Tired of isolation, failure at work and the inability to go on vacation, we decided to go to Karelia, which has finally opened up. Not far from the border. On one day. But to nature.
A year ago, a friend told me how well she had spent a week at the thermal springs in Adygea. She (and I) have problems with the musculoskeletal system. She enjoyed the trip very much.
You can see the route map here. Start - in part 1, part 2, part 3 Sevanavank Monastery [24]. Today the monastery is located on the peninsula. But before the decrease in the water level in Sevan, he was on the island.
You can see the route map here. Start - in part 1, Part 2 Goshavank Monastery[10]. Erected in the XII century. on the site of the ancient Getik monastery destroyed by an earthquake (named after the river flowing nearby) by order of Prince Zakarian.
You can see the route map here. Beginning - in part 1 Hovhanavank Monastery [1] (Hovhanavank village north of Ashtarak). According to legend, the founder and first priest of this monastery was Gregory the Illuminator.
The last part of my story about the spring trip to Armenia will be devoted to previously missed Christian monuments: churches and monasteries that we saw. These monuments are shown to the guests of the country most often.
I will pay most attention here to khachkars. But I will also mention places where you can see unusual carvings or small monuments, sometimes combined with carvings. “Khachkar” means “cross-stone” (by analogy with “kar” in the word “Karahunj”, which I have already mentioned).
Scheme of the described trip here. Beginning - see part 1 I skip the centuries of the beginning of Christianity and the construction of temples, monasteries, schools after the appearance of the alphabet.
Scheme of the described trip here In this story, I will have to travel not in space, but in time. That is, it will be a historical journey. Therefore, anyone who is not interested in this can omit this part.
My first time in the mountains was in the 1980s. These were the Eastern Carpathians. When she returned, she spoke only about the mountains. Tired of all your admiration. But those were the wooded Carpathians.
Red is the route by rented car, blue is the group tour by minibus The numbers next to the circles on this map indicate stops along our route. Those who wish can follow the links at the end of the story and read more about these places.
Armenians adopted Christianity as the state religion first. But for the rituals, they used mainly books in Greek, which came from neighboring Byzantium, which spoke this language at that time.
We drive for some time along the English Channel. Sandy beaches give way to rocks. And again sandy beaches. And here is the department of Finistè re - "the end of the earth.
In the morning, we finally leave Saint-Malo. Rain is coming. For the first time, Brittany looks like herself. The postcards I've seen in Saint-Malo and bought some are ironic about the climate.
When we were returning from Dinant to Saint-Malo in the middle of the day, the guide asked: who wants to go to Fort Latte and Cap Frehel? There were 5-6 people who wanted to.
From Saint-Malo we went on an excursion to Dinant. I hoped that we would spend the whole day there, finally going nowhere. Alas. We went again in a quick way, for half a day.
After a "quick tour" of interesting places in Normandy in 3 days, we were stuck in the glorious city of "free people" Saint-Malo for 3 nights. While studying the route, I didn’t understand what to do there more than an overnight stay, and when I got there, I asked the guide the same question.
We cross the border river Couesnon and find ourselves in Brittany. This is where I wanted to go for a long time. The route raised doubts that I would see the Brittany that I imagine.
In the morning we went to the place that I really wanted to see, but about which I knew almost nothing - the carpet museum, located in the small town of Bayeux. A little history of the city.
We spent the night in Cana. Therefore, we arrived in the capital of Lower Normandy in the evening. It was another point of the route where I wanted to get. Because this city is closely connected with William the Conqueror.
Trouville-Dauville form, as it were, one settlement. After Honfleur we stopped at Deauville. I never dreamed of going there. But all tourists are brought there, showing this place along with Honfleur.
Continuation. Start here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 HONFLAIR The road from Etretat to Honfleur passes by one of the largest French ports - Le Havre. It has been twinned with my hometown for half a century.
Continuation. Start here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Etretat is one of those places on the route that I definitely wanted to visit. Seeing the amazing pictures of these arches over the sea, I understood that I wanted to see it all with my own eyes.
Journey to Armorica My trip was organized in a hurry: because of the crisis, there were long financial difficulties, but at the last moment I was able to go to France, which I planned to "give myself for a round birthday".
Continuation. Start here: Part 1 Part 2 I've never heard of this city before. Therefore, my arrival here was a surprise for me. And now I really regret that I knew little about this place before the trip.