on the western shores of the lake
Between the two camps at Tsaghkadzor, we took advantage of two free days to explore the shores of Lake Sevan with a few volunteers from L'Œuvre.
Leaving Sevanavank, the ultra-touristy peninsula to the north of the lake, we descended to the ancient Armaghan volcano via the Noratus peninsula, with its ancient cemetery and nature reserve.
The welcome we received everywhere we went was heart-warming and a testament to the great kindness of the Armenians, particularly towards the French.
After climbing the 600 metre-high Armaghan volcano, we walk towards a road we see in the distance, where we hope to find transport back to Tsaghkadzor. It's hot and we've run out of water as we pass through the small village of Madina, which is clearly very poor: the houses look like ruins, and the carcasses of cars and other vehicles litter the donkeys' meadows. We greet a family who immediately brings us water for our bottles and offers us a bottle of soda... this gift, coming from a family that already has very little, touches me deeply.
The day before, two soldiers returning from Karabakh had picked us up in their car and looked for a restaurant in Martuni. And the examples go on and on!
