Goussan (Armenian Troubadours) - Gaguik Mouradian Ensemble

Advantages: Western aircraft, clean and tidy, movie
Disadvantages: No smiles, substandard meal, only one plane

...Armenian International Airways was set up in 2002 and took over a few routes from the government owned Armenian Airlines, which had been struggling for years and was getting close to collapse. They have just one aircraft, an Airbus 320, which they operate from Yerevan to Paris and Dubai, and have recently added flights to St Petersburg, Kiev and Larnaca. I flew with them in October this year from Dubai to Yerevan in Economy class. CHECK IN The first thing, if you are flying to or from Dubai, is to know that they don't use the main terminal; they use Terminal 2, which is round the other side of the airport, which is where most of the airlines from the former Soviet Union operate from. It's smaller, easier to get around, much less walking, but the duty free is limited and the chances of getting something to eat even less! There... Read review

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Advantages: Awesome playing and musicianship. Easy listening.
Disadvantages: Perhaps not for the 'purist' folk music lover.

...In this, their first CD, Roby Lakatos (violin) and his Ensemble (consisting of piano, guitar, cymbalon, double bass, and another violin) take their listeners on an exhilarating journey through a variety of gypsy-inspired musical styles. Their flair, charm and sensitive musicianship are apparent from the first note to the last. Described as the ?nonconformist of the violin?, Roby Lakatos was born into a family of Hungarian gypsy violin traditions dating back to the time of Beethoven! Being a nonconformist in every sense however, he has taken these traditions and moulded them to achieve his own unique musical voice. The incorporation of a guitar and piano into his gypsy ensemble for instance, are certainly not typical instruments of this genre. This CD, entitled simply ?Lakatos?, consists of 13 tracks (see below for track... Read review

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Advantages: Nice scenery, good base for sights, cognac
Disadvantages: Poor eating places, nothing to do in evenings

...Vanadzor ? so small and insignificant in international terms that you probably haven?t even heard of it. Until I went to Armenia, neither had I. We chanced on Vanadzor, needing somewhere to break up the long journey between the Armenian capital, Yerevan, and Tbilisi, capital of Georgia to the north. In fact, Vanadzor is the third largest city in Armenia with a population of either 76, 000 or 175, 000 depending on which source you believe. Personally, having now been there, I?d be inclined to go for the latter figure. Amongst Armenians, Vanadzor is regarded as a rather nice place ? not quite up there with the capital but still given nicknames like ?Sanatorium City? or ?The Beauty of Lory? (after the Lory region it is in). Unfortunate then that our first view of the city was the massive chemical plant on the outskirts. Only a small... Read review

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