A whole lot has gone on since I last posted in this blog. The biggest thing is that my husband’s fifth grandchild was born on Monday. She’s tiny, but feisty, and very beautiful. The next biggest thing, of course, is that we’re celebrating anniversary number 23 today. And to be honest, we were kind of “meh” about it, mainly because there’s so much happening right now.
My husband’s new granddaughter is a big thing, but so is everything in the news… and the fact that tomorrow, Bill and I are both flying to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. He’s going there to work, and I’m tagging along. I’ve been to Istanbul before. It was about 30 years ago! But even the idea of going to to Istanbul is kind of overshadowed by everything else right now! You’d think I’d be excited about visiting Turkey again, so many years later. To be honest, though, I’m thinking about how it’s time to put up the Christmas shit and hunker down for the holidays.
Anyway, because it’s our anniversary, we decided we should go out. And because Villa Im Tal always offers us excellent service, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful area, we decided that’s where we’d go. And they didn’t disappoint today. As usual, we had wonderful, warm, friendly service, and we spent a luxurious afternoon enjoying delicious food in a gorgeous setting. In fact, they even gave us the prized table in the corner turret…
Right now, it’s goose season. Christmas is just around the corner, and Wiesbaden has already put up decorations. Since the menu had a lot of items that had mushrooms and truffles in them, Bill and I both decided to have the special goose menu, which offered delights that featured goose. Below are some photos from our amazing repast…
Champagne for me, and a non-alcoholic house cocktail for Bill.The bread came with rillets and the local cheese spread. It was delicious!Delicious salad with goose…A wonderful Austrian Pinot Noir that had a smokey essence that reminded me of a succulent ham.We brought about half of the goose home for dinner! It was delicious, but so filling!He was at the next table and was a perfect gentleman.Chocolate mousse and mango sorbet for dessert…And some Spanish brandy for me to help digest everything…One of Bill’s trademark mushy cards… He is so wonderful to me.
I didn’t ask how much Bill spent on lunch, but I feel sure it wasn’t as much as what he spent on dinner at Pizarro Fine Dining last weekend! And this time, their credit card machine was working, so we won’t get a bill.
The very cool wine decanter that looks like a snake…
Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll board a flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul. It will take about three hours, and we’ll debark at about 8 PM Turkey time (two hours ahead of us in Germany). Then we’ll spend four nights in Istanbul. I’ll do my best to get some good photos, and Bill will work… and maybe we’ll do some shopping. It’ll be good to see Istanbul again since 1996. And I’m glad I’ll be there with Bill, who can share the memories. Today, more than most days, I’m reminded that we must enjoy the time we have together and never take it for granted. You never know when it will all be over on Earth.
Watch this space for my reports on Istanbul! Here’s to 23 more wonderful years with my Bill.
Here’s a video about our train trip from Dublin to Kilkenny, back in November 2016. We met a group of hilarious Irish lads who kept us in stitches during our ride to see the Smithwick’s Brewery. I hope someday we can enjoy another fun filled trip to Ireland, even if the lads advised us how “awful” Ireland is.
These kids gave us the best kind of souvenir from Ireland!
At last, it was Tuesday, November 19th, the day we would have to check out and go back to our regular lives in Germany. To be honest, as much as we enjoyed our stay at The Duke Suites, I think Bill and I were both ready to go home. I know we missed Noyzi and Charlie, and I was starting to run out of clean underwear. I can’t speak for Bill’s situation in that department.
We packed everything up before our final decadent breakfast, and at 8:00 AM, headed back to the Clubhouse Restaurant with the new butler on duty. I didn’t catch his name, but he was also very pleasant and cool. He said he’d talked to Marco the night before, so he knew about us. Once again, we were the only ones having breakfast, although I did see some people pulling into the parking lot to play golf, in spite of the rainy weather.
After yet another breakfast of yogurt, eggs, cold cuts, smoked salmon toast, fresh orange juice, coffee, and breads, we went back to the room and called the butler to help us get the bags to the Volvo, which he had helpfully brought to the front door. After we loaded the car, we went into the butler’s office to settle the bill. For three nights of lodging, we paid 1650 euros. We also had charges for the massages, The Charles Experience six course dinner with wine pairings, two dinners in the Clubhouse, and a couple of bottles of wine as well as other assorted beverages. All told, I believe the bill came to about 2700 euros, give or take.
One last look at the foyer…
Yes, it was a lot of money, but at this point, we can still afford it. While I would have liked to have done more touristy stuff during our stay in Nistelrode, the experience at The Duke Suites was unforgettable enough. And it was also very restful and luxurious after a work week spent at a considerably less posh hotel in Mons, Belgium.
Overall, we had a great trip to Belgium and The Netherlands. I enjoyed both components of our travel, and the visit to The Duke Suites really was a wonderful reward for 22 years of marriage.
Back in 2015, we did something similar with a couple of Bill’s work trips. At that time, he worked for a different contractor, and they usually didn’t mind if he drove our personal vehicle on business trips. That year, I went with Bill to Apeldoorn, a nice city in The Netherlands by way of a one night stay in Luxembourg. When the business part of that trip was over, we went to Haarlem, a city close to Amsterdam. I tried marijuana for the very first time on my 43rd birthday.
Later that year, Bill had to go to Vicenza, Italy. I went with him on that trip, too, and we stayed in Seefeld, Austria on the way down, and Vevey, Switzerland on the way back. The Swiss part of that trip was especially lovely, as we booked a luxury hotel for a couple of nights so Bill could visit Gruyeres and see the Giger Museum. I remember being wowed by the upgraded lodging in that situation, too.
As we’ve gotten older, and Europe is less novel to us than it once was, we tend to be more low key when we travel. We like to stay in very comfortable places, when we can. I definitely believe The Duke Suites qualifies as one of the nicest places we’ve ever stayed, and we have stayed in some very nice places, indeed! Well… at least in Europe, we have. Our stays in the United States have been less posh.
After we paid the bill, the butler gave us a couple of bottles of water and mints for the trip, which he tucked into a branded container for us. He also gave us a beautiful book/brochure about the property. Of course, it’s in Dutch!
A rainy entry into Germany!
Our drive home was mostly uneventful, except I made another YouTube video in the car. I did it partly to try out the YouTube video function on an iPad, and partly because I wanted to respond to some guy who said he feels “sorry” for Bill, because he didn’t like one of my videos. I don’t think he needs to feel sorry for Bill. We’re both living our best lives.
In any case, I think I’d like to spend more time in The Netherlands. It’s a beautiful, civilized, clean, and safe country. I’d like to spend more time in Belgium, too, for different reasons.
So ends my series on our 22nd anniversary/work trip to Belgium and The Netherlands. Stay tuned for my ten things I learned post!
We arrived in the village of Nistelrode, North Brabant in The Netherlands at some point around lunchtime. Because we didn’t know much about the policies at our next stop, we decided to have lunch at a little restaurant in Nistelrode called De Eeterij (The Eatery). It was pretty novel, because it had its own parking lot with free parking!
We went into the place and had a rather large lunch, coupled with tiny Dutch beers. Seriously, it was interesting to come from Belgium to The Netherlands, where draft beers are served in much smaller glasses. But it’s probably just as well, since I ended up drinking Heineken. I used to like Heineken when I was younger and less of a beer snob. Now, I find it pretty skunky.
I had spare ribs with fabulous frites. Bill had chicken satay, which seemed to be a common offering in The Netherlands. The only thing that would have made my dish better, is if they’d offered ketchup for the fries, instead of mayo. I remember in the early 90s, meeting a Belgian guy who played tuba for the “Boogie Band” at Busch Gardens. He ate mayo with his fries, and everyone thought it was so weird! Of course, over here, a lot of people think eating ketchup is weird. I will admit, it does have a lot of sugar… but if you grew up on it, it’s definitely a comfort!
I was amused by the faucets in the bathrooms. They had installed what looked like Heineken beer taps as faucets! However, the rest of the bathroom looked like it could use refurbishing. A new toilet seat would be a step up, at the very least.
Bill went to pay the check, but his Visa cards didn’t work. It turns out that many businesses in The Netherlands don’t take Visa. They prefer MasterCard. Fortunately, he had enough euros to pay for the meal. The lady who took the money asked him if he was sure when he told her to keep the change (about 2,50). Tipping doesn’t seem to be a big thing in The Netherlands.
After we ate, it was closer to the customary check in time. We decided to head to our next lodging, the magnificent golfing resort called The Duke Suites. I found this wonderful spot on Facebook, of all places. I got an ad for it while I was looking for places for us to stay for our anniversary. Although Bill and I are not interested in golf at all, I was intrigued by how beautiful the place looked. It appeared to be a perfect spot for a short (and expensive) rest.
I sent a booking request weeks ago, and it was promptly answered. I didn’t even have to submit a credit card, although the rate was a princely 550 euros per night– more than the monthly rent on my first US based apartment. But, for that, we got a gorgeous room, butler service, included minibar, and a bathroom a person could live in.
A couple of days before we arrived at The Duke Suites, I got an email asking for final details, such as when we would be arriving. I had also booked us a couples’ massage in their spa, and The Charles Experience, which is a six course tasting menu in their restaurant, offered only from Wednesday to Saturday each week. It was lucky that our anniversary fell on Saturday. The email also had instructions about what to do when we arrived. We pulled up to the covered area by the entrance and were met by Marco, who was our butler for most of our stay.
Bill and I are not fancy people, but we do like to splurge sometimes. We once stayed in another golf property, in Hilton Head, South Carolina, back in February 2012. I remember it distinctly, because it was when Whitney Houston died, and she was all over the news. That property also offered butlers, but I don’t remember them doing anything but checking us in. The room we stayed in was beautiful, but it was very much an American resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The experience we had at The Duke Suites was very different… and vastly superior.
Marco offered us coffee, tea, or champagne. We had some champagne, since it was our anniversary, and because I am a lush. He showed us our room, explained almost everything (he forgot to tell us the bed was adjustable), and left us there, mouths agape, as we took in the absolutely beautiful accommodations. Then he offered us more champagne, which we declined, since we would be having a lot of wine at dinner. Below are some photos:
Charming Nistelrode.The road leading to The Duke Estates.The lobby at The Duke Suites.Checking in.A welcome snack with fizz.The bed.I loved the fireplace.The curtains were remote controlled!I loved these chairs. So comfortable, and wide enough for my butt.Our terrace!Bathroom and dressing area.Huge tub. I never got to try it.Minibar. It was included in the room rate and stocked with a bottle of red, white, champagne, and beer…I want one of these wine fridges for my house!SShower
We’ve stayed in some very beautiful hotels, but this one just might be in a class by itself. There were very few people there during our stay, so we pretty much got the place to ourselves. The staff was absolutely wonderful and low key. We never felt awkward or weird, even though we aren’t used to such great service.
After a couple of hours of enjoying the much improved lodging, it was time for dinner. We got showered and changed and called Marco, who escorted us to The Charles Restaurant, which is the club’s “fancy” restaurant in the Clubhouse. The Clubhouse is actually in another building, but The Duke Suites and the Clubhouse are connected by an underground tunnel that make them seem like the same building. If you look at the buildings from the outside, you don’t know that they’re linked, and when you are moving between them, it doesn’t seem like they’re separate. But we later found out that the Clubhouse has been around longer than The Duke Suites. After a couple of days, we realized that a lot of people go there to make business deals. 😉
The Charles Restaurant was a wonderful treat, and to be honest, I don’t know if I can name everything we ate. They did give us cards with the names of the food… You can see it all below. Dinner went on for four hours, but each course was small, so we weren’t stuffed. I think there were three or four other couples there besides us. Fortunately, some of the staff spoke English, so they could describe everything. The only low point of the meal was the foie gras… but I understand that some people love it. Bill opted for a cheese course instead of dessert.
Foie gras!
The price for The Charles Experience with wine was 300 euros for both of us. It was expensive, but not the most expensive meal we’ve ever had. And I’m really glad we got to try it, because they even gave us a little cake for our anniversary, which we enjoyed the next day. There was also a little glass of fruit cocktail waiting for us at our bedsides each night… We were way too full to eat it on Saturday night, but it made a nice prelude before breakfast on Sunday.
Each night, they left us fruit before bed!
To say we were delighted by The Duke Suites’ first impressions is an understatement. It really was wonderful. More on how wonderful it was in the next post!
On Friday morning, Bill told me he would probably be finished early and would come back to the hotel at some point after noon. So, instead of walking around Mons on Friday, I decided to wait for Bill to come back to the hotel. I put the “do not disturb” sign on the door and waited for a private message. I finally got one indicating that he’d be back in the early afternoon.
I got a little bored waiting for him, so I made another talking video for YouTube. It was about our experience at the restaurant the night before, listening to the blowhard talk about his vast experiences as a foodie. I mainly made the video to pass the time, since I find typing on my laptop somewhat difficult. If you know where to look, you can find my video, but I don’t think I’ll post it here. I like to keep the travel blog somewhat PG rated. 😉
When Bill got back to the hotel, I told him about La Fontaine, the charming little brasserie I’d noticed the day before. I looked them up on Google, and saw that they were open for lunch. So we headed over there, and found that yes, indeed, La Fontaine is a local gem in Mons. It was bustling with business! They had room for us, though, so we took a seat and waited a bit for them to get to us. There were a couple of boisterous parties there for lunch that were taking up their attention.
The waitress who helped us didn’t speak perfect English, but she spoke enough to answer when I asked if the lasagna had mushrooms. It didn’t, so I ordered that. Bill had pork loin with mashed potatoes and gravy. Both dishes were excellent, and we washed them down with local beers. I couldn’t help but notice the friendly, convivial air in the restaurant. I could see why it was so busy, and I was very glad I’d found it. Bill and I agreed it was our favorite place of all the restaurants we tried in Mons. And there are many more we didn’t get a chance to try.
I really liked the lasagna because it was such a nice change of pace. Somehow, I managed to eat the whole thing! The waitress told me that usually, they do make it with mushrooms. I’m glad I asked before I ordered it. It was delicious!
A little amuse…He appeared to be a local character. I was struck by his sartorial savvy.They gave us a house digestive of homemade brandy after we paid.
By the time we finished lunch, it was late afternoon. Bill and I had a feeling we might be too full to go out again, so we stopped by the Delhaize on the way back to the hotel to pick up some snacks and wine. It’s so weird to see the lion logo, which looks so much like Food Lion. Now that I know Food Lion is owned by the same company, it makes sense!
That’s pretty much all I have to write about Friday, as we basically hung out in the hotel room, talked, drank wine, and maybe watched a little TV? I don’t even know… I did buy some hamburger flavored Lays Potato Chips because I was curious. They mostly tasted like pickles. We got some Belgian chocolate bars and long chips, which are kind of like Pringles, but in long, rectangular strips.
22 years of bliss…He’s so good to me…
We went to bed early, and on Saturday morning, woke up to our 22nd wedding anniversary. Bill gave me one of his trademark mushy cards, which I really appreciated. He said he’d actually bought the card for another occasion, but misplaced it. This year, there was no time for him to find a new one, so he used the one above when he happened to find it.
I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts, depressed, and anxious since Election Day. Bill’s card was a real morale booster. We had breakfast, loaded up the car, checked out of the Belgian hotel, and made our way north to The Netherlands. I will write about that in the next post.
Before we got on the road, though, we stopped at the enormous Carrefour store at a huge shopping center, just outside of Mons, and picked up some beer to bring back to Germany. I’ve been enjoying our haul all week. Feast your eyes! Maybe we should take a day trip back into Belgium for another beer run. Why not? I really enjoyed Mons and would happily go back, although next time, I would prefer a different hotel. I also wish we’d remembered to buy some chocolate… but then, maybe it’s better that we didn’t.
The drive up to The Netherlands was pretty boring. It was cloudy and grey outside, and there wasn’t much to see on the drive. I didn’t take any pictures, so now is a good time to stop until the next posting. Stay tuned, because the next post will be a big one.
There was a wine stand last night, but Bill and I almost didn’t go because it looked like it was going to rain. However, because I’ve been way too cooped up lately, we decided it would be a good thing to attend and support the hosts. So we went and enjoyed the somewhat agreeable temperatures, even if the sun was behind clouds. I didn’t even bother to wear a sweater. I didn’t get many photos, because it was a relaxed gathering. We could have brought the dogs with no problem.
Last night’s wine stand was a fairly low key affair, as I think a lot of people are either on vacation due to school holidays, or they had the same idea that it might rain. Nevertheless, we ended up meeting an interesting person last night. She heard us speaking English and came over to ask us if we knew any lawyers who could help her with a problem her “niece” was having. I got the sense that maybe she was actually the “niece”, given how urgent and personally invested she seemed about the issue… which I seem to recall had to do with money, the US military, and local taxation. Bill spoke to her longer than I did, since he knows more about military policies than I do.
In the end, we told her there’s an American lawyer who lives in our village and works in Frankfurt. Maybe she knows someone who can help her with her problem. In fact, she even got up and went to their house last night, but they weren’t home. My guess is that the lawyer and her spouse took their kids on a trip somewhere. We were trying to tell us who the American lawyer is, and another German lady sitting with us spoke up and told her about her in German.
What was especially interesting was that the woman, whose name I didn’t catch, though she gave Bill her former business card, spoke absolutely flawless English. She said she had lived and worked in Washington, DC for a long time. She even knew about Fredericksburg, Virginia, and we had a good laugh, because Bill and I used to live in Fredericksburg 22 years ago, just before and after our wedding. And then I told her that I grew up about 90 miles south of Fredericksburg. Then we had a chuckle about how redneck parts of Virginia still are.
I sensed that maybe she’d married an American and they were now having issues with taxes… or maybe she really does have a niece with that problem. I don’t know. The wine might have made things less clear. She said she no longer works, although she still has business cards. I noticed that it looked like she was wearing a wig, but who knows why… She did say that Breckenheim started the local wine stand tradition some twenty years ago or so.
When it started getting darker and we both needed to pee, we went home to the dogs, who were very excited to see us. Charlie even pulled his bed into the dining room so he could hang out with us in comfort.
We have a short break coming up at the end of the month in Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria. After that, Bill has to go to Mons, Belgium for work. Since it’s right before our 22nd wedding anniversary, and about a four hour drive, he invited me to go with him. So that’s what we will do this year. Go to Belgium so he can work and I can enjoy some museums and beer, then afterwards, book at stay at a nice hotel in Belgium or The Netherlands and celebrate our anniversary.
Facebook has already suggested a lovely looking hotel in Nistelrode, The Netherlands. The hotel is on a golf course. We don’t golf, but we can appreciate the beauty and quiet of golf courses. Maybe we’ll go there, or maybe I’ll something even better. I’ll keep looking.
It’s hard to believe we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary in Armenia last year. The year has flown by, and a lot has happened. I’m glad we got to go there last year… I’d love to go back again sometime, if the opportunity presents itself. I had meant for us to visit Spain for our anniversary, but Bill’s work schedule won’t accommodate that this year. Maybe we’ll go sometime in the winter.
Now that I’ve finished writing my blog series on visiting Armenia again, twenty-six years after I finished my Peace Corps service there, it’s time for my obligatory “ten things I learned” post. I like creating these posts because they make me think, and because they’re a lot of fun to write. Also, readers seem to like them, because they’re comprehensive, yet concise. Or, they are as concise as I tend to be, anyway. Brevity is not one of my strong suits.
Armenia has changed a lot since 1997. Even though I spent 27 months there, I still learned new things during our trip. So here goes with ten things I learned in Armenia!
Lights! Unheard of and unseen in the 90s!
10. Yerevan is now a city that doesn’t sleep!
When I lived in Yerevan, things didn’t necessarily stay open all night. There was an energy crisis. Even though it technically ended in 1995, not everyone had 24 hour power until about 1996. So, even though flights would leave and arrive in the wee hours of the mornings, things did close at night. Now, I notice that restaurants and bars stay open very late. You can buy a SIM card 24 hours a day. And there are always lights on at night. That wasn’t how it was when I lived there.
Two different versions of 1000 dram notes…
9. The drams have changed twice since I left!
Armenian drams were introduced in 1993, just after the fall of the Soviet Union. Since I arrived in 1995, I was used to the first version of Armenian drams. Now, the drams have changed their look and denominations twice since I left in 1997. When I left, the biggest bill was 5000 drams (about $12). Now, they go up to 100,000 drams!
Need a ride to Garni and Geghard? You can find one easily!
8. It’s easy to find someone to drive you to Armenia’s most famous sites.
We didn’t take any of the many aspiring drivers up on their offers to take us to Armenia’s most amazing sites, but if we’d wanted to hire a driver, it would have been easy. Our hotel offered drivers for hire, and there were many of them hanging around different parts of the city. It’s no longer necessary to go to the bus station and look for a taxi, minivan, or bus to take you to Sevan or Khor Virap. Most of them have signs in English, too.
7. Speaking of English, it’s EVERYWHERE in Yerevan, now.
I saw so many signs in English. Some of them were hilariously incorrect, but just as many were hilariously witty. Obviously, there’s a movement for people to learn English, just as so many older folks had to learn Russian. I’m sure English is not required as Russian once was, but a lot of people seem to want to learn.
Cheers!
6. Armenia now has some really decent craft beers!
When I lived in Armenia, I used to joke about how bad the beers were from there. I had particularly salty things to say about Kotayk Beer, which when it was made in Armenia, was notoriously rough on the digestive system. Thanks to Dargett, a local craft beer company, you can find some good suds in Yerevan now. Now I wish I could get Dargett in GERMANY, a country well known for its excellent beers. That’s how good it was. You can also find real German beer in Armenia now. And not just the stuff made by InBev, which is a Belgian company that distributes a lot of mass produced beers. Naturally, if wine or fruit juice or even mineral water is your thing, you can find plenty of that, too. And wonderful brandy– the best I’ve ever had anywhere!
5. You can also get a beautiful meal in Yerevan…
When I first arrived in Armenia, there weren’t many restaurants at all. A few popped up while I was a Peace Corps Volunteer, but they tended to have plastic chairs and tables, and served pretty basic stuff. Now, you can get gourmet food in Yerevan… They have fine dining restaurants! And even if you go to a casual place, chances are good what you eat will look beautiful. That was one thing that didn’t change. There’s much more variety now, and some items are better quality, or are just plain available. In the 90s, we tended to eat what we could get, which meant whatever was in season. That no longer seems necessary.
Don’t be afraid to venture inside!
4. Public toilets in Yerevan are now very clean and cost 100 drams to use.
I remember many times having to duck behind bushes to relieve myself, when I lived in Yerevan in the 90s. One time, when I was out with my former language teacher, we went to a porno theater so I could pee. It was actually very clean. But most public facilities in the 90s were pretty disgusting and smelled horrible. I was very pleased to find clean restrooms in most places during our recent visit. The toilet by the Opera House was sparkling clean, well stocked, and cost 100 drams (about 25 cents). Cheap!
No longer a traditional shuka… but at least it has parking.
3. Some historic places have changed forever…
I was sad to see that the historic landmark, the Pak Shuka on Mashtots Avenue, has become a regular supermarket. I would have liked to have taken Bill in there. Ditto for what used to be the GUM, a department store on Abovian Street, and the Hayastan Market (which had changed as I was leaving). But some things are better now. For instance, the eternal flame at Tsitsernakaberd now is a true eternal flame. They leave it burning all the time, instead of just on special occasions. And the door to the Blue Mosque is now very well marked, so you can’t miss it. When I lived in Yerevan, the door to the mosque was very plain, and easy to miss. Northern Avenue is a really nice street that makes it convenient to be a pedestrian, although who knows what happened to the people who lived in the houses that were destroyed so it could be built?
Maybe we can go back and try visiting the Hrazdan Gorge again.
2. Yerevan is very safe, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t creepers there.
We ran into one of them on our wedding anniversary. He was up to no good, and not very subtle about it. However, he was acting this way in broad daylight, which was strange. I don’t know what he was up to, but I didn’t get a good feeling about it. We ended up going a different way than we planned, which worked out fine, and that was the only strange incident. It was a good reminder to always be aware and keep your wits about you. That’s good advice no matter where you go.
I bet this guy is a lot of fun to talk to… He certainly was a good singer!
And finally, 1. Although Yerevan is now a lot more modern than it used to be, and more travel friendly, it’s still very exotic and will be quite interesting to most people… and if you can speak a few words of Armenian, it will open doors for you!
I was happy that some of my old, rusty language skills came back, and I was able to speak enough Armenian to be understood by a lot of the locals. Many of them were delighted when I spoke their language… and quite a few were shocked when it turned out I wasn’t Russian. I know they get more foreigners visiting now, but it’s still not a place that is super high on the tourism list for westerners. So I would absolutely encourage adventure seekers to come visit Armenia. I would especially encourage it now, because Armenians have so much to offer; they do need the tourism drams; and sadly, if a couple of neighboring countries have their way, Armenia might someday cease to exist. So please visit, if I’ve tempted you. You will be very warmly welcomed by most! And be sure to tip 10 percent!
21 years ago today, Bill and I got married at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. On that day, we had rain, a bitchy florist, a caterer who packed things up before my mother-in-law could say goodbye to us, a fainting spell from my father-in-law right before our vows, a photographer who took pictures of the fainting, and an unlucky visit from Aunt Flow. The good news is, our marriage is thriving regardless… and it will continue to thrive after today’s craziness, too.
This morning, I told Bill I thought it might be a good day to visit the Hrazdan Gorge, and maybe the Genocide Memorial. I used to live near T’sitsernakaberd (Genocide Memorial), which is close to the Gorge and has a nice park around it. When I lived here in the 90s, I used to walk through the Gorge somewhat regularly. At least when I lived near the Genocide Memorial, anyway. Maybe not so much during the first year.
Anyway, our hotel is also near the Gorge, but from Mashtots Avenue, which is in a different part of Yerevan from where I lived. I thought we could walk through there from Mashtots and work our way to the other side of the Gorge.
We went to breakfast, and things got off to a good start. The food and beverage manager noticed I speak some Armenian and asked me about it. I told her it was our anniversary and I had come back to Armenia after 26 years. She sent us a bottle of red wine as a congratulations. It was waiting for us after our weird day. Maybe we’ll enjoy it today.
After breakfast, we got on our way. All was fine until we started heading down the crumbling steps leading to the Gorge. There weren’t many people there. Suddenly, a man wearing sunglasses and a hat showed up. He was right behind us as we started to descend. It made me nervous, so we stopped to let him pass. He passed, went down to the bottom of the steps, and turned left. We waited to see if he would keep walking, but he soon turned the other way, and kind of loitered for awhile, as if to see if we were still coming. It seemed kind of sketchy, so I told Bill I didn’t think it was a good idea to go down there. He agreed, and we made our way back up the steps. Later, we noticed the guy who was following us also came back up the steps. He wasn’t subtle at all, and seemed to be up to no good.
The Gorge is also near the Yerevan and Ararat Brandy factories. I thought maybe we could go take tours or something, rather than walk through the Gorge. We headed over to the Ararat factory, but thanks to a faulty light at the crosswalk, we weren’t able to cross the street safely. The light would turn green for us, but cars were still spewing through the intersection. So we decided to walk toward the stadium. That was okay, until some guy pulled over and urinated in front of us. That’s nothing we haven’t seen before many times, but we never relish seeing it.
We walked for awhile along the Gorge. I thought maybe we could figure out a way to get to the Memorial. But there was construction going on, and the sidewalk kind of ended abruptly. It didn’t seem like a good idea to keep going. So we turned around and said hello to a couple of very sweet and friendly looking street dogs. Then we walked back up toward our hotel…
I should mention, something not having anything to do with Armenia also happened today. I got a rude comment on my latest video.
I made this video last week for Bill, as part of our anniversary celebration…
Some random asshole left this comment (copied and pasted exactly as he left it)…
Don’t give up your day job
Joke’s on him, of course. I don’t have a day job. Nevertheless, I left him this response.
Thanks for the hit! 😉 In your profile picture, it looks like you’re taking a dump. That must be where you do your best work.
🙂 I will never understand what compels people to leave rude comments for those they don’t even know, on things they don’t have to read or watch. Especially when they, themselves, aren’t exactly any great shakes. Fuckwad, here, barely has any content on his channel and has just six subscribers, so I don’t know what qualifies him to harass me on my channel. In any case, I hope he falls into an open manhole.
I was still kind of ruminating about that comment– and no, it’s not that I care about the guy’s opinion, or even that it ruined my day. I’m kind of proud of my zinger, after all. I guess I just don’t get the psychology of such a thing. If I don’t like someone’s video or post on social media, I simply keep scrolling. But some people like to shit on others, and I’m afraid that’s what happened today. He didn’t even downvote me or anything. Just left a crappy, stale, and lame comment for my video on my wedding anniversary. I guess his time on the toilet has led to a creative block that has kept him from coming up with more original insults toward strangers.
We ended up at a restaurant called The Garden. It wasn’t a bad experience, although the service was kind of inattentive. We didn’t care, as we were just having snacks and beer, in anticipation for tonight’s meal, which we expected would be good. After we went to The Garden, we went back to the Opera House to see if the guy who sold us art the other day was still there. He wasn’t, and Bill really needed to pee. Fortunately, there is a toilet near the Opera House now. It costs 100 dram and is worth every luma. The unsmiling woman who tends it keeps it super clean and stocked. It’s a handy place to know about if you’re ever near the Opera House in Yerevan and need to pee (or whatever else).
Our reservations were for 7:30 PM. As the time went on, I yawned a bit, and wasn’t really in the mood to go out. But since it was our anniversary, I put on makeup and a dress. I curled my hair… and I even shaved my underarms. Off we went, and the whole dinner experience was a disappointment from start to finish. They had to search for our reservation, and sat us next to the kitchen, which was loud, and put me in the line of heat from the kitchen and a draft from outside.
The sommelier was a bit oily, and upsold the wine to Bill, then went through an elaborate wine service. We ordered dinner, with the anticipation that we’d have dessert. But as we sat in the restaurant, I noticed people having wedding and anniversary celebrations. Even a waiter got a flaming dessert. I didn’t care so much about having a flaming dessert, but when we mentioned it was our anniversary, no one even wished us a good one. They were playing super loud music and setting cakes on fire for other people. Did I really shave my armpits for THIS?
And when I finally went to pour my own wine, because the wait staff was weeded (or fucking around), a young man suddenly raced over to me, grabbed the decanter from my hand, and poured the wine. Bill thought maybe he was afraid I’d break the decanter, but I think this was supposed to be his idea of “good service”. It was anything but, and I was extremely annoyed, especially when the guy poured the wine, but didn’t bother to clear the table of dirty dishes. I finally scraped my plate clean and moved it to the other side of the table, after he poured the last of the wine.
Adding to the chaos was the very loud music, later provided by a female singer and what sounded like backing tracks. She was a good singer, and the tracks weren’t terrible, but her singing made it impossible to have a conversation, and it was not a whole lot better than karaoke.
I finally said to Bill, “I’ve about had enough of this shit. Let’s get out of here and have dessert at our hotel.” So that’s what we did. Bill paid for dinner and we got the hell out of there. We went to the restaurant in our hotel, had lovely desserts, fine brandies, and listened to much better jazz music played by real musicians and another female singer (who seemed to be channeling Adele). The excellent staff at our hotel restaurant saved the evening, so we made a dinner reservation for tomorrow night.
We have two more nights here until we get up in the very wee hours of Sunday morning and head back to Germany. I think we will still enjoy the rest of our time in Armenia. It has, overall, been a magical trip. But today was definitely a bit weird…
On the other hand, no one died, no one got robbed or raped, and when I get home, I can make even more videos for people like the fuckhead who told me to “keep my day job.” Too bad that guy’s mama wasn’t, instead, working at her day job on the day he was conceived. 😉 And the people at the hotel restaurant really did help us save our weird ass anniversary.
Time to close this post. Got to go to bed. Here’s to 21 years. Tomorrow will be a better day.
I don’t remember where I found the featured photo– but it does appear to be a very clear photo of Yerevan. When I lived there, air pollution was so bad that we didn’t get to see Mount Ararat every day. I hope for many pictures of it this time…
Last night was interesting. Bill came home and got out his trusty computer, so he could do some administrative tasks for his job. I had floated the idea of maybe using credit card points to help pay for plane tickets to Yerevan and back for our anniversary in November. It costs a LOT to go to Yerevan– especially when you insist on flying in business class. 😉 So we tried doing that, but realized that while the points would make our tickets significantly cheaper, we’d rather just let them ride and use them for a really epic trip in the future.
With that settled, I booked our eight crazy nights in Yerevan in mid November. I am pretty excited about this trip. I lived in Yerevan for 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the mid 1990s and haven’t been back since August 21, 1997– the day I left. Things have changed a lot since my departure, although there are still a few people there who remember me from those days. I look forward to showing Bill around and getting to know the city again. If all goes well, I’d like to come back with Bill and show him around the country. There’s a lot to see– and since it’s the size of Maryland, touring the country is doable. We’ll just have to stay out of the dangerous areas near Iran and Azerbaijan.
For this trip, I mainly plan for us to stay near Yerevan. Maybe we’ll go to a couple of nearby spots like Garni/Geghard and Khor Virap, which are definitely must see excursions. It’s taken me a long time to convince Bill to go… and it’s taken some time to convince myself.
When I left Yerevan, I was really ready to get out of there. I was burned out and depressed. But I’m better now… mentally and emotionally, anyway. Physically, maybe I’m worse. I don’t think I have the stamina I had when I lived in Yerevan and used to walk all over the city. Luckily, we have money now, so we can take cabs. And the cabs now have meters! 😀
In any case, I expect this trip will go fine, and we will be able to come back for more fun, as long as we’re still in Germany and it doesn’t take two days to get there. I am very proud of Armenia. It’s come a long way since I first arrived there in 1995. I have a feeling my mind will be blown by the difference.
Even during the time I lived in Armenia, it changed so much. When we got there in 1995, there was no power in the airport or running water in the public restrooms… By the time I left in 1997, we had 24 hour power, and many places had running water. Now, Yerevan is like a lot of European cities, and has most of what you might ever want or need. The Peace Corps is still there, but Volunteers all live out in the regions. That was becoming true as I left, too. Yerevan is much too fancy for Volunteers now.
In fact, what was once called Hotel Dvin, the hotel where we swore in, is now a super expensive five star resort. I thought about booking it, but decided I’d rather be closer to the center of town, in a place where I can chat up the bartenders. So I chose Paris Hotel Yerevan. I almost booked the Marriott— which was called Hotel Armenia when we arrived in 1995 and stayed on the “old side” of the hotel. It was extremely Soviet in those days, with matronly women sitting on each hall and collecting the room keys (with huge bulblike keyrings) every time we went out of the room. I remember the hot water only worked for two hours in the mornings, and the rooms were downright rustic. After I left, Marriott bought the hotel and fixed it up, but I’ve read a lot of middling reviews. It is significantly more expensive than the hotel I chose, and I prefer to avoid staying in an American corporate hotel… especially one with ties to Mormonism.
On the other hand, you can’t beat the location of the Marriott, as it’s right on Republic Square. But, Paris Hotel is also very close and will probably be quieter. I’ve noticed a lot of street names have changed, and some iconic places have either changed or closed. For instance, I read that the big historic shuka (Pak Shuka) on Mashtots Avenue was bought by an Armenian oligarch who completely overhauled it. What a shame that is! I would have liked to have shown Bill that bustling marketplace. Hopefully we can visit a different shuka in another part of town that hasn’t been turned into a western style supermarket. They are really unique and something special to see.
I look forward to trying some wines, brandies, and local cuisine– especially horovatz (Armenian BBQ)– if I can get it. And I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones! As hard as being in the Peace Corps was for me, it was a life changing experience on so many levels. I might not be living in Germany if I hadn’t joined the Peace Corps.
I’m also hoping that if this trip goes well, we can arrange a trip to neighboring Georgia. I have been in Georgia, but I haven’t had a proper stay there. Bill went there for work in 2008, but it was about a month after the South Ossetia crisis/Russo-Georgian War. I’d like to go there and try more wines. 😉 Georgian wines are wonderful! And I l’d like to sample wonderful Georgian food and take many photos.
Anyway… 2023 seems to be our year to visit the former Soviet Union. I’m excited about this trip, as well as the one we have planned for next month, to the Czech Republic. This blog is about to come alive again!
Regular readers might have noticed that I didn’t write anything in the travel blog yesterday or Saturday. It was mainly because we didn’t do anything noteworthy until last night, when I reminded Bill that he’d wanted to take an anniversary trip in November.
Our anniversary is November 16th, and this year, we wanted to do something exciting. I would have wanted to do something special for our 20th anniversary, but our sweet Arran dog was dying of cancer and we didn’t want to board him. So we ended up taking him and Noyzi with us on a trip to our beloved Ribeauville, France, a beautiful town not too far away that is different enough to be a getaway. We love Alsace, but we’ve been there so many times… This year, we definitely wanted to do something different.
Bill sent an email to our regular boarding facility and confirmed that they had space for Noyzi. Then I got out our trusty champagne bucket, which we often use when we want a little fateful help choosing a place to vacation. I went through the paper slips from past drawings, removing any that we’ve already done or will soon do, and any of those that would not be good for a visit in November. Then I had Bill draw from the bucket…
Bill does the honors…
And the winner was…
ARMENIA!!! And Georgia… but I don’t know if we’ll make Georgia on this proposed trip, because I think we’d need more than the week we’ll probably have for this journey.
Now… it’s not yet engraved in stone that we’ll be going to Armenia. Bill has to get the days off, first. And then I have to figure out the logistics of the trip. Also, I’m still a bit worried about my gallbladder exploding. But Armenia did finally win a drawing, and it’s time we visited. It would be special and different. Bill can finally see where I lived for twenty-seven crazy months of my young life, and if he likes it, we can come back and see the regions.
So, today I will be researching places to go, flights, and the rest…
I haven’t been to Armenia since I left in August 1997. It’s changed a lot! A lot of street names have changed; there’s been a lot of construction and demolition; and in all, it looks like a much nicer place. It also looks a hell of a lot more expensive than it was back in the 90s. I found one luxury hotel that is charging about 400 euros per night. Consider that my first apartment in Yerevan was $50 a month. My second was an unheard of $100. No Armenian would have paid as much for either place, but I got the American rate. 😉
Anyway… wish me luck.
Below are a few photos from this week. See what I mean? Not much has been going on. Bill was away, and I had a cold. At least there are still some pretty flowers.
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