkey
#81 Travelogue Armenia & Georgia: European Cities
▶️ In 🇦🇲Yerevan and 🇬🇪Tbilisi I somehow felt like I was in Europe. But what makes a city feel European actually?
Pedestrians rule
European cities are walkable and as a pedestrian you have the power. Driving a car is a bad idea because roads are narrow, traffic is maze of traffic lights, zebra crossings and one-way roads, and finding somewhere to park your car is a major headache.
Art for the sake of art
Works of art in public places don’t have a purpose to honour the state, glorify heroes or celebrate the nation. It’s just art that makes a place more interesting and brings a smile to your face.
Old buildings
There is a sense that modern-day architecture is efficient but soulless. Old buildings are protected by law and are carefully maintained. They are usually much more expensive to buy or rent than new buildings.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia #georgia
▶️ In 🇦🇲Yerevan and 🇬🇪Tbilisi I somehow felt like I was in Europe. But what makes a city feel European actually?
Pedestrians rule
European cities are walkable and as a pedestrian you have the power. Driving a car is a bad idea because roads are narrow, traffic is maze of traffic lights, zebra crossings and one-way roads, and finding somewhere to park your car is a major headache.
Art for the sake of art
Works of art in public places don’t have a purpose to honour the state, glorify heroes or celebrate the nation. It’s just art that makes a place more interesting and brings a smile to your face.
Old buildings
There is a sense that modern-day architecture is efficient but soulless. Old buildings are protected by law and are carefully maintained. They are usually much more expensive to buy or rent than new buildings.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia #georgia
#4 Travel Notes: Culinary journey to 🇦🇲Armenia
▶️ New country, new food! Okay, I didn’t try all of these but which one would you like to try? I have three foods and three drinks for you:
1. Khinkali – dumplings filled with meat or cheese or both or other stuff. You hold them at the knob of dough which you shouldn’t eat.
2. Cheese bags – made of cheese with a cheese string and a cheese filling.
3. Chicken feet – I thought only Chinese people were into that.
4. Cones compote – something different!
5. Tesla – Armenia’s favourite energy drink.
6. Fizzy basil drink – why are Uzbeks doing so little with all their basil?
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia
▶️ New country, new food! Okay, I didn’t try all of these but which one would you like to try? I have three foods and three drinks for you:
1. Khinkali – dumplings filled with meat or cheese or both or other stuff. You hold them at the knob of dough which you shouldn’t eat.
2. Cheese bags – made of cheese with a cheese string and a cheese filling.
3. Chicken feet – I thought only Chinese people were into that.
4. Cones compote – something different!
5. Tesla – Armenia’s favourite energy drink.
6. Fizzy basil drink – why are Uzbeks doing so little with all their basil?
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia
#5 Travel Notes: Christian Armenia
▶️ Think what you want about religion but I find it fascinating to observe people at their most spiritual moments. 🇦🇲Armenia is situated in the mountains. Mountain dwellers (=people who live in the mountains) around the world have always been more likely to preserve (=keep) ancient traditions and not follow current changes around them. Visiting an Armenian church or monastery (=religious building where monks or nuns live) therefore feels a little bit like travelling through time as well. It is quite unlike anything you find in the hustle and bustle (=noise and activity of a crowded place) of Europe or America.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia
▶️ Think what you want about religion but I find it fascinating to observe people at their most spiritual moments. 🇦🇲Armenia is situated in the mountains. Mountain dwellers (=people who live in the mountains) around the world have always been more likely to preserve (=keep) ancient traditions and not follow current changes around them. Visiting an Armenian church or monastery (=religious building where monks or nuns live) therefore feels a little bit like travelling through time as well. It is quite unlike anything you find in the hustle and bustle (=noise and activity of a crowded place) of Europe or America.
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #armenia