Having realised I would have a certain difficulty in handing out the huge number of little presents I had bought for the Armenian children once we didn't see in the streets as we would in other European Asian countries I decided to start leaving some of those in the hotel rooms arranged in rather fancy designs hoping some of the hotel cleaning ladies would have children whom they could give them to.
We left the hotel fairly early on our way to the Lori province, though we still drove around so as to photograph the memorial to Charles Aznavour. The devastation of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake was still visible.
Lori is said to be Armenia'slargest province in terms of land area. Largely a high plateau with small mountain ranges, its outstanding features are the deep gorges which seem to fissure the landscape. the views of the river valleys were outstandingly beautiful but naturally very difficult to photograph from inside the bus.
We only stopped twice and the latest time was already fairly close to the Odzune village, whose 6th century basilica we were going to visit. I watched a cow herdsman as he calmly "conducted" his cows.
It was Sunday ... Easter ... fairly warm and for no special reason I was feeling happy.
(To be continued)
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