Week 2, Thursday - Unexpected entertainment

On our walk yesterday morning we saw what, from a distance, appeared to be a flea market.  Today we head out to give it a closer look.  Upon arriving we found it wasn't a flea market but I'm not sure what to call it. Some of the stores are in the the bricks and mortor category though none were actually constructed of those materials. Rather I mean that they were entirely enclosed in buildings.  Some of the buildings housed an individual store.  While others hosted many stores in a bazaar style.  Then there were other shops that had both indoor and outdoor retail areas. Still others had an inside area that was used only for storage with the wares actually being displayed outside requiring the owner to transport and set up his wares each day, not a simple task for many of them.

Everything imaginable was sold - food, plumbing supplies, clothing, toys, toiletries, carpets, boots, small appliances, ad infinitum. It was different from what I've seen so far in that many stores sold many categories of items. Prior to this, except for a very few department stores, I had only seen retail shops offering a narrow range of goods. Stores which only sold electrical wiring, or mirrors, or brooms.  Just goes to show that one shouldn't extrapolate too much.

After leaving the market we strolled around a bit, taking a street at random merely because it looked interesting. One street which went up a little hill, consisted entirely of new buildings, some still being constructed.  It seemed a bit odd because most of the shops were upscale but the surrounding neighborhood was more modest. We continued our ambling and shortly we came to the Cathedral of Saint Gregory the Illuminator.  This time  we approached from the side opposite our previous visit. On my first walk to the Cathedral, I had thought the location was strange, in a neighborhood not appropriate to a spanking new cathedral commemorating 1700 years Christianity as a state religion. Now I wonder if it wasn't the start of an urban renewal of sorts.

We grabbed a bite to eat at Marco Polo on Abovyan Street just a half block from Republic Square. The restaurant sported a glass enclosed eating area which jutted out on the sidewalk.  A perfect spot for people watching as I ate my soup (hot spas, again) and salad.

A trip back to the hotel for Neil to change and head to the bank.  That pesky work sure gets in the way of fun.

When Neil returned he commented that the wind was picking up and the air had a bite to it.  That was all I needed to hear to make me want to stay close to home for dinner.  We ended up at the Lebanese restaurant that we had eaten at on Tuesday of our first week.  After we ordered but before our meal arrived, the owner asked if we wouldn't mind moving to another table.  A small group would be playing that night and our table was located on a spot that would be perfect for the band to set up.  Whether their arrival was a surprise or the owner wasn't much of a planner, I have no idea, but it was easy enough for us to move and we did.  We ended up with the best table in the place for enjoying the band and enjoy them we did.

There were four musicians and a singer.  The instruments consisted of a largish bongo type drum, a flute, and two others which I didn't have a clue about.  At a subsequent visit to the History of Yerevan Museum I learned that one was a kamancha ( leftmost musician), a bowed string instrument played like a violin.  The resonating chamber is shaped like a gourd and, indeed, is often made from a gourd.  The other was a tarr (rightmost musician) which is a bit like a ukelele but has a double-bowl shape with a thin membrane of stretched skin of some sort covering the top and a whole slew of frets.  They were charming and we enjoyed them thoroughly.  In the picture you can see that one of them is a bit of a mismatch age-wise.

A quick mention of my meal.  I had lasagnia (their English spelling) which had very little in common with Italian lasagna but was quite tasty.  It is  mixture of ground meat and vegetables, covered with a very thin layer of dough and topped with cheese.

Behind us at the restaurant was a table of five which we noticed upon sitting down because they were speaking English albeit with several different accents. Two of the group were American.  I was impressed by, and commented to Neil about, the politeness they showed when listening to the musicians.  Other people were talking through the performances but not this group.  They turned their chairs to face the musicians and listened quietly and attentively.  Later Neil learned that one of those at the table was Steve Wozniack of Apple fame who was in Armenia to receive a Global IT Award from President Serge Sargsyan.