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Published: September 9th 2023
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Aviatic Hotel Paris. I had put the alarm on on for 6am but didn’t need it. We both woke up at intervals through the night and were only half under at best. It must be fear of not hearing the alarm and general excitement.
At 5.30am we agree that we both had had enough of trying and Marion took the first shower.
We are on a very full, bouncy and rackety Orlybus by 6.05am. It was full. Mostly with airport workers, we suspect.
Off the bus and into the huge terminal (3). After a visit to ‘paul’ for the restorative powers of pain au raisins and coffee, we approach departure gate D. I pass through the metal detector and case X-ray test, but Marion is very closely examined by staff from both departments. Her titanium hips always lead to extra wand waving, but this is surely beyond the call of duty, for the security agent. Then M’s hand bag is unpacked and it is fine toothed combs employed in the search for stuff in each and every carefully plastic-bagged item.
Eventually, onward to an even brighter Cosmetics Corridor than Glasgow that is proving
to have even more shimmering boxes and staff (but very poor gin deals to take advantage of).
We settle in the departure area and Transavia, our airline, comes up trumps with a service on time and friendly in approach.
The trip was uneventful with views of Alps and the the Panonian Plain. It becomes cloudy over Turkey so we see don’t see much until we are through the turbulence of cumulus cloud on our descent.
I paint my first sketch of the holiday on the flight and, furthermore, manage to get down an extremely solid and cold baguette ‘mixed’ (ham and Emmental) in a test of tenacity in the face of incomestibility.
We had arranged a car pick up service from the airport at 4.45 and a pleasant man is there waving Ken Patterson amongst all the other names.
First impressions are of poverty by the roadside. Tin roofs and make shift buildings touting simple fair to passers by.
But Yerevan is jammed packed with cars and seems much richer as we reach the centre.
‘Moscow Boutique Hotel’ turns out to be a cinema with a few
rooms within. Our suite (!) is next to the projection room up a service lift in the depths of the building. It’s painted chocolate brown throughout with a line of six very small diamond shaped windows slightly above head height. So it’s either chic and sophisticated ....... or a bit gloomy, depending upon your mood.
Externally it looks a bit monumental. It was opened in 1936 on the site of the St Pau and Peter church which was demolished in the 1930s by the Soviet authorities. The building was designed by architects Tiran Yerkanyan and Gevorg Kochar. The theatre was opened on 12 December 1936. Its first ever show was of the Soviet-Armenian movie ‘Pepo’
In 1960, the building was redesigned by architects Gevorg Kochar and Telman Gevorkyan. In 1983, the building was redeveloped when the facade was decorated with scenes of many famous Soviet-Armenian movies including Chapayev. Pepo, David Bek, nd Sayat Nova.
It’s on Charles Asnevour Square, who was a man with Armenian roots. There are also impressive fountains and a big spider like Louise Bourgois would build if she lived in Armenia.
We drink water and settle for an hour in
our room.
Then off we romp down the Main Street to the Square of the Republic. It’s big and is surrounded by red stoned buildings of imposing proportions. A circular route takes through a shopping mall to the Opera / Ballet / Concert Hall. There’s a Prokofiev Romeo and Juliette ballet performance on Sunday we hope to see.
Then we try a short cut home through new buildings to a traditional restaurant we’ve spotted. This ‘cut’ is where Marion trips and falls full length on to the paving. A change in levels of new block paving has been botched between different phases of construction, leaving a trip hazard with a paving block or two missing to boot.
The manager of the adjacent restaurant is quick to offer help with a chair and water to help get get over the shock. She sheets unshaken and we decide to stay here and order food which is somewhat ‘pan European’ but proves well made and we have our first bottle of excellent Armenian Karas red wine.
It’s so good we now feel assured of a safe stagger home? There seems no bruising on Marion’s knee or hip.
She is as brave as she is tough. Could have been a difficult start to the holiday .........
And so to bed. We’re two hours ahead of France, three ahead of Uk but it’s 10.30pm here and we’re both knackered.
1am. After an initial doze we’re both awake. Two the windows don’t close properly and the sound of Friday night in a party city drifting through the gaps is enough to keep us from slumbering. And ten minutes ago hammering has started somewhere inside or outside the building (in shared masonry ‘cos it’s being transmitted through the stonework). The night porter has rung some one but he has no other room available..... it seems.......
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Bridget Enever
non-member comment
Eek!
I hope you are feeling OK after your prostration, Marion. I’m sure the wine helped…..seems a suspiciously advantageous trip hazard for the restaurant…. have fun, rest up a bit! X