Travel: A saga of snowflakes and sweets in Dilijan, Armenia

I’m always thrilled with the idea of visiting a destination during winters, of course it truly helps when the place is a mere three hours plus away. Yes, a short flight to be surrounded by snow-clad mountains (or even roads and trees!) is enough for me. Another reason that works best for me is that I prefer my boots to stilettos, and whilst I enjoy glamming up, my most favourite voguish choice on a holiday is bundling up in a coat, a pair of gloves and yes, a woolen beret cap. And that’s exactly how I explored the tiny town of Dilijan, northern Armenia, this winter. The locals aptly call this up-and-coming centre for growth as Little Switzerland, and I was happy to hike (it’s not arduous, just wear the right footwear) to the Haghartsin Monastery, one of the country’s most popular monasteries.

It’s nestled in forested mountains, which were dressed in snow in December, and other than a handful of tourists and of course local, friendly dogs there was no one in sight. Make your way to it, slowly, minding the slippery road, and be ready to be greeted by a postcard worthy of sight of the monastery built between the 10th and 13th centuries; under the patronage of the Bagratuni Dynasty. Having soaked in the peace and burned a few calories, it’s a good idea to make your way to the aesthetically done up rooms at Toon Armenia, a little village in Dilijan. The blue-hued roofs and windowsills stood out in the white snow cover, as did the simple meal that formed dinner — yes, bring on more meat and chechil (cheese) and of course gata. The fireplace in the no-frills restaurant, and the fact that it is a co-working space means I am booking a return flight with laptop in tow.