Visiting Armenia, An Unexpectedly Delightful Experience

Cafesjian Sculpture Garden at the foot of the Cascade in Yerevan is a must when visiting Amenia

They say timing is everything. Certainly, timing was my main consideration when visiting Armenia. Truthfully, the three countries that make up the Caucasus region in far eastern Europe were on my radar for one reason. I’d read several stories by travel writers who were totally smitten by the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, but otherwise I … Read more

Baku, Azerbaijan – The Smell of Money

A visit to the walled Old City, with its ancient architecture and narrol stone lanes, is one of the top things to do in Baku

From the moment I set foot in Baku, I knew there was something very different about Azerbaijan’s capital city. Mirror-clad skyscrapers and modern shopping centers stood juxtaposed against the 700-year old stone walls of the Old City. Elegantly dressed women in high heels negotiated crazy patchwork stone streets. Delicious cooking smells mingled with an unpleasant … Read more

The Historical UNESCO Monuments of Mtskheta, Georgia

17th century ciborium at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta Georgia beneath which the robe of Jesus is said to be buried

Mtskheta, the original capital of Georgia, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the place where the country first adopted Christianity in 334. Today, not only is it the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church, it is home to Jvari Monastery and Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, two important religious sites … Read more