Welcome to the last post in Georgia and one month since I Ieft Bondi Beach in Sydney Australia.
We finally made it out of Kazbegi just before noon on Fri 11APR. Not that there was anything wrong with Kazbegi – what is there not to like about a small little village covered in fresh powdery white snow with a photogenic old church watching over it. We needed to leave so that we would not cut short our time in Tbilisi or even Armenia to make up for the four nights in Kazbegi instead of the planned two. What a drive. No cloud or fog to obscure the huge mountain ranges on other die of us covered in snow. Gave me a chance to film the scenery that was not visible on our way up here. The blocked point was open and we made our way slowly through the valley behind a long line of semi-trailers that had crossed the Russian border two to three days earlier – imagine those drivers stuck in the back of their driving cabins. We passed within 2km of South Ossetia, a self-declared country in 1990 with Russian aide but only recognised by 5 of 193 full-member UN Countries so most see it as a Russian annexation but with independent rule. The drive to the capital was long at almost 5.5hrs given the large backlog of trucks from the border.
Tbilisi is very long nestled between two mountain ranges. Lots of older Soviet-style apartment blocks mixed in with some trendier new ones. The city centre itself is very scenic and classic – a huge roaring river separating into main banks. It is in the centre that you see the obvious European influence with many neo-classical structures and tall domed Georgian Orthodox Churches everywhere. The city is spread out and it will take a lot of effort to walk this one. We arrived at an open plaza just under the Narikala Fortress which sadly was closed for renovations. We had to walk 10min up a very steep hill towards the fortress to get to our hostel. No go. I was plonked in a room with 6 bunks and there was just enough space to swing a cat. I was outta there. I walked to a nearby hotel to get an idea of prices and they were low enough. A lovely lady named Nino helped find a cheaper option and in just 45min I was unloading into a large attic room with a huge bathroom – perfect – my treasured memories of Tbilisi were assured. I dumped my gear and headed for Freedom Square, home of the Galleria Tbilisi, a huge shopping complex which housed the all-important GOODWILL supermarket which had a vast array of hot Georgian home-cooked meals ready-to-go just like FAMILY FOOD in Kutaisi !!! I stocked up on some delicious hot numbers and some Georgian Rose and made my way back – a 1.3km hike but well worth it. That night I relaxed with great food and movie ahead of my next run.
Boy was it cold. 7C and overcast but the run was great – alongside the southern bank of the river. I was pleasantly surprised passing 2 other runners with hardly anyone else on the main boulevard. Traffic was crazy. After a much-welcomed hot shower I headed to the hostel to collect a group of us bound for an 8hr wine tour today. Bliss. Eight of us walked down to the open plaza to meet Maddie, our guide for today and a self-confessed “wine-a-holic” just like me. We got on like a bottle-opener to a bottle of wine !!! We climbed aboard a 20-seat luxury Mercedes mini-van and headed to a huge metallic bicycle in the centre of town to pick up other tourists. This bicycle was installed by a former Dutch First-Lady who wanted to promote bicycles in Tbilisi because of worsening traffic.
Our first stop was 70min drive east of Tbilisi in the KAKHETI WINE REGION towards Azerbaijan at the Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking or KTW Winery, a commercial-scale operation with a huge stainless-steel fermentation and bottling facility. KTW has over 1,500 hectares under vine, exports to 30 countries and has over 2,500 employees. KTW’s signature wine “Chkhaveri” dates back to 1880 to the village Askana. We tasted 3 whites, 3 reds directly from the stainless-steel tanks. Excellent wines but a tad too sweet for me – Georgians love semi-sweet or semi-dry wines. To top it off we had a Georgian brandy called CHACHA, distilled once from fermented wine mash which is leftover grape skins and stalks. 45% proof with a kick to boot. From here we travelled another 80min further east to the Bodbe Monastery of St. Nino only 52km from the Azerbaijani border. This Monastery is the resting place of female Georgian Orthodox Saint Nino, who is credited with bringing Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium to Georgia. Most Christian girls in Georgia are baptised Nino (not Nina). According to the legend, after the adoption of Christianity, King Miriani had a dream: four stars flew across the four mountains of Georgia and one of the rays was near Bobde. Nino went there to put a cross on that very place. She lived very modestly in a tent where she died. She was buried in the place where her tent was. At the beginning of the 4ht Century AD, a monastery was built on the site of the tent. The grave of Nino is located inside the monastery, under the altar and I had the honour of venerating this important Saint. This Monastery is outside the village of Sighnaghi, which translates to “city of love” and is the birthplace of our guide Maddie. She is the mother of 4 living in Tbilisi but her parents still live here. She loves this job because she gets to visit her parents most days of every week. This “city of love” is the Las Vegas of Georgia – you can get married here any time you want without paperwork but unlike Las Vegas you cannot get married if you are drunk – YES – they actually breath test you both !!! We visited the family-owned winery of Sighnaghi Estate and tasted another 3 whites, 3 reds and 4 flavoured Chachas. By this time, I was ready for a nap and just as well since it took us the better part of 3hrs to return to Tbilisi. My conclusion on Georgian wine is that it is definitely lighter and sweeter than most I have encountered. Lighter colours, lighter body but quality is good. Despite the overcast and cold weather, it was the perfect weather for drinking wine, especially Chacha (like raki or tsipouro). I had picked the right day for our wine tour since the next day would feature morning sun and light cloud in the afternoon – perfect for walking and shooting Tbilisi.
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I set out at 9am on the morning of Sun 13APR to conquer the city but was dressed too lightly and semi-froze. It was a blessing in disguise forcing me back to my hotel since I dressed up and decided to send up my drone to take advantage of the sunshine. Excellent footage as you will see from the drone stills. I picked the Metekhi Church, set up on a cliff, to send up Mini Me (my drone) so I could fly it over the centre without losing connection. After dropping off the drone I set out on my formal walk of the city.
Tbilisi (Pop 1,084,000) contains almost one third of the country's population. Tbilisi was founded in the fifth century AD by Vakhtang I of Iberia and has since served as the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Between 1801 and 1917, then part of the Russian Empire, it was the seat of the Caucasus Viceroyalty, governing both the northern and the southern sides of the Caucasus. Because of its location at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, and its proximity to the lucrative Silk Road, throughout history, Tbilisi has been a point of contention among various global powers. To this day, the city's location ensures its position as an important transit route for energy and trade projects. Tbilisi's history is reflected in its architecture, which is a mix of medieval, neoclassical, Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau, Stalinist, and Modern structures. Historically, Tbilisi has been home to people of diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, though its population is overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox Christian. On the downside its location in the cross-hairs of battling civilisations means it has been destroyed and rebuilt 29 times since its founding !!!
I visited the following sites over 4hrs: Metekhi Bridge, Metekhi Church (Drone Spot), Rike Park Concert Hall & Exhibition Centre, Ceremonial Palace of Georgia, Bridge of Peace, Tato Bridge, Clock Tower, Anchiskhati Basilica of Saint Mary (6thC Oldest in Tbilisi), Sioni Cathedral, Old City Wall & Grigol Orbeliani Square, Giorgi Leonidze Park, 9th April Park, National Gallery, Kashveti Church of St George, Georgian Museum of Fine Arts, Parliament of Georgia, Tbilisi Youth & Children's Palace, Galleria Tbilisi, Freedom Square.
The highlight was visiting the packed Georgian Orthodox Churches since it was Palm Sunday and everyone was there with Colchian Boxwood plants in hand instead of palms or bay leaves, as is the case with Greek Orthodox, since the latter do not grow here. These plants grow locally and in large quantities. People of all ages and children everywhere. Multiple priests communing people inside and outside the church due to high numbers. I soaked in as much of the Holy Week atmosphere as I could as I would be in Iran of all places for Easter Sunday. I would try to find an Armenian Orthodox Church later this week to attend Holy Thursday or Friday Easter Service. In many ways Tbilisi reminded me of Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina (city where WWI started) in terms of its canyon layout and central river. Tbilisi is indeed very picturesque and well worth visiting.
Monday was Iran day. We all met at 830am and headed out in taxis to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a 20min drive into a posh suburb of Tbilisi. It was cold and rainy so the taxis came in handy. An outfit called BOLT replaces UBERs in Georgia. The Embassy was a strange process. We handed in our passports and received a slip of paper telling us how many euros to pay (varies by country). We each had a Letter of Authorisation which we obtained in our respective countries which we had to show there. Then it was a 1.6km walk in the rain and cold to the BTC Bank to pay for the visa. We had to wait until everyone arrived at the bank and pay in one group hit. Each of us received a payment receipt. Our leader then collected each passport with each receipt inside to take back to the Embassy where a PDF e-visa was emailed to all applicants later that day. Thank goodness for this since a visa stamp or sticker in our passport would be a problem for visiting the USA or Israel – this way there is no evidence of visiting Iran from looking at your passport. It was almost midday when we all finally BOLTED our way back to our respective accommodations.
I was DYING to run this arvo but decided to invest in my 124th Country run in Armenia especially since my cough was breaking up and it was 9C and rainy outside. Instead, I invested in some final fine Georgian wine and completed this blog… please enjoy the pleasing capital city of Georgia - Tbilisi…
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