Mtskheta - Tbilisi (Georgia) - Hidden in plain sight

Mtshketa - Tbilisi
17 September - 19 September 2016

Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities in Georgia. Standing at the confluence of the Mtkvari & Aragavi rivers,  this town is an attractive town that contains some of the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture, historically significant for its contribution of medieval architecture throughout the Caucasus.

We spent the best part of a morning discovering the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and finding out a little more about independent producers of Georgian wine. Always good to discover the bootleggers.

Mtskheta - Georgia

Mtskheta - Georgia

Mtskheta - Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - Mtskheta - Georgia

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - Mtskheta - Georgia

This is the moment that Davis got told off by a priest for entering wearing a tank top - LOL

'Get out of my cathedral you punk!'

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - Mtskheta - Georgia

Georgian wine bootlegger - he looks like one too!

 Mtskheta - Georgia

 Mtskheta - Georgia

The next day we were in more professional & legitimate hands as we attended a winery just outside the lovely town of Signagi. Located in the eastern most region of Georgia the area serves as one of the main tourist destinations as the cradle of Georgian wine making now resides in this area.

Royal sulphur baths - Tbilisi - Georgia

Royal sulphur baths - Tbilisi - Georgia

Royal sulphur baths - Tbilisi - Georgia

Georgian wine - wine not - Tbilisi - Georgia

Answers can always be found at the bottom of your glass

Tbilisi - Georgia

Hard Rock Cafe - Tbilisi - Georgia

Hard Rock Cafe - Tbilisi - Georgia

Hard Rock Cafe - Tbilisi - Georgia

Outside of Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, Georgian wine making has an 8000 year old history and it’s believe that the famed Georgian clay pots hold the secret to the formulation of their fantastic wines. The ancient Georgian method holds no barrels, or vats or monitoring systems, just the qvevri which imparts a unique taste to the wines. I have to say, after 8000 years of tradition the Georgians have learnt a thing or two about making these precious drops. There are some great Georgian white varietals such as Rkhatsiteli, Kisi, Mtsvane Kakhuri & Tsolikouri but admittedly, for me, the real hits were the reds such as Saperavi, Kindzmarauli & Shavkapito. All of these are varietals that I’d never encountered before coming to Georgia, in fact, never knew existed and least of all knew that they were probably the forerunners to all of the wines around the world! Not a bad claim to fame I’d say, and something that I believe Georgia should make a bigger deal about into the future. Once again, as per an earlier entry, for many reasons I believe Georgia is still off the radar in terms of many peoples travel itineraries. Needless to say, with a bit of self-promotion and a few good words, I believe it will enter a Lonely Planet top 10 soon enough, with a bullet!

Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

Signagi - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Self made churchkela - Khareba winery - Georgia

Khareba winery - Georgia

Our last couple of days was spent in the wonderful city of Tbilisi. Another one of the plethora of attractions in this city is its sulphur baths, a time honoured ritual in the city ever since the King of Georgia discovered the sulphur springs in the area and decided to build his city around them. Of course now it’s very much set up for tourists but how can you go past having a soak, scrub and traditional massage beneath the domed roofs of these baths. An absolute treat.

We had really managed our luck quite nicely with the weather during our stay. Aside from a later afternoon thunderstorm in Batumi we had been blessed with some gorgeous sunshine for most of our stay. Our return to Tbilisi was no different and we took full advantage of the beautiful days to enjoy dining outdoors, partaking in some rooftop tipples and also finding some nice shisha spots. The later was another bonus of Tbilisi. It appears that Georgians are all smokers and their penchant for taking on a bit of nicotine also extended to the good ‘ole hookah, something that both Inga & I are fans off.

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

It looks completely 'desolate' here but we were the early arrivals. One hour later this place was full

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tsiskvili restaurant - Tbilisi - Georgia

On our last evening Inga & I went to wonderful restaurant named the Tsiskvili, http://tsiskvili.ge/english/home, located a little drive outside of the city centre, the set up was a real pleasure, with a natural waterfall, water mill, Georgian antiquities, funicular and national folk dance, all with delicious Georgian cuisine thrown into the mix, it ended up being a fantastic way to round out our time in a country that surprised at nearly every turn.

Even the long wait for the 3am flight out of Tbilisi to Istanbul was made a breeze with some late night shisha and a few drinks on Shardeni Street to help us on our way.

To you Georgia I say thank you. Unexpectedly wonderful, you’re a treasure hidden in plain sight.

Tbilisi (GEORGIA) - სიცოცხლე გაოცება

Tbilisi (Georgia)
09 September - 12 September 2016

სიცოცხლე გაოცება -  Life will surprise you

Before I went to Georgia what I could tell you about the country could probably fit neatly onto the back of a postage stamp, meaning, I knew where it was located and I knew the name of the capital city - that was it!

Inga's father is from Georgia, I also knew that, which means that now, writing this blog from the year 2019, my son Aiden, is also part Georgian.

Where to start?

Georgian culture is an exotic, intoxicating and mysterious mix, containing elements of Anatolian, European, Persian, Arabic, Ottoman and Far Eastern cultures. By the very nature of its location, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, its deliberately placed itself in the path of all-comers, and they in turn have influenced this country (and this city), stretching back millennia.

Inga, Davis, Annija and myself on Rustaveli Avenue - Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

Tbilisi - Georgia

You can easily understand the strategic importance of a place like this. Its vector on the historic Silk Road enabled important trading from north, south, east and west. Sitting quite proudly at the junction of commerce, coupled with its own bounty of resources has formed a definitive amalgamation of cultures.

So, when I ask the question of where to start, I really mean, with a country as diverse, complex and in many ways, as fortunate a place it is, where in the world do you start? First perhaps, maybe the question of where Georgia resides. From my perspective, as a young boy staring down at the map of the world on my work desk, I would only see the words of the United Soviet Socialist Republic, with the big iconic hammer and sickle sticking out in my mind, and I would think - in my own ignorance - oh, that's just Russia.  NO HENRY, NO IT'S NOT - not by any stretch of the imagination.

Tbilisi - Georgia - view from Narikala fortress

Tbilisi - Georgia - view from Narikala fortress

Tbilisi - Georgia - view from Narikala fortress

Narikala fortress - Tbilisi - Georgia

Narikala fortress - Tbilisi - Georgia

Old Tbilisi - Georgia

From a purely geographical standpoint its said, by some, that Europe stretches as far as the Caucasus Mountains range and in that sense, Georgia is considered to be the Eastern frontier of Europe. For the people themselves, it seems obvious that they in themselves feel to be European far more than anything else and the diplomatic, economic and social ties that they have pull them squarely into that realm.

What I discovered about Georgia is that its beauty comes from the potent mix of cultures that have moulded the country for thousand of years. You only need to look at their alphabet and written word to see that there's nothing like it, and, that there's a whole load of beautiful in something so mysterious. I found absolute სილამაზე  (beauty) in the written word, a language that first appeared as an inscription in Palestine in 430AD and then shifted and shaped there after. Its all those influences that have acted to form something so entirely unique and unexpected in the fascinating city of Tbilisi.

Georgian flag

-->

Churchkhela – Brown rubbery truncheons made from strings of walnuts dipped in tatara and dried – this was quite often referred to as the ‘Georgian Snickers’.

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

I don't know what I was really expecting from Tbilisi, perhaps it was something more Arabic, more frenzied and ramshackled than the city I was introduced to. Lying on the banks of the Kura River, with a population of approximately 1.5 million, this is a city bounded on three sides by mountains and kinds of forms its own naturally large amphitheatre. In terms of architecture it has both a unique, and some would say uncanny way of mixing the old and the new, with commentators saying that in recent years Tbilisi has seen impressive structural development whilst at the same time bolstering its historical and cultural preservation. It's one of those cities that you get to realise in quite a hurry is truly flying under the radar of most tourists and travel guides. What I got to realising, that aside from the impressive vistas, this city is extremely cosmopolitan, that Georgian food is an absolute treat, the wine here is very good (in fact Georgians probably were the first to 'create wine'...and yes, you read that right), the nightlife is fantastic, the prices are excellent and the people are so friendly. Why Tbilisi hasn't made a Lonely Planet top 10 list to date just blows me away!!

Tbilisi is Inga's birthright. When I say that, it's that right of ownership that you associate from cultural heritage by descent. Our discovery of the city, a place that she had already been too previously, was on her, and I could see that there was a large degree of pride that she had in taking my around her father's city. That was pretty cool.

Some the highlights we took in were Narikala Fortress, a place that can be seen from any place in the city, as it stands proudly on a hill overlooking all and sundry. A fortress that was constructed for defence purposes in the 4th century now provides fantastic views out over Tbilisi for all those wanted to climb up, or, those who want to cheat and ride the funicular up to the top. Then there's Old Tbilisi, the picturesque old town with cobble stoned streets, the Art Nouveau buildings, the intricately designed and terraced master pieces were just a treat to see and truly inspiring. From an architectural perspective what the city has is considered to be a mix of Byzantine, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Middle Eastern & Soviet Modern - the latter unfortunately being the most bleak and stark, but the others, wow. Impressive in their style and presence, but cheated in some way by residing in a city/country that is still severely short of the needed funds to protect their wonderful heritage.

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Tbilisi - Georgia 

Old Tbilisi - Georgia

The Bridge of Peace is a bow shaped pedestrian bridge constructed of glass and steel - beautifully illuminated at night with LED lights, it cross the Kura River and is a highlight of central Tbilisi - Georgia

Another cool thing about Tbilisi is its night time culture, or to utilise an overused phrase from the SMH, it's 'night time economy'. This is a place that makes use of the 24hrs that exist in the day and just because the light gets replaced by the dark doesn't mean that life itself needs to shut down.  On Shardeni street  in central Tbilisi there are bars and restaurants aplenty, many with glorious rooftops that will allow you to take in the view of Tbilisi by night, especially the wonderful Narkiala Fortress. 

Hard Rock Cafe - Tbilisi - Georgia

The Bridge of Peace - Tbilisi - Georgia

'Show me the LARI'

Hard Rock Cafe - Tbilisi - Georgia

Oh yeah, Shisha on Shardeni Street - Tbilisi - Georgia

Gabriadze Theatre - Tbilisi - Georgia

Again, this is where Tbilisi comes into its own once again as the options you have for food are just exceptional. With the likes of khinkali (twisted knobs of dough (dumplings) stuffed with meat and spices), khachapurri (a warm, gooey comfort food, cheese stuffed bread which can also be topped with egg), Badrijani (Roasted eggplant, served flat and topped with walnut paste), kebabs, shashlik, pkhali (a paste made from spinach, walnuts and garlic), lobio (a bean dish).............and then, once you get past that, the Georgian wine varietals, (Saperavi, Kindzmarauli, Tsinandali, Rkhatsiteli & Tvishi) amongst others, Georgia just becomes a phenomenal place to be for many, many reasons.

Then throw access to Shisha into that mix! BOOM - this was a freakin' wonderland.

Old Tbilisi - Georgia

Davis & Annija - in the time before they were a couple :)

Narikala Fortress from Old Tbilisi

Henry & Inga - from the time even before they were engaged (although, may I state - at this point I already knew where and when I'd be asking....)

Narikala Fortress from Old Tbilisi

Tbilisi - Georgia

Churchkhela  - The Georgian Snickers

My time in Tbilisi with Inga, her brother Davis and his now wife Annija, (who wasn't even his girlfriend at the time - although more on that story when I do my Batumi entry), was ALL just the best experience. The atmosphere, the group of travellers and the city itself was just the right mix of everything that you needed, or rather, everything I didn't know that I needed but was given anyway.

Sometimes travel can surprise you in the greatest if ways, and to you Tbilisi alll I can say is, 

'მშვენიერი ხარ'.