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Paris walks & travel fun, Yerevan (2026)

11/07/2023

Matekhi St. Virgin Church

We started day 1 with a visit to this picturesquely located church. It was a glorious summer day, so the highlight of the visit was the walk to the place 😊! There were flowers and greenery along the route, some parks, the running river, but also some graffiti, and some dilapidated buildings.

That's where the Statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali is too. He's THE most famous Georgian king, who made Georgia an independent country, moved the capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi (the famous hunting story of stumbling upon hot water from a spring while following a deer), got independence from the Greek Orthodox Church, and founded the biggest church of the time - Svetitskhoveli.

The Church itself is quite typical of an Orthodox Georgian one, and has seen better days. What makes this a must-visit is the stunning panoramic views of the city from across the Kura river. The pictures don't do it justice, but I tried 😄!

20/02/2023

Contrary to what most people believe, Dubai and its environs has plenty of things to do outdoors, at least for 8 months in the year. Recently went stargazing in the desert, figured I'd share details 😊. Sorry I don't have great pics to share...stopped taking pics of the desert since we go there so often.

Practical info

Coordinates : 24.8254620, 55.3623840

-Use these coordinates, they'll take you straight to where you can park. Don't drive away from the 'path' if you're an inexperienced driver. Cars get stuck quite easily in the sand.
- Go prepared with warm clothes, it gets cold in the desert at night.
-Carry enough food and water. The nearest store is a few kilometres away.

We usually go to Al Qudra; a place accessible by car (no SUV or 4WD required) and very close to the city. You can camp very close to where you park your car, or you can choose to walk farther. Be warned, weekends can get noisy. This is the middle-east people tend to overdo everything, including camping. Last time we had a group that had bought floodlights. Set high on poles. Flooding the desert in white light. A couple more, and we'd have enough lumens to light a football field 😆! And big boom boxes with loud music. If that's not your jam, move further afield, or hope that there isn't a noisy group close to you.

It's tough to climb the dunes with wood, kindling, blankets, chairs, food, drinks etc, so we usually don't camp too far away. We usually dump all the stuff at the place we select, and go for a lovely walk up the dunes to see the sunset. Its always brilliant... never ceases to amaze, no matter how many times you've witnessed it over the dunes.

We usually have a campfire after, sit around it. Long chats. Some singing could be involved. This time, didn't keep the campfire going for too long since we wanted to see the stars, and boy was it awesome! Was a crisp, clear night. Crazy cold too. You could see the most scintillating, brightest stars against the dark backdrop of the night sky initially. Then slowly you see some more... and then some more... until you realise that the brightest stars are not set against the dark sky... they're set against more stars. Millions of them. Billions of them. Scattered all over the sky. Waiting to be explored 🚀?

20/11/2022

Colorful, crowded, dirty, loud, chaotic and absolutely stunning. Resplendent in her many-hued robe, Kolkata, like Durga maa, is infectious in her energy and heart-warming in her joy and vulnerability.

First day in Kolkata (thank you F5 escapes) and she pulls me by my heartstrings. All around me, I saw poverty and a desperate fight for survival, and I also saw generosity and cheerfulness. I saw roadside vendors pack their ware on the sidewalk by night, and make their bed on a thin blanket right next to that pile which was their entire life. Men having a wash from a water-tap on the sidewalk, getting ready for the business of the day. A ready smile while I got pictures in the flower market. Being offered a cup of tea by a stranger, because it was tea-time. A wave of the hand and a shy smile when I admired a sculptor's beautiful carving of the face of Kali.

So many sights and smells in one day. The heady scent of fresh jasmines, still buzzing with bees as they're skilfully woven into garlands. Men balancing unbelievably heavy burdens in their heads as they hurl past in the market. The inspiring poems and life of Rabindranath Tagore that we experienced in Thakur Bari. The chaos of Kolkata traffic and everyone's tendency to talk via the car horn. The tranquil silence and pictures that speak a thousand words in Mother Theresa's home. The mighty wave of humanity jostling in line to get a darshan at kalighat temple.

We ended the day at Princep ghat, with a boat ride on placid waters near the Vidyasagar Bridge. As I reflected on what I'd gleaned from a slice-of-life of this crazy city, I realised that while I couldn't put my finger on it, I'd definitely discovered that there was something uniquely heart-warming about it and it's people.

I do tend to meander when I write 😄, apologies for the length. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the many walks of life in these pictures. (Can you spot the bees in the flowers?)

08/08/2022

Freedom trail in Boston, MA.

Obviously a must-do for anyone who wants to understand the role this beautiful city played in the history of the USA 😊, here are some pictures to pique your interest, and an amazing resource that we mostly followed.

Why this was particularly a special walk for me was this- I assigned everyone on the group a couple of historical sites on the way to be our 'tour guide' to, and everyone did such a fabulous job 😊😍! I was so proud of how much effort the kids put in to prepare, and make it interesting for the rest of us. We don't suddenly become independent, or smart or a good speaker...we rise to every challenge thrown at us, and get there slowly.

https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/trail-sites

24/12/2021

Meghalaya

Duration- 5 days, but ideally give yourselves at least 2 more days

Meghalaya was a captivating and beautiful place to visit. This was truly a treat for the the eyes... the lush green of all the forests, the azure blue of the water and the unbelievable beauty of the valleys among the majestic mountains.
Almost everyone we met was warm and friendly. The locals themselves were an interesting study in contrasts. On Sunday, for church, we saw everyone in knee-length skirts, sparkly heels and very modern clothes. At all other times, most women were wearing the traditional khasi outfit which is like a shawl, but pinned at one shoulder. Babies are wrapped around the mom's back. The guys have very modern haircuts, streaked and coloured hair, funky hairstyles, but you also see them in local outfits, carrying things on their heads, using traditional bags. Everyone is constantly chewing betel leaves and hence has red lips! The khasi tribe itself follows a matriarchal system.

This was an exciting itinerary as well, since we did some trekking, climbing through caves and camping as well. Meghalaya is a simply astoundingly beautiful place, and whether you choose to see the places listed or others, if you choose to do a whirlwind tour or a relaxed one, remember to soak in the natural beauty of the people, the forests, the lakes, the waterfalls, the mountains and the rivers...I doubt there are too many of these places left in the world.

Since we visited lots of places, I'm writing a short description of each. If you have questions on any particular one, please feel free to leave a question in the comments section 😊.

Mawphlang sacred groves- A beautiful introduction to the tribal society in Meghalaya. The guide is a member of the tribe that lives nearby; the lady with us was the sister of the tribal King. She showed us around the sacred forest, and explained how this was integral to their way of life, and talked about all their rituals and customs associated with it. The first itself is dense and green and barely any sunlight filters through. Came away with a feeling of peace and oneness with the forest...I hope you feel that too, when you visit.

Mawsmai caves- One of the smaller caves, it was an interesting walk through. The kids loved exploring the nooks and corners. Was a bit narrow and low in places...can be tight squeeze for big built people. Don't go if you're claustrophobic. The garden of caves is a much bigger set of caves, if you fancy seeing one more.

Naukalikai falls- Beautiful falls, with a lagoon at the bottom of the most brilliant blue. The view from the top is stunning. My son said it was like looking into the Grand Canyon, but with greenery 😄. Apparently the falls is much bigger during the monsoons, but we thought this was mighty impressive as it is! In fact, the water falls from such a great height, that it gets converted into mist before it reaches the bottom... feels like the waterfall is moving in slow motion! If you want to see the lagoon up close, there's a way to reach it, though it involves a nearly 30 minute trek. But, totally worth it. Try to go before 8am if you want to avoid the crowd.

Nongriat living bridges- one of unique things in Meghalaya. Now this one requires a difficult climb down and an arduous climb up! 3500 steps (a lot of them very steep) each way. Around 90mins going down, and 2.5 hours going up. You have the option of staying at the Nongriat village overnight, so you don't have to do both ways on the same day. Make note, the entire path is stairs, and is 'not really a trek' as my son says.

There's also rainbow falls, which is another 90 minutes from the double-decker Bridge. On the way there's Blue lagoon, which is a little lake with very clear water that looks azure blue from a distance.

We stayed at Serene Lodge, which wasn't a great place, but it's literally the only proper hotel there and most people will stay there and put up with the very rude guy who runs the place.

All in all, I'm super-proud that I climbed all the way and back with my bad knees 😊. I loved the walk through the forested path (didn't love the crowd, but hey, everyone wants to go on holiday). The path literally takes you from the top of a tall mountain, to the bottom, and halfway up the next (you don't need a guide), so you feel really good about the distance you cover because you can actually see where you're going to reach when you start.

Shnonpdeng Umngot lake- We camped here overnight with Pioneer Camping, and it was a truly fun experience. This is just a few kms further to Dhowki where most tourists go, and part of the same river. This was truly one of the most serene, beautiful, and unspoiled places I've ever been. I was overwhelmed with how calm and natural the place was. No motor boats, no shouting (well, not much. You have kids trying to swim in the water, you're going to hear a certain amount of screaming 😄), nobody trying to sell you stuff.

The Pioneer guys had someone come pick us up near our car and walked down to the water with us. He took us by boat to our camping site. We then went on one of the most peaceful boat rides of my life. The water was so clear, you could see the pebbles at the bottom - little fish flitting between the rocks. You're flanked by tall cliffs on both sides, with only the sound of the oar splashing in the water. The reflection of the surroundings on the water was mesmerising, undisturbed and still. You could see the bottom of the river and the reflection at the same time, almost like an optical illusion. Right at the end of the lake was a tiny little waterfall, a reminder that this was part of a big river during the monsoons.

We also kayaked, the kids jumped off a cliff into the water, sonny boy ziplined across the lake, and we had a lovely evening making new friends over dinner and a campfire by the shore. A lovely end to a truly memorable experience. We're off early tomorrow morning for a long drive to Guwahati to catch a flight out.

20/12/2021

Kaziranga National Park

Duration- 2 days

We are travelling in December, so the weather is definitely cold! Pack warm clothes, and wear layers...everyone here does.

We arrived the previous day and were just hanging around our lovely lodge. Early morning (6:30am) jeep drive to the East Kaziranga gate. 40min ride past some small villages; little kids playing, dogs crossing the street at random, cows and sheep grazing everywhere. You'd need your ID to get in to the reserve, since you need to register and get a permit to enter. The first thing I noticed were some quaint outposts, used as offices and lookouts for forest guards. They checked our permits at the gate, and the safari was on!

The East side of the reserve has a huge lake which is home to both local birds and some that immigrate from Siberia. As soon as we entered we saw many types of cranes and storks and many smaller birds that were noisily nesting in the trees. We also saw a couple of rhinos in the distance, a huge, wild some wild hogs up close and one very skittish wild fowl.

But, what was truly fascinating for me was the dense, green forest with its many varieties of trees that seemed to coexist with each other in an almost symbiotic balance. The forest canopy was so thick in parts, there was hardly any sunlight filtering through. There were vines climbing willy-nilly, tall bamboos shooting through the forest roof, rugged roots dropping down from huge old trees, and air plants finding homes wherever they could, high up in the trees. I was gawking at them, open-mouthed and didn't know which direction to look...I've got a crick in my neck from trying to look everywhere at the same time! I couldn't take proper pictures as it was a really bumpy ride, but it was a treat to be inside that forest.

It was also a few degrees colder inside the first than outside, so were desperate for the few patches of sunlight that managed to get through. We also stopped to see the Brahmaputra River at one point.

Back to the lodge, quick break, lunch and second safari at 2pm. We had to start early since the sun rises early and sets early, so much to the East. This time, we went to the west gate, which had quite a different feel. Lots of tall grass and more open plains, especially at the beginning of the trail. Almost immediately we saw an elephant striding majestically down the path... then realised there was a mahout sitting atop him. Then we saw two rhinos to our right, one waddling in the slushy pool there. And just as suddenly, it ran out of the pool at top speed, and did an about-turn and faced the path! I've never seen a rhino run so fast! Our guide told us, it was protecting its baby from the elephant coming down the path. I think, in certain things we are all the same, no matter which species of animals we belong to.

We saw lots of rhinos, wild buffaloes and elephants. I also realised it was called 'Elephant grass' for two reasons. One, because Elephants ate it. Two, because it is so tall, it can almost hide an elephant! We saw some movement in the grass and stopped. We could see the grass moving, around 100ft from the path. Then we saw the end of an elephant's trunk reach out, twirl delicately around a small bunch of grass, grasp it, and pull it out, and then it disappeared...presumably to put the grass into the elephant's mouth. This happened a couple of times before the elephant emerged enough for us to see him. That grass is really tall!

We also saw lots of dung on the path. Our guide confidently said 'elephant dung' . I asked him how he could tell, and he replied "because rhino like to go only in one place". I didn't quite understand what he meant until we saw literally a small mountain of dung steaming in the cold air! Apparently, the rhino comes to the exact same spot every day to do his business... talk about being a creature of habit 😄! Oh well, we learned something new. We noticed many more of these dung heaps along the way. I don't remember the exact number (1500?), but there are lots of rhinos and elephants in Kaziranga National Park.

The humongous water buffalo could be seen in plenty too, with his posse of cranes always with him. We saw him wading in the pool or chilling in the sun...I bet the majestic sweep of his scary looking horns keep most of the predators away.

Lots of beautiful trees to see this time too, and we headed back. The sun sets early, and it's fully dark by 5ish, which was a bit disconcerting, but you get used to it. All in all, a trip definitely worth making, especially if you like animals and the wilderness.

Don't forget to leave a comment if you liked reading this, or if you had any questions 😊.

15/12/2021

Al Barari Winter Wonderland, Dubai

On up to 26th Dec 2021. Spend anything between 2 to 4 hours.

A lovely place to visit in Dubai if you have young kids. It gives you a very Christmas-y feel, with 'snow' on trees and lots of Christmas music. The whole place has a lovely vibe, and my kids (both teens) liked the trip though they didn't have much to do.

It is ticketed (65 aed/head), and we booked online before going. It meant that there wasn't much of a crowd, which was also nice. The sound of the flowing water along the path added to the whole ambience, so we ended up having a very relaxed time.

There was a little petting zoo with a few animals and a little pony for little kids to ride on. I'm not a big fan of animals in cages, but at least the keepers seemed to take really good care of them, and lots of kids got to know what hedgehogs and pythons (yes, there was one!) looked like. Also a tiny ice rink, and a small slide.

We enjoyed the whole feel of Christmas, with Santa Claus, lots of smiling elves and even a guy dressed up as a reindeer 😄! I've missed Christmas markets, shops selling handmade ornaments, the chill in the air and the smell of mulled wine, and though it was not the same, it felt good. (Disclaimer- I'm not a mall person, so I don't know if you can have this experience elsewhere in Dubai).

I hope this is enough info so you can decide if you want to go. Don't forget to look out for the water body that runs along the path that you walk on, though its behind the little shops. Merry Christmas and to all a Happy New Year 😊!

12/08/2019

A real Life drama unfolds in the African Bushland

We’re visiting Kenya for the first time, and went for a game drive today where we saw an amazing hunt!

A Cheetah was hunting two gazelles which were grazing. It was waiting in the grass...half a km away...muscles bunched, but taking two steps at a time. Waiting...then two steps. All this surrounded by around 20 jeeps. Then it hunkered down and waited so only its head was showing above the grass. And slowly the gazelles started moving toward the cheetah. 400 mts apart. The cheetah is just waiting. The gazelles are nervously wagging their tails, and looking up every few seconds, but continue grazing and moving towards the cheetah. The cheetah is still waiting. 300 mts. They stay close to each other, but continue grazing. 250 mts.

Then, some moron of a Jeep driver revvs up to get a closer look and startles the gazelles who immediately take flight! The cheetah bursts out of the grass...the gazelles leap, run and scatter...the cheetah gives chase...the gazelles leap out of its reach. The cheetah stops.

The gazelles are no longer in the grassland that any of us in the Jeeps could see. The cheetah looks up to see us, as if for the first time. Then he starts walking slowly towards some of the jeeps, and lopes right across. The rest of the jeeps are all muscling in to get a closer look. The cheetah doesn’t really care, and walks across the path. Then, he slowly starts loping across the grass on the other side. We don’t want to trouble the cheetah anymore, so start heading out. Then suddenly everyone notices that the cheetah is tense...and far across we notice the now lone gazelle!! The hunt is on...the game is afoot!

But the gazelle is really far this time. We think it very unlikely that the cheetah will get his prey. He starts walking slowly forward...again measured steps...walking forward every time he can see the back of the gazelle...and then freezing. Walk forward...freeze. Then he sits down in the grass and waits for the gazelle to walk towards him. Instead, she walks away. He slowly walks forward. 300 mts. Hunkers down in the grass. He’s impossible to see, if you don’t know where to look. He’s perfectly still, except for an occasional twitch of the ear. He waits. We wait. The gazelle continues to graze, tail twitching. She wanders a little. 250 mts. There’s perfect silence in all the jeeps watching the drama unfold. One can only hear the occasional click of the camera. Everyone’s waiting with bated breath. The tension is palpable. The cheetah walks forward. 200 mts. Every muscle taut. 150 mts. The gazelle instinctively realizes there’s something wrong and looks up...she sees the cheetah and leaps away...the cheetah pounces forward and gives chase...she changes direction...the cheetah follows...she runs, but is no match for a cheetah at close quarters. He goes in for the kill. One bite on the neck, and the gazelle is dead. The last part of the drama plays out in 10 seconds!

He pulls the now dead gazelle by the neck, under a tree. He’s panting and his chest is heaving from the strain of that last dash. It takes him another 15 minutes to get his breath back enough to start eating his prey.

It was unbelievable to actually see this happen before our very eyes. The patience and the predatory instincts of the cheetah...the nervous yet watchful energy of the gazelle. Was the first dash a mere ruse to separate the two gazelles? Did the cheetah know it would be easier to catch a lone gazelle than when they were in a pair? Did he give up the first time, knowing he’d follow up on where the gazelle goes? We’ll never know.

Savitri Janardhan Swechcha Anamika Vivek Anand Dinesh Kumar N Deepali Ankolekar Kavita Gaitonde Swati Pise Sumithra

25/07/2019

I just fell in love with the natural beauty of Scotland! All of it’s rolling hills, dales and valleys, the grazing sheep dotting the hills, the majestic cows at pasture, the mist-covered peaks and stunning landscapes.

Here are some simple journal entries from the Oban leg of our trip. If it’s illegible, leave a comment and I’ll type it up...figured it’d be more fun this way 😊?

More on Scotland coming up soon!

20/03/2019

Sikka19 Fahidi Historic Neighborhood, Dubai.

Thought I’d drop a ‘pictorial ‘ write-up on the art event by Sikka19 underway now in Dubai! It’s a simply fantastic place, chock full of galleries and displays in a truly beautiful setting.

Some of them were beautiful, some meaningful and some merely bizarre; all of them were a learning experience through and through.

I hope the pictures speak for themselves 😊, and tempt you to go 😄! Truly an event not to miss.

05/01/2019

Day trips from Yerevan.

Khor Virap Monastery - Areni Caves - Noravank Monastic Complex.

This is actually the story behind Khor-Virap...read on if you think you’d like it 😊!

I think today was the most exciting day of our stay in Yerevan! We went on this day-trip with Yerani Travels which started at 10 am, and we were back by around 7pm.

Having a good tour guide along makes all the difference to me, and how things suddenly take on a special meaning.

We reached the Khor Virap Monastery after a 45-min drive through picturesque countryside. This is situated less than one kilometer from the neutral zone, and around 9kms from the Turkish border. It also sits on the foothills of the rugged, mighty, snow-covered twin-peaks of the Ararat mountain. There’s a little placard quoting from Genesis which mentions that Noah’s ark landed on the Ararat mountain after the long flood...it gave me goose-bumps to think I was standing in almost touching-distance of something so ancient and filled with majesty.

The complex itself consists of two structures within a stone-walled compound; a chapel and a smaller single-roomed structure. The smaller structure (later converted into a chapel as well) has a rather chilling story behind it.

It is circa 283 AD, and Armenia is still a country with pagan Gods and rituals. Tiridates III is the king of Armenia, after his father, King Khosrov II is brutally assassinated by Anak the Parthian. The revenge of the Royal family is ruthless, and Anak’s entire family is immediately killed. Unbeknown to anyone, Anak’s youngest child, Gregory, escapes with the help of his caretakers and is bought up as a devout Christian in a far-away land.

To atone for his father’s sins, Gregory decides to evangelize his homeland. He inveigles himself into Tiridates’ confidence and soon becomes his friend. The king, however, has no inkling about Gregory’s ulterior motive, and imagines him to be a pagan like himself. During a pagan ritual (which took place at the very site of the chapel today), Tiridates decided to honor Gregory by asking him to offer the sacrifice to the Mother goddess and to bow before her. Gregory, being a devout Christian, refuses to do so, at which point the King understands that something is amiss and eventually finds out that he is the son of the man who killed his father. To punish him for his deceit, he has Gregory thrown into a pit (the smaller structure in Khor Virap) along with scorpions and snakes and has the pit sealed.

It is the time when Christianity is spreading, and there is a great conflict between Christianity and the pagan religious. At this time, a convoy of Christian nuns enter Armenia to escape persecution from Rome. Perhaps Tiridates is feeling guilty about throwing his friend in the pit, I don’t know, but he decides to meet the nuns before deciding their fate. He immediately falls in love with one of the nuns and asks her to marry him, which she categorically refuses. In a fit of rage, the kind orders the immediate ex*****on of all 30 nuns.

After this is done, Tiridates falls seriously ill, and nothing anyone does seems to help him recover. The king is suffering from a mental illness where he imagines himself as a boar, and none of the medication that the physicians prescribe seem to help. At this desperate time, his sister, Khosrovidukht, has a vision in which it is revealed to her that only Gregory can cure her brother. She immediately tells her brother about it and begs him to release Gregory.

It has, however, been fourteen years since Gregory was thrown in the pit, and nobody thinks he’d be alive. The king is however, desperate, and asks for the pit to be reopened. And, lo and behold! Gregory arises from the pit; probably a little weak and squinting at the sun, but very much alive! Turns out, there was this Christian lady who was throwing some bread into the pit everyday for Gregory; what she was doing there, I don’t know...perhaps it was her job to feed the snakes and scorpions, who knows? Anyway, all’s well that ends well.

The king begs Gregory’s forgiveness and asks him to please cure him of his madness. Gregory graciously agrees, and the king is cured. In thankfulness, Tiridates decides to convert to Christianity and declares it as the official religion of Armenia. He bestows upon his miracle worker the title ‘Gregory the Illuminator’, and that is how Armenia was the first country in the world to officially become Christian!

Since quite a few of these incidents actually took place in what is now the Khor-Virap Monastery, it takes on significant importance in Armenian history. There is also a long cross on the hill behind the Monastery to mark the crossroads where the first two apostles who came to Armenia met.

I apologize for the length of this article, but I love stories and I had to share this one 😊! I can only hope you enjoyed reading it.

More on Areni caves and Noravank Monastery soon.

Yerevan

04/01/2019

Hello from Yerevan, Armenia
A big hello from cold, ancient Yerevan, capital of Armenia! We are here in December and simply love the olde world charm and friendly people of this beautiful country.

Yerevan (also called Erevan) is the capital and the largest city of Armenia. Built on the plains of Ararat, on the banks of the Hrazdan river, it is simply bursting with history. Armenia is the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as it’s official religion. Did you know, that the Araratian Pontificial Diocese is one of the oldest dioceses in the world? As you can imagine the story of Christianity in Armenia is a long one indeed!

Most of what a tourist would like to see tends to be concentrated in a small part of the city, so most of the landmarks are accessible on foot. The best way to see Yerevan is to do a walking tour. Unfortunately both the tour guides we had spoke very limited English (though very friendly) so we did not learn as much about the history or culture as we would have liked to...had to look up most things on google instead.

Here’s hoping this article helps do a quick orientation tour of the city! Start at point one and proceed to the last point or, you can start at the last point and proceed to the first. This particular walk goes through the government and Embassy district on to the center of town.

1. Marshal Baghramyan Statue: Right on Marshal Baghramyan Avenue is this imposing statue which is a tribute to the Matshal who led the Armenian army to victory in many famous wars; both against the invading Turkish armies and later in WWII.

2. Marshal Baghramyan Metro Station: Walk through this Metro station into a cozy little park (called lovers park) with ponds that freeze over during winter...it’s the perfect place for a walk or some quiet relaxation.

3. British Embassy: Situated exactly opposite to the entrance of 2.

4. Presidential Palace: A beautiful pale yellow building with interesting detailing on the capital.

5. National Assembly: Further down, on the same side as the park, are the National Assembly buildings. Proportioned beautifully and placed on a plinth higher than the level of the road, this place has imposing security guards posted outside and I never found out if visitors were allowed tours!

6. National Academy of Science: Again, reminiscent of Soviet era buildings, this imposing structure sits on a plinth, with many steps leading up to the academy.

7. Cascade: As the name suggests, this is a series of fountains with many, many stairs connecting the top to the bottom. The complex was originally conceived by the architect Alexander Tamanyan (1878–1936). Tamanyan desired to connect the northern and central parts of the city—the historic residential and cultural centers of the city—with a vast green area of waterfalls and gardens, cascading down one of the city’s highest promontories. While this is not exactly what was built, the Cascade is still quite beautiful and plays host to a number of other buildings including the famous Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

8. Opera House square: Also known as freedom square, it contains The Opera house (which has a very typical architecture of Opera houses everywhere) which is a grey, imposing structure which also houses The philharmonic theater on the other side. The statues of writer Hovhannes Tumanyan and composer Alexander Spendiaryan are located in the square.

You are now faced with many choices of things to do as you’ve reached the center of town 😊! There’s the ice rink (in winter), shopping, cafes and restaurants etc. More on that in the next article...meanwhile, here are some pics to help identify the landmarks.

Paris walks & travel fun

11/07/2023

20/02/2023

20/11/2022

08/08/2022

24/12/2021

20/12/2021

15/12/2021

12/08/2019

25/07/2019

20/03/2019

05/01/2019

04/01/2019

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