Post-Soviet Armenia

Heading towards the Armenian version of Central Park and the National Cathedral of Armenia, we wandered through the stark, cement and pretty much lifeless park where we saw several army officers and their wives sauntering through the park hand in hand. Love blooms even in the dreariest of places! A gloomy, cloudy kind of day progressed as the clouds whipped the wind faster around the park until it began to snow. Heavy, windy snow. We walked pass several markets selling Russian fur hats that we tried on - trying to contain our giggles- and marveled at the large boat like building looming behind the markets, which turned out to be an old Russian national theatre, which now acts as a market. Across the busy street was the Cathedral: grand, tan and stunningly magnificently tall. And next to the church was a little carnival on the left and the slums of Yerevan on the right. Somehow its location felt quite odd. The juxtaposition of shut down carnivals and slums with the grandeur of the church was mind boggling.

The church steps were like a were like a marathon leading upward. By the time we reached the top we were out of breath but impressed. The church was as unusual as its location. It was light, spacious and very much like my church at home. It was eerily quiet, though filled with people with a picture of baby Jesus centrally depicted. Many were praying, but there were no typical candles or fancy decorations. Only very new, very clean and very simple decorations adorned the National Cathedral. It felt the most down to earth to me. After the church we made our way back to the hostel. We met up with our friends and the Irishmen and went out to a restaurant that a Peace Corps volunteer recommended. It was the BEST restaurant ever. It was dirt cheap, with Armenian music and an amazingly delicious and huge menu. We drank Armenian wine, ate delicious desserts of granola and chocolate, tried spinach and walnut paste balls and a million other things on the menu. When we left the restaurant a snow storm developed and was going strong. We stopped in one of the central square and had a massively enjoyable snow ball fight! I haven't felt that much like a little kid in a long time.