Joseph and I traveled to Georgia from 7 July to 1 August 2017 for a father/son adventure featuring some trekking in the Svaneti region in the Caucasus and exploring Tbilisi, Kazbegi and Batumi.
This is Part 3. Return to Tbilisi
DAY 7. Tbilisi.
After a few days in the northern town of Kazbegi, we returned to Tbilisi for the weekend before setting out for Svaneti, a region deep in the Caucasus. I wanted to stretch my legs at dusk and climbed up Narikala Hill to get a view of the city at sunset.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi was completed in 2004 to celebrate the 2000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ and 1500 years of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It dominates the area of Old Tbilisi know as Avlabari and is the third highest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world.
DAY 8. Tbilisi.
Our friend, Tiko Jinjikhadze, kindly invited us on a cultural and historical tour of Tbilisi on Friday. Our first stop was the National Museum of Georgia. Tiko arranged to have a museum staff member, Miriam, give us a tour in English.
In the video, Miriam tells us how the Tbilisi History Museum has been located in a restored caravanserai, representing the city’s historic role as a Silk Road trading outpost. Joseph and I found the tour fascinating and helped us better understand a country which we knew so little about prior to arriving.
Next we visited the home of one of Georgia’s most internationally recognised painters, Elene Akhvlediani. Elene died in 1975 but her home has been turned into a museum which displays many of her favourite paintings.
Next Tiko took us on a excursion to Turtle Lake, which is a recreational area outside of Tbilisi. We enjoyed a walk in the woods around the lake.
Thank you so much Tiko for sharing your hometown with us!
Joseph and I didn’t come to Georgia for the food, but if we had we wouldn’t be disappointed. It seems we are eating all the time … and enjoying every bite. When we see the prices on a menu they look just like the prices we’d see on an Australian menu. But an Aussie dollar is worth twice the Georgian lari so we’re dining out at half the price as we would at home. We love it!
The streets of Old Tbilisi are lined with al fresco restaurants all offering delectable Georgian food and wine.
DAY 9. Tbilisi
Rest day.
DAY 10. Tbilisi
We welcome a new member to the ‘Mike and Joe Go To Georgia’ show. I hadn’t seen Swiss friend, Hans Stricker, in 36 years after trekking in the Lacandon jungle of Southern Mexico. But today he joins Joseph and me as we prepare to head to the Caucasus from our trekking adventure.
Hans arrived to Tbilisi at 4 am and I met him at the hotel at 5 am. Tbilisi was still wide awake from the night before. We walked up Narikala Hill to watch the sunrise and then walked up to the Holy Trinity Cathedral and arrived just as Sunday Mass was beginning. I am not going to try to explain what is happening in this video as I know little about the Georgian Orthodox Church. The choir was hidden from view and Hans and I soon learned why there is so much talk of Georgian singing. It was quite overwhelming to hear such beautiful music in such a fascinating place.
Old Cellar Hotel. George teaches us all about Georgian wine in the cellar of our hotel.
Mtskheta. Tamriko and our Georgian family organised a tour of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the old capital of Mtskheta. We learned that Georgia converted to Christianity in the 4th century and has been very closely linked to the development of Christianity. We learned that a Georgian Jew names Elias witnessed the crucifixion of Christ in Jerusalem. He bought Christ’s robe from a Roman guard and brought it back to Georgia. When he brought it home, his sister, Sidonia, touched it and died instantly as she was overcome by the emotion. The photo shows where Sidonia was buried along with Christ’s robe.
Mtskheta. Our Georgian family invited Joseph, Hans and me for a visit to the original Georgian capital city of Mskheta followed by dinner. Once again we had the privilege and honour to share a long table dinner with our hosts. We dined at one of the most extraordinary restaurants I had ever been at. It was in the outskirts of Mtskheta along the Mtkvari River. The restaurant was in a forest which seemed to be about a hectare large. There were tables scattered through the forest. The waiters had a huge job and bringing food to each table. We sat near the river and really needed a longer table. The food and wine kept coming and every few minutes we’d stop eating to perform one of Georgia’s most time-honoured tradition – the toast. Hans, Joseph and I are very grateful for the generosity and kindness of our Georgian friends. Thanks to Tamriko’s young son Niko for expertly taking this photo!
Mtskheta. Hans discovered that the Georgian suspension bridges are in much better shape that those we discovered in the Lacandon jungle of Mexico 36 years ago.
