Our driver Constantine picked us up at 9.30 for a visit 30km outside Yerevan to, firstly, Garni, a 1st century AD Hellenic temple dedicated to the heathen sun god Mitra. It's spectacularly positioned on rock cliffs with the Avan Gorge below.
Then on to Gerhard Monastery (hopefully the first monastery of several on this trip). Founded in 4th century AD, it comprises various cramped monastic cave cells and a 13thC church (with some beautiful external stone carvings,
and a natural skylight which today let in a strong shaft of light - the Armenians are very keen on striking a contrived exaggerated pose for any and all photos so were queuing up to adopt a saintly expression and cup hands to "catch" a sunbeam - hilarious). No, we weren't tempted!
Constantine dropped us at the top of a hill, where sits the sadly wholly underwhelming monument to the 50th anniversary of "Soviet Armenia". Lumps of concrete - practical, enduring, solid, but without much aesthetic charm!
Having walked back down the hill, we were pretty pooped and in need of a rest. We searched out an art market in a park (where I chose a oil painting memento while Duncan tracked down the usual wee bottle of noxious local brew) and enjoyed a Kilikia Armenian beer.
Approaching dark, we headed to the main square, hopeful that the large fountain which we'd seen being cleaned and refilled yesterday might be in for some action. Sure enough, to as eclectic a musical accompaniment as Queen, Bizet, Glen Miller, Star Wars, Prokofiev, the overture from The Sound of Music and unexpectedly Rule Britannia, the water-sound-light show kicked off and kept half of Yerevan entertained til 10pm sounded on the clock-tower. An unexpected treat.
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