As to be expected, we were not in the best mood, when we got back to the bus from the genocide memorial. What coincidence, that our next (and final) stop for the day was at the Yerevan ARARAT Brandy Company.

In the factory we first had a guided tour, introducing brandy (in general), the production process and of course the final product. We also got to see the peace barrel. This special  barrel, has been set for aging in 2001 and will only be opened when the conflict around Karabakh is resolved (well – given the current state of affairs, this may end up being a very mature brandy). After the tour we made it into a tasting room, where two glasses of Ararat brandy were waiting for us – a three-year old one and an eight-year old (if my memory serves right) – as well as some chocolate, to go with it (so less generous than at KVINT a year back). Well – I am not too much into brandys, so while I liked the older one more – I would have preferred a good gin.

It had been a busy day and – with the sun already – it was now time, to return to the hotel and call it a day. Some of us ended up, to make our way into town for dinner. On the way back we had a stop at Republic Square, to see the Dancing Fountains. Music is played here and the fountains basically ‘dance’ along – photos below.

While the tour – oddly enough – did not include a visit of the genocide museum or memorial, there of course were loads of questions around the genocide. We got good feedback from our tour guide here – and she managed, to find the time, so we could have a visit to the memorial (not the museum though).

So instead of heading back into town, we were now driving up the Tsitsernakaberd hill, to make it to the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex (Ցեղասպանության զոհերի հուշարձան). From the parking lot we made our way along memory alley to the memorial itself, were we did lay down flowers in memory of the victims of the genocide.

For a good overview of the events from 1914 until 1923 have a look at the Wikipedia page, covering the Armenian Genocide; alternatively have a visit of the online exhibition of the Genocide Museum.

Last year I had done several trips, touching successor states of the Soviet Union. During those trips I also did hear stories from my fellow travelers on the countries in the Caucasus, praising the variety of things to see, the hospitality of the people and the food. So I ultimately decided, that it was time, to experience the Caucasus myself – and got booked. The tour I selected – run by a German tour company – was one of the few tours actually covering all three countries – Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan – extending all the way from the small Caucasus to the big Caucasus and from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea.

The trip now had started yesterday. I (along with the rest of the group) had arrived in Armenia in the early morning and were now – after a short night and a late breakfast – heading out, to see the highlights of Yerevan.

The tour started at the Monument to 50 Years of Soviet Armenia, located on a platform high above town, featuring panoramic views of the city and Mt.Ararat behind it.

From here we followed the steps downstairs and made our way to the Cascade Complex (Կասկադ համալիր) – but only after passing around the construction site of the unfinished part of the complex (waiting for funding, to become available). At the complex we made it to the inside, where the Cafesjian Center for the Arts (Գաֆէսճեան արվեստի կենտրոն) – a modern arts gallery – is located.

From the lower parts of the complex, we could get a good overview of Alexander Tamanyan Park (the park right at the bottom of the stairs) and France Square with the opera house right behind it. The park did raise some memories – of kiwis (the animal) and Botero; the architecture of the opera house did remind me of the one in Minsk.

It was also next to the park, where we were picked up by our bus – to leave town …