Trip to Ani

Here we are at Ani - well, actually Ani is now in Turkey, so we are across the ravine from the actual city ruins, since the border is closed. Ani was once the capital of Armenia, back in the 8th century, I think. We took our P day and went on this day trip with a tour group from Yerevan. Three other Sr. Missionary couples also went.
On the way back from Ani, we stopped at this Church that was built in the 4th century. There are caves under the building that were used in times of attack. We dropped down into one which was a nice break from the heat.
The tour package said it included a meal. You never know what that might mean, and in this case it was a picnic by the side of the road. The vans just pulled over - some women spread a couple of tablecloths on the ground, sat down and began cutting up tomatoes. They handed a some bread to each person and offered cold soda - that was it. Cows had recently been in the area, so we had to watch where we stepped - very rustic - but somehow charming - like stepping back in time. We had a great day complete with a touch of sunburn.