I was on a small group tour of Armenia and Georgia with Explore. It was excellent with the best tour guide I have had and who became a very good friend
So have now left Armeniaand crossed the border into Georgia. This was the view I woke up to taken from the balcony of my hotel on the shore of Lake Sevan.
The scenary en-route looked more like Switzerland than Armenia. There was also a little bit of drama when the alternator on the minibus broke causing the engine to cut out just as we were beginning our descent of a very steep mountain pass. The driver calmly free-wheeled the whole way down round the hairpin bends and came to a stop when the road levelled out at the bottom of the valley. Fortunately, the brakes were in good working order. digWe blamed the demon baby chocolate we had just bought and consumed before the accident happened. A new van sent from Yerevan and we were soon on our way. The border crossing into Georgia has to be, the easiest border crossing I have ever done. Both borders were empty, no people, no queues, about 10 minutes to complete both borders. One and a half hours and we were in Tbilisi. En -route we passed Azerjijian villages. Some had red ribbons on their doors. This signifies that inside is a girl eligible to be married. Their have been some issues with this as some of the girls are not of the legal marriage age in Georgia. The authorities are trying to clamp down but the practice still continues with underage girls. Tbilisi what a wonderful city full of contrasts, old and new, so many architectural styles, so beautiful. Russian tower blocks, ancient churches and temples and ultra modern glass and steel all blend together. Immediately I felt the buzz. I didn’t know where to look every direction you turned in gave you something to admire. davdavsdrsdrdavmdeThe city has a fantastic sense of energy and charisma. So many quirky little bars and restaurants. We ate at one of the many outdoor cafes. First thing I discovered was that the portions here are enormous! mdeLooking forward to coming back and spending more time in Tbilisi. The next day didn’t start well. The shower looked quite innocuous but was very powerful. When I switched it on, it shot up in the air with a powerful jet of water coming over the shower cubicle. I’d had a shower before I even got in it. I’d got in and my hair was lathered in shampoo when the phone rang. I dripped my way across the bedroom only for it to stop just as I got to it. The next morning we drove to Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in Georgia and the old capital. It is overlooked by the magnificent monastery perched on the hill. This was our first stop. The views from the monastery are magnificent. The panorama looks down into the valley with the town situation to the confluence of 2 rivers. digdavdavMtskheta was the capital of this kingdom for quite a few centuries, from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD when the capital was moved to Tbilisi.It is a very picturesque town with the cathedral sitting at it’s centre davdavdigdigThey have lots of stray dogs in Georgia. Instead of rounding them up and euthenising them they vaccinate them. They have a yellow tag in their ears to prove they’ve been vaccinated. They are very friendly dogs, the locals feed them and they are very healthy. You have to respect a nature that looks after their animals xdavIt’s also all about the wine. They are famous for making wine ice cream which was fantastic. davThere were lots of colourful stalls selling a whole array of goods. There were tasty snacks, pots of fresh fruit, the silver and enamel jewellery for which Georgia is renowned, thick socks and felt and wool clothing and hats. davdavdavsdrThe streets were all cobbled and it reminded me of home. It was a very pretty and interesting town. davdigdavNext we were off wine tasting. Everyone who knows me is aware how much I like wine. Here they still make wine in the traditional method. They still press it with their feet and it is then poured into clay jars which they bury and leave for the wine to ferment. Wine has been made this way for centuries, in all the monasteries can be found remains of wine cellars and clay jars. It is completely organic. Instead of chemicals they use a local plant. davIt’s amazing that this cottage industry exports wine to Japan. His son now lives in the city, so I don’t know who will take over the wine making business but he shows no sign of retiring anytime soon. Fortunately, some of the group don’t like wine. He also makes Cha Cha, a white spirt similar to Grappa. He uses a still fashioned from a tin bath. He kept refilling my glass – think it definitely cured my cold. Also brandy for which Georgia is very famous. Tonight we are staying in Kutaisi, a popular place for Georgian’s to visit in the summer to escape the heat of Tbilisi. We are staying in a family run guesthouse perched high in the hills overlooking the town. Entrepreneurial locals have built upwards, putting extra floors onto their houses to create guesthouses. It is a simple guesthouse so the restaurant was a surprise. davWe had some delicious home cooked food and got to try lots of local specialities. The view wasn’t bad either . It rains a lot here though and we’ve had some good downpours. Book your tour with Explore. dav
