Travel in Europe: Have you considered Azerbaijan?

If you’re not like me and chasing every event on the international sports circuit from here till 2020, you might not be aware that today marks 30 days to go until the first-ever European Games.

(Imagine the Pan-American Games, but for Europe; or the Olympics without five continents.)

The inaugural event will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan — which should sound familiar to longtime readers: I spent four weeks there during a FIFA event in 2012, and wrote a long series of posts on the trip.

Due to a number of factors, I wasn’t able to get in on Baku 2015. However, I enjoyed my time there greatly and with Azerbaijan rising on the global stage, I’ve collected a few of my favorite posts to give a little primer — for those considering heading to Baku for the event, or traveling to the country in general.

Going through my old posts and photos for this has been bittersweet: I’d forgotten how fond I was of my time there, and looking back, I’m also proud of the writing that came out of it. I do hope you read through the posts and get inspired to visit.

INTRODUCTION

Located in the Caucasus at the border of Europe and Asia, with Georgia, Russia, and Iran as neighbors, Azerbaijan is a warm place (both literally and figuratively) full of unexpected charm. I can’t stress how many things suprised me — especially the calm and peacefulness. My favorite pasttime was strolling along the Caspian Sea; no matter if it was 6 am or after midnight, I felt safe and would see families along the water doing the same.

Instagrammed: The best of Azerbaijan (the sparknotes version)

Azerbai-where? An introduction to Azerbaijan (the detailed, photo-filled, in-depth version)

DELICIOUS EATS

Azeri food is some of the most consistently herby, savory, salty cuisine I’ve experienced — and it’s wonderful. My absolute favorite was piti: a soup made of mutton, chickpeas, chestnuts, and potatoes. It’s so hearty and flavorful, in fact, that 2.5 years (and many, many meals) later, I still dream about this soup.

After you finish eating, indulge in a little black tea — served with jam. 

You know how some sweets taste completely different when paired with a certain wine or coffee? Tea with jam is just like that. Azeris drink theirs with a thick jam chock full of fruit, like preserves, which makes teatime both an enjoyable and peaceful ritual.

The 5 best things I ate in Azerbaijan

How to drink tea with jam (yes, jam) in Azerbaijan

CROSSROADS: OLD VS NEW

Azerbaijan is charming in that old-motherland-country-meets-new-oil-money kind of way. I don’t mean that in a negative sense, but rather that you can enjoy being surrounded by (authentic!) old world charm while also not being hard-pressed to find modern western conveniences.

My favorite place to relax was the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historical center of Baku. It’s still full of local residents, artisans, and community offices, and I would often wander the narrow cobblestone alleys or have a tea break there when I wanted some peace and quiet to escape from work.

Photo essay: Why you should miss that bus and go to the Old City, Baku

But Baku is also rapidly modernizing, from the Flame Towers that now define the skyline — to the fact that they are hosting the first European Games(!). Even when I was there for a FIFA tournament, I watched Jennifer Lopez perform the opening ceremony, Shakira perform the closing, and a football game between a local Azeri team and the famous Inter Milan.

Baku to the Future

ENCHANTING COUNTRYSIDE

Good lord, the Azeri countryside blew me away.

Despite being a diehard city person, I have rarely felt so at peace than I did in the mountains of northern Azerbaijan: experiencing the simple pleasures of a homecooked mountain-side meal, finding my happy place in a fairytale first-century Albanian monastery in Kish, and even go-karting at a dinosaur-mascoted theme park.

I was entranced, partly thanks to the beauty of its remoteness — even just recalling that weekend in the countryside has an oddly powerful calming effect on me.

The Fairy Tale of Kish

WONDERFUL PEOPLE

Without a doubt, Azerbaijan is one country where I met the most consistently warm, genuine, good-hearted people. The locals I met, even if for two minutes on the street, were so welcoming and generously accommodating:

The two older men who whipped together tea and lunch when we spontaneously pulled into their driveway,
the brides who let us crash their photos all over town,
the bus driver who slowed down for me everytime we passed something worth photographing,
the women who pulled me into their dance circles at dinner,
the men who introduced me to local spirits even though they knew no English beyond, “Vodka! Edna!”,
the salesmen who didn’t try to rip us off, and instead taught us how to tie our scarves and drink our tea,

The list goes on.

More than any other reason, it’s because of the Azeris I met that my trip was so memorable. I still travel with my scarves from Azerbaijan, and to this day wear them regularly as a reminder of the people, the adventures, and my month in Azerbaijan.

To the people of Azerbaijan

In short: the landscapes are beautiful, the cities enchanting, the people so friendly. Azerbaijan is full of surprises and nothing at all like I expected it to be.

What do you think when you think of Azerbaijan?