Shortly before the stage finish

There is no sign of yesterday’s sunshine today. It was just like a quick wink, but it will certainly remain in our memories. Today, the penultimate day before our stage destination, the wind is strong and cold. Nevertheless, it’s as if Mother Earth is giving us another very special gift on this day, because the wind is blowing at our backs with full force. We roar down a mountain in the early morning, jubilant with joy. So luck is on our side. Then, on the next hill, we are literally catapulted towards our destination by the wind. We race along the straight and busy road at speeds of up to 33 kilometers per hour without much effort. “Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!” we shout in turn. Even the cold is hardly noticeable during the journey as we move as if in a windless room.

After just under three hours, we find a gastiniza run by Armenians about 35 kilometers from the city. Although we could still reach our destination today without too much effort, we prefer to rest early. This gives us the chance to be in Samara by midday tomorrow and if the monastery doesn’t take us in, we have enough time to find somewhere else to stay.

We look forward to your comments!