Autumn Years Summer 2024

Armenia Our flight from Paris to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, was about four and a half hours. Our journey through cus toms was easy as was baggage pickup with free trolleys available. The arrivals hall was filled with hundreds of people awaiting friends and relatives. Bouquets of fresh flowers and balloons were every where. I cannot remember any airport where so many people crowded to wel come new arrivals with such joy. There is a lovely sincerity in both Armenia and Georgia. We encountered many instances of the genuine friendli ness of the citizens. While waiting at the gate for our flight to Yerevan, the gate was changed. We either did not hear an announcement or none was made. An elderly Armenian woman who had re located to the new gate walked back to find us. She said, with a thick accent, “I see you not at new gate, I come to let you know gate changed.” While climb ing a steep stone staircase, a workman grabbed my hand and helped me up the uneven steps—just a nice gesture rarely seen in some places. Events like this are a regular occurrence. People smile at strangers and a sense of friendliness pervades the air. We discovered that the Armenian culture differs from American in one noticeable way. Everything starts later in the morning. Hotels start serving breakfast at 9am. Morning rush hour traffic starts at 9 and runs until 10:30. Of course, stores remain open later, and the evening rush hour is closer to 6- 7:30pm. Armenia is an ancient culture. Sitting at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, it has a distinct flavor. When speaking

Interior of Geghard Monastery, Armenia.

with my guide, he remarked that they can readily claim their history goes back to 2,000 B.C. Because the age of many of the monuments, churches and fortifica tions goes back so far, structures from the 1600s on are considered “new.” The big date for Armenians is 301 A.D., when the ruler proclaimed Armenia’s state re ligion to be Christian. Prior to that date, the population worshipped pagan gods. Armenian legend claims that two of Christ’s disciples came to Armenia and taught the Gospel—Bartholomew and Jude Thaddeus. In fact, it is said that Jude Thaddeus brought the spear point that cut Christ to Armenia. Our first stop was the Geghard Mon astery, which lies about an hour outside of Yerevan on a bumpy winding moun-

tain road. First built in the 4th Century, Geghard is part stone building and part cave. Ancient religious structures func tioned as religious houses, schools, forts and refuges in times of war. Built on the side of a mountain, the monastery is pro tected by steep ravines and unclimbable palisades. Over the years to make the building larger, the monks carved sever al caves into the mountainside giving it an eerie dark and somewhat mysterious feel. In one of the caves, a steady stream of water runs out of the rocks. In former times, pilgrims came to the monastery to drink and bathe in this water hoping for miraculous results. The path from the parking area to the entrance was very steep with uneven paving stones. Wandering through the rooms and caves, one comes to the altar. On either side are large paintings of the two disciples believed to have brought Christianity to Armenia—Bartholomew and Jude Thaddeus. As you view the painting of Jude, you note he is carrying a spearhead. This is the representation of the Spear of Destiny or the spear point that pierced the side of Christ as he hung from the cross. The monastery is named

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SUMMER 2024 I AUTUMN YEARS