When I have a breakfast on the terrace, something gleams at the edge of my sight. I look up hill behind my housing complex. A huge silver cross is catching the morning sunlight at the top of the hill. Cemetery? I must check it later.

I walk past a hospital and get to a square. I talk to Maria who sells vegetables in open market for a while. She used to work at the copper smelter. But now it's closed. So she open the market for living.
Stopping puffing smoke brought better living environment to the people, although it brought hard living at same time. Things is not so simple at any time.

I'll go to the town called Odzn today. However I see no busses in the bus terminal. A taxi driver nearby is getting close to me and tells something in Russian and English. I almost make sense what he's trying to say. But once he knew I'm Japanese, starts talking on his smartphone in local language. Then he points the speaker to me and starts up translation app. "Because today is Saturday, only few buses run. For visiting around sightseeing spots efficiently, using the taxi is the best way (JPN)" LoL
Oh, it's Saturday today. But he didn't say "No bus" at least. I reject his offer and move to another bus stop on the street. Because ... it looks taxi drivers' offer is getting busy and busy.

The taxi driver's tips is correct. No bus is coming. Actually a bus stops from time to time but not for Odzn. By the way, the design of the bus is really classic and cute. Rounded yellow body and skylights is just like a tin toy.

After waiting an hour, what I have for Odzn is not the antique bus but marchroutka. Maybe next time for the bus.
The march gets into a winding road and gains the altitude. A girl on next seat gives me a glance frequently. I feel the set of eyes on me and look her. Then she looks away from me. Her gesture is so cute. Probably she doesn't have so many chance to an Asian on the local march. Meanwhile out side is a grand view of mountain after mountain. I believe most part of the country is mountains.

Because we've ascent steep slope for a while, I feel like come to some highland. But here Odzn is also a town on a fluvial terrace and has another Armenian church. A big bus parks near the church and tourists are coming out from the gate.
I take a walk in the town. Houses with wide yard, fields, orchards ... this town may makes a living with agriculture. So an air of the town is completely different from Alaverdi new town, which is a town of factory workers and housing complexes.

As I'm walking on a quiet country road, I see women is working on something in a yard of farmhouse. "Kartoshka (Potato) ?" For my question they answer with showing potatoes in their hands.
I didn't notice but there is a madam below the grapevine trellis next to the gate and let me into the yard. A mother and daughter, I guess, pick potatoes and put them into a bag. After I photographed them for a while, the madam call me.

She reaches her hand for a bunch of grapes adobe and pluck it off. She put it in a plastic bag One, Two .... She finally ties up the bag and gives it to me saying "Bring this with you" In Armenia I often got fruits souvenir like this while a day walk.

I see various resident on a country road. A girl holding glass bottle stops by a grocery store and let the shop owner to put her favorite candies into the bottle. A priest accepts my request for photograph with smile. A mother show me a baby with proud. A woman orders a car washer to wash rugs. Young girls are in cool holiday fashion. The wind from mountains makes me feel cold now. I check the time. Oops! The last bus for Alaverdi is 3:30pm, better to go to a bus stop.

Autumn suddenly deepens for the last few days. The leaves of the trees turn yellow. Entrance of the copper smelter's brown stone building is half opened. So I steps into there. The building is not factory but culture hall like meeting or exhibition rooms. But the facilities also look being closed. The biggest hall must be a lecture or movie theater for factory workers. The cool air and smell of dust enhance the vacancy. How was the hall in the best days? No way to know it because the history archive room is firmly locked.
I feel somebody's in a room at the end of the floor. It's a training room. Local kids receive instruction of weight training from a coach.

There is a scene I often meet in Alaverdi. The people is looking out the apartment window. When they notice me, they wave to me with smile. At most of the time, they are taken a picture. Of course, some of them close the window quietly as refusing my camera. Are they board? Maybe  no. it's a time to spare and I like it. If I were him, I would look out the window too. And I would wink to this stranger.