Our final day of the trip included walks around Ijevan and Dilijan before driving back to Yerevan.
In Ijevan, we visited Ijevan Wine-Brandy Factory. It was built in 1951 and produces wine, fruit wine, sparkling wine, cognac, fruit vodka, and fruit jams. The cognac is placed in the traditional large clay pots with a lid of wax to allow it to breathe before it is placed in wood barrels. Another traditional tool there was an old butter churn that you would swing to keep the milk moving. We finished our tour with a tasting of their delicious wines.
We then walked through parts of Dilijan including The Sharambeyan street, which is a historic section that includes craftsmans’ workshops. We ended our afternoon with a celebratory meal at Kchuch Restaurant. It cooks everything in a brick oven and all the dishes, except the pizzas, in clay pots. We ate the most delicious cheese and mushroom pizza.
Rebecca's Field Notes 