Northeast of Stepanakert, on the de facto border with Azerbaijan, lie the ruins of the city of Aghdam (also known as Agdam and Ağdam) which once had a population estimated at up to 50,000 to 150,000, depending on whose numbers you believe. Aghdam used to be a part of Azerbaijan, but ended up on the … Continue reading
On the main route to the Georgian border from Armenia, the road crosses territory that until intense fighting in 1994 was part of Azerbaijan. The road passes through several ruined villages – in some of which just one wall of each building has been left standing: A weird sight on a hillside to the right … Continue reading
This is a picture of the very closed border between Armenia and the odd piece of land squeezed between Armenia and Turkey that forms the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan: I suppose I could have pushed it and tried to get closer to take the above picture, but an Armenian that saw me heading down … Continue reading
I think one of the best ways to get to know a country is to simply drive around it. Sure, go ahead and visit the capital, but out in the countryside and small towns, I think you can get a sense of what a country and its people are really like. I’ve already shown you … Continue reading
This is one of those places where the journey really is the destination. It isn’t just the drive out along the Georgian Military Highway to the town of Kazbegi (Stepantsminda), but also the drive up to the church as well. The Gergeti Trinity Church sits high on a ridge west of Kazbegi, silhouetted against the … Continue reading
No one can accuse Chisinau of being overburdened with tourist sites. Lacking in ‘must sees’, it is more of a pleasant city to walk around and discover as you go. Unfortunately, little remains of its historic heart due to heavy bombing during World War II. There are still some great museums and parks, however, and … Continue reading
My original intent for this post was to simply give my dear readers a sense of the southern Georgian landscape outside of the Caucasus Mountains, which I have already described. However, as I was uploading the pictures, I realized that I possessed valuable information for someone making the drive between Tbilisi and Yerevan – information … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 