I went be car from Tbilisi to Yerevan, Armenia so I could take in a number of the interesting monasteries en route as well as Lake Sevan, all of which were impressive as well as some of the landscapes around the border area. The border crossing itself was an err interesting experience, wild dogs having fights around be inside the immigration building.

Yerevan is called the Pink City for the rose-coloured volcanic stone used in its architecture, and it glows at golden hour. Another city with no shortage of photography opportunity: good subjects include the Republic Square, the ridiculously massive Cascade monument that has a giant stairway with sculptures and city views, and a must go explore is the old suburb of Kond, easy to get lost but you'll come away with lots of photos. There is also plenty of Soviet sites in Yerevan including the metro stations. And then always looming over the city, if the sky is clear enough, is Mount Ararat. Haze often hides it in summer, and I don't think summer is a time I woud like to be here, can imagine the heat would combine poorly with the traffic and haze.

A couple of other noteworthy visits in Armenia include the Soviet-era radio telescope called Byurakan, on the slopes of Mount Aragats. The observatory, the white domes and huge dish make for sci-fi shots against the open volcanic landscape and big skies. Used to be one of the biggest radio telescopes on earth and there's literally still mathematics calculations on pages laying about.

Another is the the geological oddity called the “Symphony of the Stones” in Garni Gorge, about 30 km east of Yerevan. It’s a cliff of hexagonal basalt columns that resemble giant organ pipes, formed by cooling lava. It’s best photographed with a wide-angle lens from below. The Hellenistic Garni Temple and the rock-hewn Geghard Monastery are close by and combine well into one trip.

Lastly, the much visited monastery near the border of Turkey is Khor Virap, with Ararat rising directly behind it. It’s the classic Armenian postcard shot.

Super interesting country.