Sunday 16th October

 

  From our hotel up in the Debed Canyon we planned to visit two monasteries, Sanabin and Haghpat, both worlds heritage sites, and to walk from one to the other. We started at Shanahan, a village cut into the canyon wall above the town of Alaverdi. (The transport and administrative hub of the area with shabby Soviet era apartment blocks and a huge smokestack pouring smoke from the mining works.)  Shanahan is packed with ancient graves and chapels and study halls (very cold and draughty!)

 Below is one of the khatchkars or carved crosses for which Armenian monasteries are famous.



 

We then made our way across the mountains to the monastery at Haghpat, a stimulating and enjoyable walk over the mountains, albeit it with a rather scary descent, managed by we older people with a certain loss of decorum, but nonetheless, safely.

Haghpat was founded by Queen Khosrvanuch who funded construction of the church there in 966.

The most fascinating building was the library. Here the monks used to store manuscripts in pottery jars sunk into holes in the ground.

 

As our guide Nana, a professor at the university in Yerevan, now feared snow we returned to our hotel and a welcome swim and jot tub helped to restore some energy to my aching limbs.

 

Sadly the evening meal marked the end of our stay in these interesting countries and many thanks to all those, drivers and guides who eased our way through unknown territory but especially to Rosa and Robin who organised such a great holiday. Tomorrow we go to Tbilisi for the plane home.