First Impressions

Greetings from Yerevan! 

I'm here, safe and sound, and tucked into a handsome flat in the city center.  I'm new to this city and country and have heaps more to see and learn, but here are my first impressions:

Yerevan

Yerevan in winter is cold and hazy.  It's not a big city.  A ringed boulevard circumscribes the center, and most places are within walking distance.

Men mill about the streets in black jackets.  Women bustle by, adding slightly more color to the city's palette.  The roads are hectic.  Soviet-era Ladas compete for the road with luxury SUVs, and drivers make up the rules as they go.  The cafes have boarded up for the winter, and in those that are still open, patrons hold coffee cups to their lips and stare outside at chilled pedestrians.  I get the feeling that Yerevanians are biding time until warmer months, but right now, the city has a languid, almost dreamy, quality.  The perpetual chill and haze temper the city, keeping it calm and quiet until spring's awakening.

The shopkeepers have been friendly.  They smile at my attempts to communicate in Armenian, and they don't miss a beat when I revert to Russian.  Actually, all of the Armenians I've met have been friendly, quick to give directions or welcome you to their country.   

Yerevan is in a valley, and haze obscures the highlands surrounding the city.  Only one day since my arrival has Mt. Ararat been visible, but it's imposing beauty took my breath away.  The mountain's two peaks fill the sky south of the city, with the scale and solemnity of a celestial body.   I look to the south every day to catch another glimpse of the beautiful mountain.

Yerevan's buildings range from stately opera houses to modern glass offices to Soviet-block apartments to vacant shells.  While wandering the streets I've noticed modest concrete homes hiding behind modern condo complexes.  Many of Yerevan's buildings are made from beautiful tufa stone, which ranges in color from reddish pink to peach to tan and can be carved into ornate patterns and images.  The tufa buildings that surround Republic Square -- a large plaza by my apartment -- glow apricot at night.

Republic Square

My Place

My apartment is a clean, European styled flat.  It has 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, a large storage/utility room, joined living/dining area, and a kitchen.  One facade faces a park and has two little balconies.  The other facade abuts a dilapidated office building, from which, middle-aged men chain-smoke and watch me cook the morning's eggs.  My place is located in the city center and is a 5-minute walk from Republic Square.  Until my stuff arrives, the walls are bare and shelves empty.  I look forward to decorating and making this apartment my home. 

I will update my blog often and share my personal interaction with my new city and its people.  This lifestyle is an adventure, one that, I want to share with you.