tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37881314016112053022024-03-05T17:17:44.039+01:00Welcome to the Republic of Georgia! Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-71077706210467495602018-10-01T22:35:00.003+02:002021-07-28T15:11:38.963+02:00Tourism in Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's go to Georgia!</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdvwx9NHA7QAILvD81zWFkWhyphenhyphenKNQ3pUCB9k-9MeVA0QH3_yBG1CIYmmrWttUnudnyDjCbIGG4iterd3PcBnQ-01BfhZLqvnnYcH529LUs7h00BEL38mumLppEcQ-yvDygYlW-eAxaoK4/s1600/djvari+monastery+closer+1+mtskheta+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdvwx9NHA7QAILvD81zWFkWhyphenhyphenKNQ3pUCB9k-9MeVA0QH3_yBG1CIYmmrWttUnudnyDjCbIGG4iterd3PcBnQ-01BfhZLqvnnYcH529LUs7h00BEL38mumLppEcQ-yvDygYlW-eAxaoK4/s320/djvari+monastery+closer+1+mtskheta+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
It is now done, Georgia is a DESTINATION! About time!</div>
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Back in 2008, I tried to convince my Georgian family to get on the tourism bandwagon. Granted, back then, it was not that attractive. In August 2008, the war between Russia and Georgia was exploding all over the news, and made it so that tourism could not get off the ground.</div>
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And how things have changed!</div>
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In 10 short years since the war (let us all remember that the Russian troops are STILL in South Ossetia, a Georgian recognized province..), Sakartvelo has been transformed into a traveler's paradise! It is getting almost too touristy for me, but there are ways to avoid the tourist traps still.<br />
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Below you will a few tips on better traveling, and on the cheaper side, in Georgia.<br />
I inserted links to pix and other pages in this blog so you can get an idea of what is in store. Feel free to click and enjoy our non-professional photos. We are people just like you, and we take average pics, but it will give you an inside on the life of Georgians and the beautiful things to see and experience. Keep in mind that when we travel in Georgia, one of us is home and can communicate like the native that he is. That does allow us to come "closer", I suppose. However, Georgians are incredibly welcoming, and you will feel right at home almost immediately.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.698126160225459&type=1&l=6c20d46003" target="_blank">Places to visit</a>: </b><br />
Georgia is not a very big country, but it is full of things to do and see. Although I will outline many places to go to, you will find that limiting yourself to 2 or 3 might be enough.<br />
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Batumi,Tbilisi, Bakuriani, Anaklia, Gudauri, Bordjomi, Akhaltsikhe:</div>
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These are some of the places you will want to go visit on your trip to Georgia.<br />
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Are you a walker? You can trek in the mountains, or <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2014/09/walking-walktbilisi-one-step-at-time.html" target="_blank">walk in Tbilisi</a> also, where a multitude of great walks can be done. (pics of daily <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.593355700702506&type=1&l=a36207b2a6" target="_blank">street life</a> in Georgia)<br />
You may want to walk <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.329018487136230&type=1&l=da77890a1a" target="_blank">Tbilisi</a> at night, it is quite magical.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tbilisi at night. A delight for the eyes.</td></tr>
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Are you a skier? Bakuriani or Gudauri will welcome you with fabulous mountains<br />
Do you like to swim? Beaches in Anaklia or Kobuleti could be your next destination.<br />
Do you want to experience food and culture? I recommend <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2013/09/akhaltsikhe-or-religions-united.html" target="_blank">Akhaltsikhe</a>, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.587983947906348&type=1&l=5cc2f2cad4" target="_blank">Rabati Fortress</a>, Tbilisi, of course, and Bordjomi. <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2018/07/vardzia-history-at-its-best.html" target="_blank">Vardzia</a> and Kutaisi for architecture, culture, etc..<br />
and obviously...the must see...<br />
Wine!<br />
The whole country will delight you, but you will want to investigate the <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-bounties-of-kakheti.html" target="_blank">Kakheti</a> region in the eastern part of Georgia if you are looking for the wine capital. Please understand that wine making is everywhere in Georgia, but it is particularly set for tourists in Kakheti.<br />
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<b><u>Transportation</u></b> is available, of course, but Georgia is a place to be savored and not rushed. We do have a way to offer our own "taxi" service at low cost. That is probably the best way to get around, unless you go for the even cheaper option of taking a marshootka, or minibus, that crisscrosses the towns and the country as a whole. Or, you can fly into Tbilisi, and take the overnight train to Bordjomi. To get to the wine country takes a bit more finesse...but we can help you with that.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Lodging:</u> is also available, evidently. You can pay for the big hotels that are popping up, but frankly, meeting people one on one, and making friends might be so much more fun. For that, you can stay in the numerous houses that propose a bed and most of the time, a rather fantastic breakfast..<br />
Here is the way to do things: When you arrive in a town, hit the first little grocery store you see, and ask if someone has a place where they rent rooms. Although I would not advise to do this in Tbilisi, the smaller towns all have large houses that take in people on a moment's notice. Granted, it is not the Hilton, but I guarantee you will make fantastic contacts with the real Georgians. We can also help to find logding with our Taxi point A to B service. :)<br />
How much is a night, would you ask? Where you will pay up to 100$ for a hotel for a night, you might pay 20 $ for a home lodging..and you will get a great breakfast, if you request one.<br />
In this, I should mention that Batumi is a very difficult place to find cheap lodging, since it has become the playground of the rich, but small villages around, such as Kobuleti, a seaside village for the locals, have tons of cheap lodging, and you mostly will not have to reserve in advance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKH7a5jarK5Y9qDQ_KZku7Gsz9qkxyMY8oOIbFZON71bv5uYarybR2bLtI2sN-v3nSlkfqSDC20YK17c8q9_nz8HVSVC3PL2-oZe5b5gMHFVi4bN2bUOX9vcSMqyk4hi0N2UYVSpdlWvM/s1600/31.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKH7a5jarK5Y9qDQ_KZku7Gsz9qkxyMY8oOIbFZON71bv5uYarybR2bLtI2sN-v3nSlkfqSDC20YK17c8q9_nz8HVSVC3PL2-oZe5b5gMHFVi4bN2bUOX9vcSMqyk4hi0N2UYVSpdlWvM/s200/31.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchkhela, and other goodies</td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">When to go:</u> Winters are cold, but there are less tourists. Spring are warmer than Europe or the US, and are a nice time to go. Summers are scorching, that is all I will say. Fall is WONDERFUL, since it is grape-picking time. Festivals everywhere, wine everywhere, etc...tourists everywhere..October usually has Tbilisoba, or Tbilisi day, and that is a fun thing to go to. It celebrates the harvest in a very festive way. Starting in 2018, this year, and ..this weekend, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.100187143352700&type=1&l=ece35f14b2" target="_blank">Tbilisoba</a> will always be set on the first weekend of October. I admit it was somewhat confusing in years past.. Yeah for that info! Here is the <a href="https://www.georgianjournal.ge/culture/35110-schedule-for-the-tbilisoba-2018.html" target="_blank">planning for the 2018 Tbilisoba</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiqj12dFZtjtSWmI6sJPM02MQ-crCfNVGtLhXOXsXcS9tRrj4tsQ3tiRzGFUhR1iZ4HVCpngp9aYrgCrB-T1OwNn_FH92zNwisf0d7IjweSjNG63RIvusmnz4jpUZzn7yQbFSdGnGkPA/s1600/30.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiqj12dFZtjtSWmI6sJPM02MQ-crCfNVGtLhXOXsXcS9tRrj4tsQ3tiRzGFUhR1iZ4HVCpngp9aYrgCrB-T1OwNn_FH92zNwisf0d7IjweSjNG63RIvusmnz4jpUZzn7yQbFSdGnGkPA/s200/30.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">famous Georgian socks.<br />
Can't live without them anymore..<br />
homespun and handmade.</td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">How to go: </u>Cheap flights out of France and Germany these days. Consult Wizz Air for prices. Check out the calendar, since prices can be tripled over a single week..but there some good deals to be had. Traveling light is better, since most of these airlines charge heavily for luggage. It is not a problem to be seen wearing the same outfit several days in a row.<br />
Leaving out of France or most places in Europe through Turkey with Pegasus Airlines can be affordable, but again, check the calendar, since they do have times when they offer very competitive rates, and other times, not.. Keep in mind that most flights into Tbilisi will arrive in the middle of the night. There is a good reason for it, but I forgot it..<br />
More details to be added a little later on this month..Keep posted!<br />
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Your next stop should be at the Tourism Bureau. Their site is very nice, and outlines many of the places you will want to see.</div>
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<a href="https://georgia.travel/" target="_blank">The national Tourism Bureau</a><br />
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So glad you came to visit.</div>
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This link to our FB page:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Gigicoco1958/" target="_blank">Menu Voyage</a></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-45324438332190257302018-08-25T17:39:00.002+02:002021-01-09T04:14:14.919+01:00Gardening in the Georgian sun..and rain.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br>Gardening time!</h2>
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Heat, wind, torrential rains, and poor soil.</h2>
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Get the shovel!..</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqDtS6-9kSb5c1xoX3aLMDVWb1C3Tk4_jCsrDDZ0TnPNnDZzOyJPl9nrXfwvFdBXzS1MOxr6do7DGBbLnf94mNfn2oRpSTJfkLDMeUjlKlpLEhkl9M9SBHmz6zCYgtdOm65Ju1PLjjno/s1600/IMG_2452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqDtS6-9kSb5c1xoX3aLMDVWb1C3Tk4_jCsrDDZ0TnPNnDZzOyJPl9nrXfwvFdBXzS1MOxr6do7DGBbLnf94mNfn2oRpSTJfkLDMeUjlKlpLEhkl9M9SBHmz6zCYgtdOm65Ju1PLjjno/s200/IMG_2452.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9i3OkYRlKR6mePjZiHpKU0aJFykx28tk9K60Ufm81XTLuysELJHLZKg6mFnpkzwpsfuWvRweBDYP1BVItUzgpgOoIjiIRvKP8s1-XoQgBg_mei1NyIABkbhTVjbv5Fv5CK0FJfy9Hik/s1600/IMG_2456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9i3OkYRlKR6mePjZiHpKU0aJFykx28tk9K60Ufm81XTLuysELJHLZKg6mFnpkzwpsfuWvRweBDYP1BVItUzgpgOoIjiIRvKP8s1-XoQgBg_mei1NyIABkbhTVjbv5Fv5CK0FJfy9Hik/s200/IMG_2456.JPG" width="200"></a>The lot in 2008..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QXJDSSDrgltinLhjuLsu31weIU-pgcCUp71QTM0mFsNlA8o8tAqXnfrOinA1LQwFT150Mm-TblWazjTnKzBR5TDdKyRMUSgqoem266aBsLm_H7ZiMTKJ5cDFaLh30tYj4CbilEBvfyQ/s1600/IMG_2458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QXJDSSDrgltinLhjuLsu31weIU-pgcCUp71QTM0mFsNlA8o8tAqXnfrOinA1LQwFT150Mm-TblWazjTnKzBR5TDdKyRMUSgqoem266aBsLm_H7ZiMTKJ5cDFaLh30tYj4CbilEBvfyQ/s200/IMG_2458.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX3vTI-hFOvxr_ZgHnS1Y5AszK8VhNg1ZDaOyKh90KmF5CaVhXdmSjvleA3BrKWj5xB-v2WWS2YALDgP7mMTMO4zQG_JP3hjrXrBQzFUZVpq2BwiYJuooT-AmN4_scCuHyiZq7Bu4Q60/s1600/koda+luka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="1600" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX3vTI-hFOvxr_ZgHnS1Y5AszK8VhNg1ZDaOyKh90KmF5CaVhXdmSjvleA3BrKWj5xB-v2WWS2YALDgP7mMTMO4zQG_JP3hjrXrBQzFUZVpq2BwiYJuooT-AmN4_scCuHyiZq7Bu4Q60/s640/koda+luka.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic view of the front of the house<br>
from the gate. Summer 2018</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">2019 will be the first "true" growing season that we will spend at the house. The house is not entirely finished, but quite livable. In the spirit of community living, the plan is to share this house with extended family members. We are scaling down in spending, even if we are scaling up in the sheer size of the house and yard. The motto would be "downsize spending, upscale good times". Grow healthy stuff, have chickens...As we say in French: "Je le sens bien!"</span><br>
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Although this property has been cultivated for years by T's grandparents, it remained fallow for a long time, used only to tie animals at night. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zh7QdQzIwiewFgCy_uD2rGHQVJVHgY3CpG3jQT253KCPmo5S0PUmqyF_u_BrookeMqORjQwtEuJxwjz621ZmPf1bGu8c1-sj-g1zLPdmaSDoNQPzwd0zITCo1gm6PJE8GdLe3-MQt_0/s1600/koda2.2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Zh7QdQzIwiewFgCy_uD2rGHQVJVHgY3CpG3jQT253KCPmo5S0PUmqyF_u_BrookeMqORjQwtEuJxwjz621ZmPf1bGu8c1-sj-g1zLPdmaSDoNQPzwd0zITCo1gm6PJE8GdLe3-MQt_0/s200/koda2.2018.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and from the outhouse to the front door.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tNIr_Nn-cGxv3Nyz-xqLLhTv6QYerXec99yfIIkYik4Y6esc8zZo_CBLJ27OpARzdFuBaUwv2NXXsYFjSGvhsIdeURnLoaTheJNoKG92dUsw2a9JgzzOtFi_Lud92ZJ49FWK8_E6TB0/s1600/koda1.2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tNIr_Nn-cGxv3Nyz-xqLLhTv6QYerXec99yfIIkYik4Y6esc8zZo_CBLJ27OpARzdFuBaUwv2NXXsYFjSGvhsIdeURnLoaTheJNoKG92dUsw2a9JgzzOtFi_Lud92ZJ49FWK8_E6TB0/s320/koda1.2018.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the front door to the outhouse,<br>
a much needed path.</td></tr>
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In the last couple of years, with the idea of living there permanently, trees have been planted, and tries at basic gardening have been made. Unfortunately, a yearly deep tilling has been done, so my gardener friends will understand my sorrow..Loamy, we are not..</div>
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Next spring, however, my master gardener's skills will arrive, and make some sense of this yard of a considerable size of 1000 square meters.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw_1ISA72JKpoYjURohzBUfWM5AvLg0CvwItCSlDEw-6NhgmXUbXig8LfOjwIZGugGfRNfOgT8kRMm1s6EBxUmDVARXwyjP2O5f3A0g22WUhPfGsDTomRlgY8ILIqhsfES1pUXBQvE14/s1600/koda+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw_1ISA72JKpoYjURohzBUfWM5AvLg0CvwItCSlDEw-6NhgmXUbXig8LfOjwIZGugGfRNfOgT8kRMm1s6EBxUmDVARXwyjP2O5f3A0g22WUhPfGsDTomRlgY8ILIqhsfES1pUXBQvE14/s200/koda+2018.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the front bedroom<br>
windows to the front gate<br>
just to the right of the pic.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAosSBU0vUNp0NDctmhOpvpRWzsvHkCcIe8QnuZSW7hs3g4GnFyc-jqhyphenhyphen1vZh32Z12hhrsLxjszR5eZodI5R2VAWQaL-uZtpn5eNNagcxnnKiFNSoKuZFAmbGufkMTS-i7ESXgWLgLdw4/s1600/side+koda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAosSBU0vUNp0NDctmhOpvpRWzsvHkCcIe8QnuZSW7hs3g4GnFyc-jqhyphenhyphen1vZh32Z12hhrsLxjszR5eZodI5R2VAWQaL-uZtpn5eNNagcxnnKiFNSoKuZFAmbGufkMTS-i7ESXgWLgLdw4/s200/side+koda.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of the house. Bedroom windows view.<br>
View of the grapes that will eventually<br>
grow on an arbor above a deck<br>
by the kitchen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
An almond tree has been planted there. Fun! This would be a great place to put in a new laundry line, but this area's destiny is to relay the front gate to the back of the house...for the car! Laundry will go somewhere else..and make place for a driveway!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3SI2JTX7W_DGOqoPbXoKY0fG5g1ykcHXOojK_21jK1QWTWXBMAOJMKfk9yQzKdNS5tstNFoyyvjV99lWwCDIqY2LLM58gHZYkeelqu5Sz9GglamMfMlnITETkdyAqlchHMRcEYbSbOI/s1600/20160806_154636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3SI2JTX7W_DGOqoPbXoKY0fG5g1ykcHXOojK_21jK1QWTWXBMAOJMKfk9yQzKdNS5tstNFoyyvjV99lWwCDIqY2LLM58gHZYkeelqu5Sz9GglamMfMlnITETkdyAqlchHMRcEYbSbOI/s1600/20160806_154636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3SI2JTX7W_DGOqoPbXoKY0fG5g1ykcHXOojK_21jK1QWTWXBMAOJMKfk9yQzKdNS5tstNFoyyvjV99lWwCDIqY2LLM58gHZYkeelqu5Sz9GglamMfMlnITETkdyAqlchHMRcEYbSbOI/s200/20160806_154636.jpg" width="150"></a><br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
T has already planted some grapes that will grow to shade the eastern part of the house. The property line lays to the left, at the start of the trees, although this is somewhat disputed, but that is another story..More grapevines have been planted around the periphery of the property, inside, of course, to form a continuous arbor. Very Georgian stuff!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A well has been dug and waters the garden, a much needed improvement.</div>
<div>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3kzERjL4heol1yDXZtskOPyUblc1pXFPWppljNja1Xr38z_8nSm4dWJtq2nqKGzVuVwlRZI19GDL3aXL5xJjhPBxJOAdV-6vKH18FJwA2lPas1COGwclEUfOuQP3MCXTr4AirA0FSy8/s1600/koda+luka1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="1600" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3kzERjL4heol1yDXZtskOPyUblc1pXFPWppljNja1Xr38z_8nSm4dWJtq2nqKGzVuVwlRZI19GDL3aXL5xJjhPBxJOAdV-6vKH18FJwA2lPas1COGwclEUfOuQP3MCXTr4AirA0FSy8/s640/koda+luka1.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic from the front door.<br>
Front gate to the left of the pic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, with the droughts happening more and more on a global scale, the rain storms dropping buckets of water at times on the land, the snowy winters and the scorching summers at the foot of the Lower Caucasus Mountains, the case for a special garden has been established. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeriscaping">Xeriscaping gardening</a>, while utilizing available rain water, as well as the pure spring water coming out of the ground, lasagna raised beds for aging gardeners, <a href="https://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FiTnBlkG7h98%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiTnBlkG7h98&docid=aieeVqy3YTU48M&tbnid=hTGJ1aYt7dVGHM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjmraWSwYjdAhWLJsAKHfLfCSUQMwg2KAAwAA..i&w=1280&h=720&bih=803&biw=1600&q=core%20gardening&ved=0ahUKEwjmraWSwYjdAhWLJsAKHfLfCSUQMwg2KAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8">core gardening</a>, and of course: WORM compost!!!...And a definite need for shade, an even more pressing need for a greenhouse, a fun place to eat out, and a great place to store products from the garden...I do believe we have some planning to do!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The great thing is that young strong hands will be made to dig. Can't wait! Dig here, plant there, etc..</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppHKfjL5FUp6gwOO3KftUHbBlxFMHRgwF_57iPBbK3FYKN1LP5dyulkIkHKbf6Z-wuUnRpkhUTvZlFsmFiu599nJHnWtngpo6UaQiqWsvDSqIZh8or546ZjAtcdAosMqO2qtfZKa19ww/s1600/IMG_2010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="568" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppHKfjL5FUp6gwOO3KftUHbBlxFMHRgwF_57iPBbK3FYKN1LP5dyulkIkHKbf6Z-wuUnRpkhUTvZlFsmFiu599nJHnWtngpo6UaQiqWsvDSqIZh8or546ZjAtcdAosMqO2qtfZKa19ww/s320/IMG_2010.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just for reminders...<br>
Our beautiful garden in 2009 in Corrèze.<br>
Inspiration 101..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y55v0X1edd9-mMJreFXyt80fDB1xVVj_zDPTBm32nlpEPrRYFsH_9kGgN5n0JjLuSFi7gyM4vIrKQDUac9hU1_ZjQkK1BVRoQuXA-yDy_8Oohb04xkIEzzEbCD6P_VaRHDsYcOV_ucw/s1600/DSCN2536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y55v0X1edd9-mMJreFXyt80fDB1xVVj_zDPTBm32nlpEPrRYFsH_9kGgN5n0JjLuSFi7gyM4vIrKQDUac9hU1_ZjQkK1BVRoQuXA-yDy_8Oohb04xkIEzzEbCD6P_VaRHDsYcOV_ucw/s200/DSCN2536.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Come on, my lovely little workers! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">I do hope they have worms in Georgia..Hahaha...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Follow us as we plan, plod and maybe even get results in the next year. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And...not to be forgotten..</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The word for garden in Georgian is "bari", and the word for "bar" is "bari"..Yeah, I know, different pronunciation...Whatever!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To me, it means we can garden AND drink, all in one spot! What could be better than that? Non-alcoholic, evidently!!<br>
<br>
Summer 2019:<br>
It is clear that Georgians have a different notion of gardening. As it is a communal garden, shared with in-laws, and products going to the WHOLE family, the choices are particular to the cooking of the meals in Georgia. No garden could be without "kitri", or cucumbers, and "rehani", or red basil. They do not grow green basil here, and don't even consider it like a true basil.. Ok...<br>
Zucchini is not a vegetable used in recipes here, so "kabahi" is not to be seeded. Let's note that I have seeded 2 kinds, since my cooking mandates it.<br>
The main question is: Is there water available?<br>
In Koda, our little tiny village, there is a great deal of water, but it is mainly underground. Our first action last year was to dig a well. The water comes in at great speed, it is fresh and so far, abundant. We also have a free source of water at the entrance of our property, although it does not always have water. Sometimes it comes in savagely, other times it is a trickle. Either way, it is constantly attached to a neighbor or another to fill the cisterns used for washing, showering and such.<br>
Yesterday, our neighbor across the way came and commented on our beautiful garden. We do water it with well water and do not have to depend on the fountain out front. I asked her if she grew a garden, and told me no, since she does not have a well and the fountain being so fickle, she could not afford to grow anything, for fear that it would then all die. She does have cows, and chickens, and she makes great "matsoni", or yogurt. I must remember to trade rehani for matsoni later in the season.<br>
Rehani, the red basil, came to us yesterday as a merchant's offering, along with fresh, although somewhat greenish kitri.. He comes to the village, honks his horn and you can pick stuff out of his car such wonders as tomatoes, cukes, and...rehani starts. Since my green basil failed miserably to come up in the ground, and, darn it, I didn't keep any extra seed to start indoors, I grabbed the starts right out of the trunk of the merchant, and put them in the ground in the shade. for fear that I would immediately cook them in the hot sun.<br>
<br>
April 2020:<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04rOSZ0nr38dditLOx3Sm13gve0F0pJv9glhw-8HOfzCDAYi2aV9_FP_OjpIyYgxKxvG0kSK_Eg0xV7XBsDd4bDLI8n8H9KKKoUyE3zpo13JnprB3nolG9wU29hoQyFEe_JumpFsVtNg/s1600/IMG_20200225_194422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04rOSZ0nr38dditLOx3Sm13gve0F0pJv9glhw-8HOfzCDAYi2aV9_FP_OjpIyYgxKxvG0kSK_Eg0xV7XBsDd4bDLI8n8H9KKKoUyE3zpo13JnprB3nolG9wU29hoQyFEe_JumpFsVtNg/s200/IMG_20200225_194422.jpg" width="111"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">but first, let's have<br>
a bit of local fare..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And so it is that life takes over what you had planned...Surgery, in my case, 2 of them. Ever heard of having your tailbone removed? Well, yeah, mine is gone, broken in two places and very, very sore. The recovery is long, arduous, and no fun whatsoever. Surgery 2 on the liver..benign, but not fun either.<br>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
This all took place as summer started in June 2019. I have been out of commission for months, but I do believe I am getting better. Unfortunately, it also means that I had to give control over to people who, might I be blunt, know zero about gardening. So, I waited until Feb this year and claimed a part of the lot as my "experimentation garden". And then....Mr Covid-19 made his appearance and just like that, all garden centers closed..Good thing I had a few seeds, so we will...maybe...have tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce. We all hope and wait at home, like the rest of the humans, wait for Mr Virus to give us back the life we had..<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6hgLTyp8MB4gCChUe2LPMVHXIJmlzbvSlFXE5B20Gbdf-9DwwNUvm8_J7o9GNc2_ln328OCHjsDs9Zfw3P4357cp7poKLsE2S-8N3TErqXhyphenhyphenq8K-ioNz9RHS14U8l-i-obGkq0Kn9xs/s1600/IMG_20200319_132033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1003" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6hgLTyp8MB4gCChUe2LPMVHXIJmlzbvSlFXE5B20Gbdf-9DwwNUvm8_J7o9GNc2_ln328OCHjsDs9Zfw3P4357cp7poKLsE2S-8N3TErqXhyphenhyphenq8K-ioNz9RHS14U8l-i-obGkq0Kn9xs/s200/IMG_20200319_132033.jpg" width="125"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snow fairy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Starting a compost last May, as we arrived, was a feat. We were told that mice would come, which would attract dogs, and cats, and snakes.<br>
Well, yeah, there is that possibility, but they wouldn't be here if the goodies <br>
were not there. So, after a long, repeated lesson on what to put in or not, our mulch pile/compost grew. I received comments about the utility of it until I moved the pile last month to MY side of the garden, and there, low and behold, the soil was happy to be covered with a marvelous layer of "almost" done compost, and tons and tons of lovely worms. Since I practice a no-dig technique of gardening, it just ended up as a new bed. It would have been better to make raised beds, but since all stores are closed, it is what it is. Our gentle neighbor also contributed a great pile of cow manure, with the warning that mole crickets might be in it. Our roommates are deadly afraid that they will now invade the whole garden, but chances are, with the thorough going-thru done, we will have zero to none..So far, no problem, and happy veggies..<br>
The lot is looking awesome, I must say. Although a rototiller did make its entrance and tilled a large part of it while I prayed for the micro-organisms within, the result is interesting. We will see.<br>
It was interesting to show the mature worm compost at the bottom of the pile to the roommies, however. Whoa...that looks like rich soil, they said. Mmm...yeah! All mine!!<br>
So, a little snow, a little seed and the results of no garden center open mean that we used what we had, until better days. No dependence on stores can be good, I suppose.<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKt2w1mlXhOid0MRvXnydU7RZE7bpyYjnH9yB3Vr1cp67ieAC7ZTG3xXQy3013VS2skTyYV56zBqYwMCI5AOekA0QPPot5Zl0NHapwHA4pjXYjD_X0pHvU6wjMcfOU_hC9XnVhJ18ec8/s1600/IMG_20200412_174947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKt2w1mlXhOid0MRvXnydU7RZE7bpyYjnH9yB3Vr1cp67ieAC7ZTG3xXQy3013VS2skTyYV56zBqYwMCI5AOekA0QPPot5Zl0NHapwHA4pjXYjD_X0pHvU6wjMcfOU_hC9XnVhJ18ec8/s200/IMG_20200412_174947.jpg" width="111"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first thinning of<br>
the spinach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsGfIQhOWstYJrLOl17TplMfjuLclAK1vcLm3Fjesi3VSr0VMoUtzqjjt52I0MkLirM9_7ZNUQJnqpxF9cRV-JJ58JFht5OoAB53ozkvSXR2_6a7FWtYhI4e52Ch1buTvRjJe3YRBoJk/s1600/IMG_20200316_150454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsGfIQhOWstYJrLOl17TplMfjuLclAK1vcLm3Fjesi3VSr0VMoUtzqjjt52I0MkLirM9_7ZNUQJnqpxF9cRV-JJ58JFht5OoAB53ozkvSXR2_6a7FWtYhI4e52Ch1buTvRjJe3YRBoJk/s200/IMG_20200316_150454.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the almond tree in bloom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And results we have:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It looks like spinach likes it here, winter spinach that is. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
I was told it doesn't grow here in the winter. OK..<br>
Spinach in georgian is "ispanikhi". Not too bad. Got it!<br>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Black seeded lettuce is ok too. Thinning and relocating up next.<br>
<br>
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAZJIkgRhkRhCBN0RqPzQvnJdgqU4EqBnZIaZ6pSQ09-szzks0gB9oXuwrS0PBvw6IUJw-3xLy8cAyZHMdY-r-sPQK0dGh6FWB6rSmWhxH9nY-AMx2w8DLRAxgWfln8aH2UEL0MegIyc/s1600/IMG_20200330_135415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAZJIkgRhkRhCBN0RqPzQvnJdgqU4EqBnZIaZ6pSQ09-szzks0gB9oXuwrS0PBvw6IUJw-3xLy8cAyZHMdY-r-sPQK0dGh6FWB6rSmWhxH9nY-AMx2w8DLRAxgWfln8aH2UEL0MegIyc/s200/IMG_20200330_135415.jpg" width="111"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the grape arbor<br>
is ready!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIZnh5lWV7KgJdh0YrQFHH8B0w3Ovbcevr-NTrQSPF0aX8geRomjsv0y1dN33B5GhJWtojjIknRDydaMDMXskaYT8sfbJnNr8FeHox4qcNZuIddSmpHrs0_umZ85TjgecodI3MGr9qm4/s1600/IMG_20200411_161516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1600" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIZnh5lWV7KgJdh0YrQFHH8B0w3Ovbcevr-NTrQSPF0aX8geRomjsv0y1dN33B5GhJWtojjIknRDydaMDMXskaYT8sfbJnNr8FeHox4qcNZuIddSmpHrs0_umZ85TjgecodI3MGr9qm4/s320/IMG_20200411_161516.jpg" width="320"></a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Carrots are minuscule and full of early weeds. To be manipulated with caution..Radishes are plentiful already. Cilantro is coming on strong.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JqeI9lQg2nI5V611dot-5nPWepMOvRgiXToQltgEAO9NbOuG6wxkz1Kr0cM2JnSujaVL6G4850C-xZiVZtiXwFH_1n0gCMneECPXROEbDXAO7hMt7TpJWg76EoGsckOl0vqNhJEYEgw/s1600/wedding+in+the+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JqeI9lQg2nI5V611dot-5nPWepMOvRgiXToQltgEAO9NbOuG6wxkz1Kr0cM2JnSujaVL6G4850C-xZiVZtiXwFH_1n0gCMneECPXROEbDXAO7hMt7TpJWg76EoGsckOl0vqNhJEYEgw/s320/wedding+in+the+garden.jpg" width="179"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the wedding party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rows are separated this year with wooden boards. Wood shavings would be better, it would have had time to compost for next year, but for now, as aforementioned, no garden store open. The plan is to progressively remove the board, admire the dead weeds turned compost and extend the beds.<br>
We decided to put our tomatoes in the ground. After digging a large hole, filling it with compost, and making a teepee above it, we planted them. Then came a long week of unexpected wind, tons of rain, and a little cold..They are making it, waiting for the sun to come out. For the occasion, I covered them with beautiful sheers. Yes, looks like a wedding party just arrived in the garden! Whatever works!<br>
<br>
<br>
June 1st, 2020:<br>
Today, I joyfully planted our passionflower, bought yesterday in town. I have wanted one for a long, long time..<br>
I also thinned our carrots and beets, and yes, we do have a few roots in there! We ate a medley of new mini new potatoes, fresh pea pods, baby carrots and a few chopped beets, topped with the fresh onions greens. It feels good to come out of the garden with a great big head of lettuce, and all those sacrificed babies.<br>
So, yeah, the morning was pleasant. And then the hale came, the size of ping pong balls, the winds, and the torrential rains. We have yet to see our poor tomatoes, cukes and other goodies. I don't dare..Frankly, it really makes me want to build a greenhouse, and to just garden indoors. It always ends that way here. Decapitated tomatoes, zucchini leaves that look like Swiss cheese, and in a month, it will be roasting temperatures, wild rain storms.. The land of extremes. My poor passionflower is under a massive rain shower as I write this. The plants here have to be tough! We will see who made it tomorrow in the sunlight.<br>
Did I mention tomorrow, I wanted to buy strawberries to make jam? The village down the road has some great fields. Last year, we had the exact same scenario. We said: "Tomorrow, strawberry shopping!" and it haled all night. Not a single jar of jam made. Yikes! It will have to be apricots, if they managed to escape this storm.<br>
So, the greenhouse is one of our main projects. Due in December. We have been saving Naberlavi bottles for months! What for, say you? Well, it is another post, another day.</div><div>January 2021</div><div>We escaped 2020! The virus chased us all the way to the US. The garden season is in the planning mode. By April, I will be ready with a ton of seeds. It is supposed to be a surgery-free year. Ah, yes...<br>
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Our grapes were magnificent!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our marani, or wine cellar is under construction..more soon on that topic.<br>
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So glad you came to visit.</div>
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This link to our FB page:<br>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/menuvoyage" target="_blank">Menu Voyage</a></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-1630462810227861812018-08-16T22:40:00.003+02:002018-08-27T11:04:50.131+02:00Vagzlis bazari, my favoritest marketplace in Georgia and on earth..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Vagzlis bazari!</span></h2>
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That means the Train Station's market, for those of us for whom the Georgian language is still a mystery. Actually, it does come from Russian, I have been told..I will be forever corrected in my use of the beautiful Georgian language.. Argh!</div>
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From the top of the stairs where the above picture is taken, turn around, and face the other way. First, you will find stores that sell textbooks, coffee, all kind of permanent little stores. Keep going straight..Now, there you are!</div>
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It would be untrue to say that I only go there to shop. As it is, it is a long way from where our house is. But when in Georgia, and particularly in Tbilisi, I have to go plunge into this great market.</div>
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Why? </div>
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Well, many reasons. Most of all, one of my very favorite person works very close to there. She works in the amazing okros bazari, or the Gold Market. I go visit and sit with her and watch with incredulous eyes. You do not take pictures there, it is strictly forbidden, but let me say that it is absolutely beyond belief. You have heard of the Golden Fleece? Well... there it is, in small chunks, of course! The Gold Market is at the front of the train station, first floor. You can't miss it. Just find the escalator and the security guards. </div>
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The market is just a fun place to go mix with the natives. A few tourists, maybe, but mainly natives for whom this market is where they buy their fresh produce every day. It really gives you a sense of what is eaten and used for everyday living. </div>
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The Train Station's market is a huge complex with several levels that houses not only the Gold market, but other large stores. It is also, of course...a train station!</div>
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Technology, clothing, everything you can think of, it is there. Needless to say, there is food too. After all, it is Georgia.. You can grab things on the go, such as khatchapuris, but you can also sit and ponder your next purchase. Luka and I ate at the very top of the train station a couple of years ago, and that was most fun. </div>
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The pics below are from veggie vendors outside the main building, to the left when the station is in front of you. The market goes on for a long, long way, and ends with people who do not have the protection of a roof in time of heat or rain. I suppose that place must be cheaper, but you do have to walk past all of this to see them. By that time, you probably already filled your basket..</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAs49webhZTZrWHmDQlrskPQhSC4GWhUan_F2Cqp9h8GvPngUMDDKHFkkIvQkH230_i_jmrDImMYoUp244sBmFgIUzvC0gtTKznYwvbR4ilBLUpVStJsmDIXZ11Hja1ZbbHQAc2Ug3vU/s1600/DSCN1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAs49webhZTZrWHmDQlrskPQhSC4GWhUan_F2Cqp9h8GvPngUMDDKHFkkIvQkH230_i_jmrDImMYoUp244sBmFgIUzvC0gtTKznYwvbR4ilBLUpVStJsmDIXZ11Hja1ZbbHQAc2Ug3vU/s320/DSCN1507.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">marigolds make a famous spice, <br />
called "yellow flower".</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAge4dLyRlJFeyR3bz3E3gIGnS2tGb_SL1HoWSWGYWZizqdWDHtfJw2Qh3voDYJxFBM_xXMZ3K3mPY839RD8Dh8NghIun7I9nN3CSmB8wq0ELLZ3PY3jEG-qne6L6J2aX_n0TG2GOzhB4/s1600/DSCN1511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAge4dLyRlJFeyR3bz3E3gIGnS2tGb_SL1HoWSWGYWZizqdWDHtfJw2Qh3voDYJxFBM_xXMZ3K3mPY839RD8Dh8NghIun7I9nN3CSmB8wq0ELLZ3PY3jEG-qne6L6J2aX_n0TG2GOzhB4/s200/DSCN1511.JPG" width="150" /></a> This is just the vegetable and fruit portion of the market, with a few dry products also. If you go to the right, with the train station to your back, you will find that it goes on there too. Since the stores there are more permanent in nature, you will find little grocery stores, many, many stores with Chinese products of all kind, and places to eat. At Easter, you will find people selling red madder root to color eggs and all necessary to celebrate.<br />
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Berries of all kinds will end up in jams and syrups. Many are also used for medicinal properties. The sea buckthorn, for example, becomes a great syrup used to boost your immunity before the cold season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN2LGbtRqWKozXhNZnmgpUQ_Mtg6z0-XHUebz4p3pI9_nzQpTcegWZ8xrvTgmO_i3iJ1bsoQowJCVG7YVtI9Qg0ByN5UXdTXL1j8OffWVLL_G1aRX5Q_SJvddaR_v1h-7q6zb2WFKhOg/s1600/DSCN1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinN2LGbtRqWKozXhNZnmgpUQ_Mtg6z0-XHUebz4p3pI9_nzQpTcegWZ8xrvTgmO_i3iJ1bsoQowJCVG7YVtI9Qg0ByN5UXdTXL1j8OffWVLL_G1aRX5Q_SJvddaR_v1h-7q6zb2WFKhOg/s200/DSCN1517.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alright, pomegranates are awesome here!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOLiJZVpex2PU8GLmrZPzaF075wU3Ge_Zsbl0lCosrez_-8dEVWl52vd6AloRwO0KcWWyn5xRHoZXiGd1EgDjuHcITVA7_LfZRUY5yBGauiqsGblaJXTp30VvXhyKdGT6q2PT1Yxbdn8/s1600/DSCN1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOLiJZVpex2PU8GLmrZPzaF075wU3Ge_Zsbl0lCosrez_-8dEVWl52vd6AloRwO0KcWWyn5xRHoZXiGd1EgDjuHcITVA7_LfZRUY5yBGauiqsGblaJXTp30VvXhyKdGT6q2PT1Yxbdn8/s200/DSCN1518.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMA4179l245pbnPtdKbQw1sID5oOvEYzZBZ96Ucggm6uq6Kqx-aCz4GLKtnYVFckWSBHEJSLGiVkBzbD2a6wbaKqXFl91mPqwoYWW6q6IsIwNkWya13QDKaTE8zvx4D9NRFprcldZ9WHU/s1600/DSCN1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMA4179l245pbnPtdKbQw1sID5oOvEYzZBZ96Ucggm6uq6Kqx-aCz4GLKtnYVFckWSBHEJSLGiVkBzbD2a6wbaKqXFl91mPqwoYWW6q6IsIwNkWya13QDKaTE8zvx4D9NRFprcldZ9WHU/s200/DSCN1520.JPG" width="150" /></a>It is such a good thing that many of these products are locally grown!<br />
Supporting the local mini-farm owners is so important!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPPrr3L3sVduIQV2AZLMKqNoffMyJv4OcWzKDR0IaiFkpISjXXfXzPtDbVarn3za5K7az12cqbK3m9GwXEtJatSw5CKBXkFlvCXP-qxZt5-NCAogqqyUnC9mNRaP3VhGQjeLGFzE40tM/s1600/DSCN1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPPrr3L3sVduIQV2AZLMKqNoffMyJv4OcWzKDR0IaiFkpISjXXfXzPtDbVarn3za5K7az12cqbK3m9GwXEtJatSw5CKBXkFlvCXP-qxZt5-NCAogqqyUnC9mNRaP3VhGQjeLGFzE40tM/s200/DSCN1521.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1hHbPsDfYwSjdYGLOKWpbXHo7awsqrDkLwjlBabAWMMF20vpI9jTiXIg4UJfWgHGNx_V05TmCkFDiDcTwUgCcRKo08qowS4p43BoJhGJMUN2EWcUancoNwT7Xt-j3j0zRaezsb96NPs/s1600/DSCN1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1hHbPsDfYwSjdYGLOKWpbXHo7awsqrDkLwjlBabAWMMF20vpI9jTiXIg4UJfWgHGNx_V05TmCkFDiDcTwUgCcRKo08qowS4p43BoJhGJMUN2EWcUancoNwT7Xt-j3j0zRaezsb96NPs/s320/DSCN1522.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWMDN5j4Xj8SQ-W7cmeI2blXE4i5mbbhbJ6suu-u7JuWEpCPOW-CctzsJhM4pSQwCNAWsoYUPmi501xhPGKJWOKo87NsVOnbPXxECkGp5EIoxNVD4-mpkic2HWYWdMZm1PLCV0F1jHAI/s200/DSCN1526.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS1I0ChTs4SepfMl0pCp3n9Np7WxX3Lr35azWErQmdFMwkSO2UEx9RtH40D6oEC3ZIxqlAdycpBorLCzG7VfzvHp4xeTnUDR3eo-d2S8gau5X2sPsl8xMtM1GTRn2KnRCUQnF3haYJ-Q/s1600/DSCN1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS1I0ChTs4SepfMl0pCp3n9Np7WxX3Lr35azWErQmdFMwkSO2UEx9RtH40D6oEC3ZIxqlAdycpBorLCzG7VfzvHp4xeTnUDR3eo-d2S8gau5X2sPsl8xMtM1GTRn2KnRCUQnF3haYJ-Q/s200/DSCN1529.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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No wonder their dishes are great, look at all the great stuff they cook!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA4B-XY1O4sxN2cdiaTumLs6HVamQAYEflgoxeMn_d73Gz9jTsmZ-DT8uH79_SXTku60m4LLC_Krh3njNx1bfJAFXCncJVGoYu5HdZwzv7_upwm3RX4RpgIwb8KTwi4gZTOqyCnxIjF8/s1600/bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA4B-XY1O4sxN2cdiaTumLs6HVamQAYEflgoxeMn_d73Gz9jTsmZ-DT8uH79_SXTku60m4LLC_Krh3njNx1bfJAFXCncJVGoYu5HdZwzv7_upwm3RX4RpgIwb8KTwi4gZTOqyCnxIjF8/s320/bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you forget to bring back<br />
that most important Georgian coffee maker?<br />
Here it is!</td></tr>
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The plaza is also where you find the majority of the minibuses going in all directions. Vagzlis Bazari is the end, or the start, of most bus lines. It is also where the last stop of that metro line arrives. It is a happening place!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA2dxvywJeiiN2cyTTisBk-58d7k-j9nBH4ct_KV57aFQwbdgpsXXWYWY0s4sVCmmCdTC46B_WqdTvx-24C8fQJFYsGv3ik9t-K_XHfsz9u6wzPZQeHKwEB3PGxgn-FN27NyC-XqNp7M/s1600/DSCN1532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA2dxvywJeiiN2cyTTisBk-58d7k-j9nBH4ct_KV57aFQwbdgpsXXWYWY0s4sVCmmCdTC46B_WqdTvx-24C8fQJFYsGv3ik9t-K_XHfsz9u6wzPZQeHKwEB3PGxgn-FN27NyC-XqNp7M/s320/DSCN1532.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first or the last thing<br />
you should do.<br />
Try tarkhuna lemonade;<br />
Tarragon Lemonade!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQ3SEIIQwiDDJbcL2e_XxdWOIpXBqOwG0iyMOgC0tGxCpM801CIiSLggwmzfmTG0_sxko-PA-3DlfGDlKbpEPk_BeeANr8Lur7jZkFs0gRzFb6uqutrPw5QfkKg2YxxTAaUE1i9JGQ88/s1600/DSCN7881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQ3SEIIQwiDDJbcL2e_XxdWOIpXBqOwG0iyMOgC0tGxCpM801CIiSLggwmzfmTG0_sxko-PA-3DlfGDlKbpEPk_BeeANr8Lur7jZkFs0gRzFb6uqutrPw5QfkKg2YxxTAaUE1i9JGQ88/s320/DSCN7881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, wait, of course...a Georgian carpet!<br />
Well, those are...Turkish, but still nice. </td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Happy </span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">shopping!</span></h3>
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So glad you came to visit.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Contact Giga on his Facebook page<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">for a fun travel time in Georgia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/">https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/</a></span><br />
or message us directly at:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/menuvoyage" target="_blank">Menu Voyage</a></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-90279350252308365092018-07-31T00:29:00.001+02:002018-08-27T11:05:20.301+02:00Vardzia. Centuries of history..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Vardzia. ვარძია</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYLWOgtXqVC9updx3tntlefMQJfcUqpFim29tmCrwD3v-LSncguCH9aYeziBPW4sRe6r5QNPwr3vyqZcraIPuIdrcVuM62JLit8I2G948sRN_iqOkmpKGYMuuvLSkRBaFJ4JLBUh3714/s1600/VARDZIA+20+vue+g%25C3%25A9n%25C3%25A9rale+a+partir+du+clocher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYLWOgtXqVC9updx3tntlefMQJfcUqpFim29tmCrwD3v-LSncguCH9aYeziBPW4sRe6r5QNPwr3vyqZcraIPuIdrcVuM62JLit8I2G948sRN_iqOkmpKGYMuuvLSkRBaFJ4JLBUh3714/s320/VARDZIA+20+vue+g%25C3%25A9n%25C3%25A9rale+a+partir+du+clocher.JPG" width="320" /></a>Vardzia was a largely populated cave dwelling in the 12th Century, period in which the Queen Tamar was regent. But studies have shown that it was already inhabited in the Bronze Age.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C_FVtf-vELoe4hjDb406pFP88xQNIpuVg7Lqb9bjX-SY_Xmj3CwStZ-ZGy2vtxIPCp8imgfTBEdyYsODMQdREUs4OXHf5KsZd7-sV4h1KPZozkdrYSlFLOkecahRe67qrod9gxA35xg/s1600/DSCN7410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C_FVtf-vELoe4hjDb406pFP88xQNIpuVg7Lqb9bjX-SY_Xmj3CwStZ-ZGy2vtxIPCp8imgfTBEdyYsODMQdREUs4OXHf5KsZd7-sV4h1KPZozkdrYSlFLOkecahRe67qrod9gxA35xg/s200/DSCN7410.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x7L9TEBfmttr4LG_XkNPXMJ84_HJ2Nm48T4elmdEjdA6meVrk1JWtDXQl8hBoIM-iEOSKnfA8m4-kKT49qL4yBU8-06YHVIPmxmpggEECRaRx7-AnyJzLLkANLTyRH5SaDTfIThYlqA/s1600/VARDZIA+60+couloir+souterrain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x7L9TEBfmttr4LG_XkNPXMJ84_HJ2Nm48T4elmdEjdA6meVrk1JWtDXQl8hBoIM-iEOSKnfA8m4-kKT49qL4yBU8-06YHVIPmxmpggEECRaRx7-AnyJzLLkANLTyRH5SaDTfIThYlqA/s200/VARDZIA+60+couloir+souterrain.JPG" width="133" /></a>This extensive settlement is placed in a very strategic site, at the entrance of a gorge not too far from the Turkish border on the south, and ending at Khertvisi, on the northern side, where a very nice fortress is also still standing (see below).<br />
It is by these tiny and treacherous staircases that the inhabitants of Vardzia navigated.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5x7L9TEBfmttr4LG_XkNPXMJ84_HJ2Nm48T4elmdEjdA6meVrk1JWtDXQl8hBoIM-iEOSKnfA8m4-kKT49qL4yBU8-06YHVIPmxmpggEECRaRx7-AnyJzLLkANLTyRH5SaDTfIThYlqA/s1600/VARDZIA+60+couloir+souterrain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82fa0g1A_spi4HMo1WDQf930j_7b6zOXKRuXKM4gwfQnlbvNdbLkibZyI5V9LTLZQEm7i7u8QpPh36BOp_i4711KCba16A4hHR9iVs9fzGY-UZwAtEIZIINwHWHy6iPW_Cl4dRobQP94/s1600/DSCN7418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82fa0g1A_spi4HMo1WDQf930j_7b6zOXKRuXKM4gwfQnlbvNdbLkibZyI5V9LTLZQEm7i7u8QpPh36BOp_i4711KCba16A4hHR9iVs9fzGY-UZwAtEIZIINwHWHy6iPW_Cl4dRobQP94/s200/DSCN7418.JPG" width="200" /></a>The dwellings are of great size, and are more than comfortable. Imagine that the outsides were covered with skins and rugs that closed the rooms from the elements, and you can picture the beauty that this must have produced.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtkRH9mbmCosnl4i5GZLNdmCZJyBw-OkkE5LeXzaI4RNmuNygi3kjr56qhC_VvHq9XQIBBSCQwh0pNfp1R8T9lXOwf32m6C1t1KfCNpU0UBelnHFFtMZr1l4kyLwa7ZyjQli1tB17aT0/s1600/DSCN7425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNtkRH9mbmCosnl4i5GZLNdmCZJyBw-OkkE5LeXzaI4RNmuNygi3kjr56qhC_VvHq9XQIBBSCQwh0pNfp1R8T9lXOwf32m6C1t1KfCNpU0UBelnHFFtMZr1l4kyLwa7ZyjQli1tB17aT0/s200/DSCN7425.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sitting area and a fire pit clearly visible</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0JIqe8FrVo8rOl-BwkFSvPFfhSWAGD8kLdauK5jgssUkGYtwEYmBFm_iyYIj-XQmFykrGp6_4HGyPpD32gkjddqcHww_DkeiBUSxw_i7pPb3UG2qTubvq2QeRTMa5Fcz3B8F_4H-1rI/s1600/VARDZIA+48+Narthex%252C+porte+ancienne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0JIqe8FrVo8rOl-BwkFSvPFfhSWAGD8kLdauK5jgssUkGYtwEYmBFm_iyYIj-XQmFykrGp6_4HGyPpD32gkjddqcHww_DkeiBUSxw_i7pPb3UG2qTubvq2QeRTMa5Fcz3B8F_4H-1rI/s200/VARDZIA+48+Narthex%252C+porte+ancienne.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a fantastic door</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavB4qH8eJNdjNosMPR83pD5tWqP7foe2ACwhdAj8xBlRXFFl1c_wT2IRBVVn4ZTXRtDYoZIhx5giPleYeONvPwaDkJ77BJQaT9hMW_HQGMRYHHErwZEGrQ3VqKJMsCxEE8-p2kp_HljI/s1600/VARDZIA+51+Eglise+de+l%2527Annonciation%252C+abside%252C+Vierge+Hodighitria+constantinopolitaine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavB4qH8eJNdjNosMPR83pD5tWqP7foe2ACwhdAj8xBlRXFFl1c_wT2IRBVVn4ZTXRtDYoZIhx5giPleYeONvPwaDkJ77BJQaT9hMW_HQGMRYHHErwZEGrQ3VqKJMsCxEE8-p2kp_HljI/s200/VARDZIA+51+Eglise+de+l%2527Annonciation%252C+abside%252C+Vierge+Hodighitria+constantinopolitaine.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These date from the 11th Century</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLAXvrixYKQsF4tWtGDHrc9Ur66Fniz_hoh4ucsWfVgdkr5fLY8_5Vp-9SKVWxJ9yH_0kyq9y1bQcOxgRhhULEOb547FjmoeEGLlyNrS7nszPlpekmxtKJQPFje9bDb7HfKW3jNbbm5g/s1600/VARDZIA+47B+narthex%252C+campanile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLAXvrixYKQsF4tWtGDHrc9Ur66Fniz_hoh4ucsWfVgdkr5fLY8_5Vp-9SKVWxJ9yH_0kyq9y1bQcOxgRhhULEOb547FjmoeEGLlyNrS7nszPlpekmxtKJQPFje9bDb7HfKW3jNbbm5g/s320/VARDZIA+47B+narthex%252C+campanile.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vardzia is at present a monastery<br />
manned by a handful of monks<br />
One of them...had a cell phone!<br />
Talk about anachronistic here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAumH0zC_h1QV-h-AkenBN1LdFZi5Mke86uIJcgWnAXxtyOSDHjy2gF2En3bOXqbcEVDhQ6Mq6zw5Uq0Fvh4IgTLngg1oAhPaVqA8KOd_f3wfDpITPmY2x2rxMEMRVO45VSJVHqb0FvVw/s1600/VARDZIA+35B+Narthex%252C+fresque+sud%252C+dignitaires+et+ev%25C3%25A8ques.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAumH0zC_h1QV-h-AkenBN1LdFZi5Mke86uIJcgWnAXxtyOSDHjy2gF2En3bOXqbcEVDhQ6Mq6zw5Uq0Fvh4IgTLngg1oAhPaVqA8KOd_f3wfDpITPmY2x2rxMEMRVO45VSJVHqb0FvVw/s320/VARDZIA+35B+Narthex%252C+fresque+sud%252C+dignitaires+et+ev%25C3%25A8ques.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the church of the Domition<br />
with its beautiful drawings "secco"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNq-X8UGDV0elBqfF3BEPFB8AA6EABJE-9OLr8v4UIoWX4ZmpM365hVtH6bynrTKAcDygukkjpzaaGVy0V3CEthshizqn1Mg2PaQuG9koAx0-wXTNQIdCpOlJQThvuWDJJ-CLcNmxqCQ/s1600/DSCN7430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNq-X8UGDV0elBqfF3BEPFB8AA6EABJE-9OLr8v4UIoWX4ZmpM365hVtH6bynrTKAcDygukkjpzaaGVy0V3CEthshizqn1Mg2PaQuG9koAx0-wXTNQIdCpOlJQThvuWDJJ-CLcNmxqCQ/s200/DSCN7430.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The strategic view point is evident</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMHnLOG9hncfUxGtSSxW1GlT3lRqH7ixQec1ncZ_pIB-x6VuwEdJJhgr0TD-GY_5N29z0UpGtQWNDa9UdNsXhu73j6H5CEOQnJrveom5PtpSC6ZEyH5j_VW16b90kh_oFFuOyEbM49hM/s1600/VARDZIA+64+couloir%252C+passage+d%25C3%25A9licat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMHnLOG9hncfUxGtSSxW1GlT3lRqH7ixQec1ncZ_pIB-x6VuwEdJJhgr0TD-GY_5N29z0UpGtQWNDa9UdNsXhu73j6H5CEOQnJrveom5PtpSC6ZEyH5j_VW16b90kh_oFFuOyEbM49hM/s200/VARDZIA+64+couloir%252C+passage+d%25C3%25A9licat.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">warning:<br />
very narrow and<br />
treacherous stairs!</td></tr>
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If you are claustrophobic, do not attempt the inner circuit, because you will necessarily have to go through long, narrow tunnels underground. It freaked me out a bit at the end. It is better to go the way you came, rather than taking the tunnels. They are interesting, however..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgEQs5rHuFKolEbNoJ_WGi0Fn5WTBa-maN5PucKiCLoQ-lxJ7H-UhW22EjpTnk5vQPz-cd1X_26aXQqnZOpbiv0IlOQ7k2vMpmZfxjafMZf24xL-ZtvuIaR-z9pVO5h9BotN5w6U7jaU/s1600/KHERTVISI+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgEQs5rHuFKolEbNoJ_WGi0Fn5WTBa-maN5PucKiCLoQ-lxJ7H-UhW22EjpTnk5vQPz-cd1X_26aXQqnZOpbiv0IlOQ7k2vMpmZfxjafMZf24xL-ZtvuIaR-z9pVO5h9BotN5w6U7jaU/s200/KHERTVISI+11.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khertvisi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAdek3MQqIwsOlJ9HaH1Qb0uAeCKo6DsRJUEmSSPIWalG5RBN9moL9_PpOkikKeszMkdyp8kbYmsEe6YF4ndwoBEffmq9gHD7RIaNaewAEOcLIh-i32i0Vm-7p5Z69XvNNFc5kgY7I5s/s1600/KHERTVISI+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAdek3MQqIwsOlJ9HaH1Qb0uAeCKo6DsRJUEmSSPIWalG5RBN9moL9_PpOkikKeszMkdyp8kbYmsEe6YF4ndwoBEffmq9gHD7RIaNaewAEOcLIh-i32i0Vm-7p5Z69XvNNFc5kgY7I5s/s200/KHERTVISI+7.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khertvisi</td></tr>
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On the way back toward Akhaltsikhe, stop and climb the fortress of Khertvisi. It was the other line of defense for the people of Vardzia. It is said that it was destroyed by Alexander the Great. The original fortress dates from the 2nd Century, but the present edifice is from the 13th Century. It was operational all through the medieval period, and it known as the oldest fortress in Georgia.<br />
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Beautiful place, and very quiet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiEDF-Oogz8SCdGPK_rfpXvzoDCPJeI-bbLRkciOkhyphenhyphenlinRuJ9N2-6o_rPCfSRo7geKY36lJkjdiPhXLQLVgc8qgJi-OAXKpicD32PlHfu_YcKqo8oON6SI-VIuX5d6dvZv6V2v1PHJ8/s1600/KHERTVISI+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiEDF-Oogz8SCdGPK_rfpXvzoDCPJeI-bbLRkciOkhyphenhyphenlinRuJ9N2-6o_rPCfSRo7geKY36lJkjdiPhXLQLVgc8qgJi-OAXKpicD32PlHfu_YcKqo8oON6SI-VIuX5d6dvZv6V2v1PHJ8/s200/KHERTVISI+3.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fortress of Khertvisi<br />
on the river Mktvari</td></tr>
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<u>Travel notes:</u><br />
<div>
Although there is a small restaurant at the foot of the monument, the site is quite out of the way, and about 60 km from the town of Akhaltsikhe. The roads have been redone recently and are ok with a minibus. You might want to eat lunch in Akhaltsikhe, and not depend on the restaurant, unless you can manage to make a reservation, but knowing the system, that might also be a source of problem. In any case, take some water with you to make the climb to the top.<br />
The entrance fee, price 2018, is of 7 Lari, or GEL</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-5582324319640059372018-02-23T21:58:00.000+01:002018-08-27T11:05:54.378+02:00Kakheti, the place to go for wine..first stop: IKHALTO.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kakheti, here we go!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So much to see in this region....</span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiUjm_JDIQ9sfB3-xnTgVGupDsqfBlXcsc9QGVOMzE8PVa0VNldpd7tXBLWVyPmBophJA3gW-pWqpXuSCbgXPdyRfbZujzXvHAo2KpOgJDDN4MExHoWQp4IoPQh_iL7z1zZ7AijHXHVU/s1600/IKALTO+62+JARRES+A+VIN+qvevri.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguiUjm_JDIQ9sfB3-xnTgVGupDsqfBlXcsc9QGVOMzE8PVa0VNldpd7tXBLWVyPmBophJA3gW-pWqpXuSCbgXPdyRfbZujzXvHAo2KpOgJDDN4MExHoWQp4IoPQh_iL7z1zZ7AijHXHVU/s1600/IKALTO+62+JARRES+A+VIN+qvevri.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small qvevri at the entrance of Ikhalto Monastery/University</td></tr>
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On the way to the region of Kakheti...</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpN9koiGtqCnpo9SfOL3wET0VAjccjQuUVf8j2Ms1JpZ_oYR0NviKxz3LVS3f2ERIps1uI5IOE2LMhLJUz7JKgmyY9T3y1pDJAvFd7kLJF6K7deKJi1hpVOv30Vs3JluU1u6PQdcgTuM/s1600/blackandwhite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpN9koiGtqCnpo9SfOL3wET0VAjccjQuUVf8j2Ms1JpZ_oYR0NviKxz3LVS3f2ERIps1uI5IOE2LMhLJUz7JKgmyY9T3y1pDJAvFd7kLJF6K7deKJi1hpVOv30Vs3JluU1u6PQdcgTuM/s320/blackandwhite.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mixing white and black, ebony and ivory. Very cool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OTrT3rBWaB2oglijot0OWKP9wDxtsvuSxuSdoPg11yHhXnOVQVlB7C6us8UxdL5iqikA8iPtsSdimqR9L5D7rO14fxkhF2vrvZLRILGJh3HiqJzJJ1nYV9nwOEkqy57fWuylxq62uCA/s1600/essentialbbq+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OTrT3rBWaB2oglijot0OWKP9wDxtsvuSxuSdoPg11yHhXnOVQVlB7C6us8UxdL5iqikA8iPtsSdimqR9L5D7rO14fxkhF2vrvZLRILGJh3HiqJzJJ1nYV9nwOEkqy57fWuylxq62uCA/s320/essentialbbq+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the essentials for a barbecue in the field. A glass, champuris, <br />
a box to turn over and use as a seat, <br />
and a dish of untold goodies..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCa5uYxPHS95g4h0yEnjQ0HkeD5XfDrWznK-ThHHJtq-LuzVOSk5Rypyyv2Jn3zBmNTueOyeLwFbtflAUhpzEA88KRvKLKi_-lhijAstVEH4tqwBvx-JSQT93-TKH5_MerhBLBrH4NOM/s1600/rkatsiteli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCa5uYxPHS95g4h0yEnjQ0HkeD5XfDrWznK-ThHHJtq-LuzVOSk5Rypyyv2Jn3zBmNTueOyeLwFbtflAUhpzEA88KRvKLKi_-lhijAstVEH4tqwBvx-JSQT93-TKH5_MerhBLBrH4NOM/s320/rkatsiteli.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One magnificent set of grapes!</td></tr>
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Grapes are part of the Georgian natural environment. All Georgians drink their rich wines, most families have a plot that they keep and harvest. It was only logical to see little, and large plots at this wonderful harvest time of the year. The owner was ready for a break, and invited us to share his barbecue. We thanked him, but time was short.<br />
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Let's continue with <b>Ikhalto! </b>pronounced <b>"I "kh"alto</b></div>
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Close to the town of Telavi, Ikhalto Monastery was the first university, also called an "academy". Imagine <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclius_II_of_Georgia" target="_blank"><b>King Irakli II</b></a> and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shota_Rustaveli" target="_blank">Shota Rustaveli</a></b> studying there for a moment, not at the same time period, of course...What is striking in Ikhalto is the size of it, as well as what is left of the site itself. It is tiny, really, but breathes history. Newly restored, and quite nicely done, as a matter of fact. It is truly a place where you can imagine a time, long past, where it was at the top of the literary world. Truly a must-see! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The church. Ikhalto Monastery.</td></tr>
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True to the orthodox style, it dates from the 8th-9th Century. It was therefore already standing when Shota Rustaveli, national poet, studied here in the walls below.<br />
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The wine press above was part of the big cellar and was placed very close to the "marani", or buried cellar. You can see here the visible tops of the ancient qvevris buried below. </div>
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Qvevris can hold hundreds of liters of wine. </div>
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The monks in Ikhalto were masters at processing the grapes in their vineyards.</div>
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But what was studied here, besides the ancient art of wine-making? Theology, geography,astronomy, philosophy, but also manual crafts, such as pottery making, or pharmacology, and many others.</div>
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The access to Ikhalto is quite good. Watch for the sign that goes up the hill in the village of Ikhalto. Big parking up above. The site is calm, and the view is lovely. </div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Ikalto Academy Road, Georgia41.937362100000009 45.38114380000001816.415327600000008 4.0725498000000186 67.4593966 86.689737800000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-57650778262002206372017-08-16T23:36:00.003+02:002018-08-27T11:06:25.468+02:00Bolnisi, home of the oldest Christian church in Georgia.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAn9PiHTa8kuCv5epEpfeCUGTjvWqx_d_2NaEwLFWLHzntcZ8xsuY2ltENu8cBRYGugpZM5gjfJq8FxVIFNxA3k_SAH5onoFfUN6FomWCu6TZ0UnjZ2DH_Qur8kg4kThH6oCrxt_WBDY/s1600/bolnisi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAn9PiHTa8kuCv5epEpfeCUGTjvWqx_d_2NaEwLFWLHzntcZ8xsuY2ltENu8cBRYGugpZM5gjfJq8FxVIFNxA3k_SAH5onoFfUN6FomWCu6TZ0UnjZ2DH_Qur8kg4kThH6oCrxt_WBDY/s200/bolnisi2.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
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BOLNISI, in Georgian <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ბოლნისი,</span> in Kvemo Kartli, Georgia, is home of one of the oldest Christian churches in Georgia, dating from the 5th Century AD. It is a lovely little church that, although rather hard to reach, does deliver a sweet punch.</h4>
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If you are on the way to Dmanisi, to discover who Homo Georgicus was (Yes, Homo Georgicus!!!), a little stop by Bolnisi would surely be interesting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxpLgB-VJRMtZOY3odFSigRD8mXPQ_WM7RbwcL4TSFk7FwnOYamvasS7Ta6e_sRsC9I4YkGi2wKCQZu7m_Yd3axPlAtEN1z2ssc2qBCirNAzJeag-_hUmAhsEX75NM4DdqUx2oqPeKac/s1600/bolnisi12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1223" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxpLgB-VJRMtZOY3odFSigRD8mXPQ_WM7RbwcL4TSFk7FwnOYamvasS7Ta6e_sRsC9I4YkGi2wKCQZu7m_Yd3axPlAtEN1z2ssc2qBCirNAzJeag-_hUmAhsEX75NM4DdqUx2oqPeKac/s320/bolnisi12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These old inscriptions date from 494 AD </div>
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and feature the "asumtavruli" writing style of that period. </div>
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The colors in the church building are just beautiful. Soft pastel greens, light pinks and oranges..<br />
It is with pleasure that you walk around and in this lovely church. If you are a woman, please be aware that you will have to wear appropriate clothing covering your head and legs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyVskm_h_fBP_wQtXZw5FnEPuYvRBzSTSj-NscOHhjguiyWKvajFT1i1Q7NVVwqVolBXvjvQcHiTWoQyZR1ayOLZkFKz2_uAsITWEz_ftSLxsA4p_QnDnMW9TcJkAvdNYVE6s2GWZwMw/s1600/bolnisi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyVskm_h_fBP_wQtXZw5FnEPuYvRBzSTSj-NscOHhjguiyWKvajFT1i1Q7NVVwqVolBXvjvQcHiTWoQyZR1ayOLZkFKz2_uAsITWEz_ftSLxsA4p_QnDnMW9TcJkAvdNYVE6s2GWZwMw/s200/bolnisi1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZm3hQQnT8LYG-nDug7YkofyOUWm9w4NIBp_qUe8Hze0Tf-PDAy2apJcU3bo655Y8ZNgh04xz6DYLQtG9ri1h3fei9VgtNsMGeQ9E7jwBEMnExFEyZBtBTNRMwglpqMehubmEmv_6Qnc/s1600/bolnisi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZm3hQQnT8LYG-nDug7YkofyOUWm9w4NIBp_qUe8Hze0Tf-PDAy2apJcU3bo655Y8ZNgh04xz6DYLQtG9ri1h3fei9VgtNsMGeQ9E7jwBEMnExFEyZBtBTNRMwglpqMehubmEmv_6Qnc/s200/bolnisi3.jpg" width="150" /></a>Wine and grapes are an integral part of Georgia. Here is a charming example..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoWqNUR98H0f3NSavF84phwuEQ0O4KcM_hYSVk0siIYdzTIC6cMaXySbXz8mkMs8HEnGLCHt7KQN2P0l2wLzS87b5cVgbvJvbZ19Mwg0_qFukY_aY9z4nR2pTtrLMh539luGg73QNfG4/s1600/bolnisi4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoWqNUR98H0f3NSavF84phwuEQ0O4KcM_hYSVk0siIYdzTIC6cMaXySbXz8mkMs8HEnGLCHt7KQN2P0l2wLzS87b5cVgbvJvbZ19Mwg0_qFukY_aY9z4nR2pTtrLMh539luGg73QNfG4/s200/bolnisi4.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></a>The soft pastel colors and the delicate carvings on the windows.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvR9SUjLB1x2PydAE3nDcDBBJko-FeluIOH_nxiUHqgvJpt9K5Tk8ZaY59gON_nwIBMYKODO-2GLI0eJyP2r-4-NsdMe5rWfqpW38qgooeeJpQ8WbH9QOeK73mwIWQwAuX0b3HfDkctE/s1600/bolnisi5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTvR9SUjLB1x2PydAE3nDcDBBJko-FeluIOH_nxiUHqgvJpt9K5Tk8ZaY59gON_nwIBMYKODO-2GLI0eJyP2r-4-NsdMe5rWfqpW38qgooeeJpQ8WbH9QOeK73mwIWQwAuX0b3HfDkctE/s200/bolnisi5.jpg" width="150" /></a>It is a very small church, and the place is extremely quiet. </div>
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Roses have been planted as a hedge.</div>
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As always, the details are what catches your eye in Georgia. </div>
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Lovely, and delicate.</div>
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The church is of course a functioning place, and </div>
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the little houses are there for the caretakers and priests.</div>
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Now, isn't that beautiful?</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Bolnisi, Georgia41.4493594 44.54886629999998641.4017524 44.468185299999988 41.4969664 44.629547299999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-79137648572239383522014-11-22T23:28:00.000+01:002018-08-27T11:06:49.323+02:00First, second and other.. impressions of the Republic of Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNndWGJcA3Gg8gtQ7VrxUOsRwecfIomF5_Wr1au3MtOR2c23SOWp4jGEmTVCZB9wu6bx0AOAtgK_JBgYK01171GD5b8YpWFB1cewnG27BZKxlsyolYKyl4Ymp_sVTzLt2GKfYvj8Wtvk/s1600/georgian+flag.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="145" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174367962147910594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNndWGJcA3Gg8gtQ7VrxUOsRwecfIomF5_Wr1au3MtOR2c23SOWp4jGEmTVCZB9wu6bx0AOAtgK_JBgYK01171GD5b8YpWFB1cewnG27BZKxlsyolYKyl4Ymp_sVTzLt2GKfYvj8Wtvk/s320/georgian+flag.gif" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag of Georgia</td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: 180%;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Georgia! საქაართველო!</span></strong></span></h2>
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</span>Land of contrast! Where the ladies wear super fur coats, and step over the largest holes in the street ever imagined.. The first impressions are so incredibly mixed! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLYgZKUU4BRQWLl0aIkvTI5pUKCW4yzWtxks9DCcnxAQFSowhZocFnHsDraPb641F9hlcGLDMblTqn1FBY4yGCuf_i-bAL8mCVQs1fwaEvbYd3lE6VtZD0jtZeUhFTKSvzTVWe0c1KEk/s1600-h/IMG_3088.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="339" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174367433866933170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLYgZKUU4BRQWLl0aIkvTI5pUKCW4yzWtxks9DCcnxAQFSowhZocFnHsDraPb641F9hlcGLDMblTqn1FBY4yGCuf_i-bAL8mCVQs1fwaEvbYd3lE6VtZD0jtZeUhFTKSvzTVWe0c1KEk/s320/IMG_3088.JPG" style="float: left; height: 279px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 164px;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fur coats and destruction</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #3333ff;"><strong>First, the people:</strong></span> The most welcoming, warm people you hav<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievPhF7VPhGyMy3MilpRb-vkp73Y7O5k8kTcNI2ohJR6Q5sm5exgUPWq8XYfncrB5LpB2kkTPerdONecYj0VYypjWnMwqxI3wMCm9sy4aCHB4dfBE5S2fG4Tov_PGrhw_TtMTbMU-05nI/s1600-h/IMG_3122.JPG"></a>e ever had the chance to know. They feed you until you can no longer speak or move, and then more food comes from the kitchen! Obviously of low means financially, they carry themselves with pride, show nothing of their lowered economic status, and show you more friendship and goodwill than you can imagine. <br />
I had the incredible advantage of entering Georgia as a member of the family. The love was immediate between us. What a privilege to be admitted in a family. </div>
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When it comes to family, there is rarely been such togetherness. As soon as I arrived in Georgia, a member of the family died. A sad, sad event, as she was loved by many. Being admitted in that circle was not only moving, it was an incredible experience. So, this was Week One in Georgia..<br />
When a person is about to pass on to another world, the whole family gathers around and bathes the person with its presence, including laughter, but also tears, as you see the old person depart. As such a gathering recently, 40 or more people were present, helping the elderly grandmother to pass on to the other side. A large table was set, then another at the end, then another and then the food began to come, wine began pouring, and although people were there to surround the moribund person, they laughed, ate and drank as always, remembering the great moments with that person. What spirit!<br />
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<h4>
<strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">Funeral rites and customs:</span></strong></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31CgWAnqvkG6wBL1t1Xi65mz77PKoS81Iabn3XySI9VL5vBM35LlXZxyyufEOZKLnsmQVy3hGWzrksh7SW0B3Yeh9GlLZ1ESAg6PS6R8YeoQRSbLRLcCqBXjfel83vEsphtytfasN2y0/s1600-h/IMG_3112.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="223" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174664224697021506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31CgWAnqvkG6wBL1t1Xi65mz77PKoS81Iabn3XySI9VL5vBM35LlXZxyyufEOZKLnsmQVy3hGWzrksh7SW0B3Yeh9GlLZ1ESAg6PS6R8YeoQRSbLRLcCqBXjfel83vEsphtytfasN2y0/s320/IMG_3112.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ancient tombstone<br />
village of Koda</td></tr>
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The great lady passed on. She will be buried in the village where she spent her entire life after a four-day wake. A great feast is being organized where close to 500 people will come and celebrate her passing with, once more, a great deal of food, wine, more than likely tears. She will be brought to the Orthodox church, and blessed by the Orthodox priest, a constant figure in the lives of the people of Georgia. The priests participate in all walks of life, but that subject will be addressed later. Then, a sermon will be said. Women will wear a scarf over their heads to enter the church. The body will then be carried to the cemetery, high on the hills of the village of Koda, and will be buried there. The feast will begin thereafter and will last way into the night. Tables have been brought over, as well as benches. Large steel poles have been extended from the fence to the house’s upper terraces, and will serve as temporary roofs for people as needed for wind and rain. 2 days prior to the burial, the ladies are already preparing all the food needed for the feast. They are not getting together for the food, but to give the person a send-off of importance. The Western culture has much to learn about this custom, which allows people of all ages, young as well as old, to recognize the importance of a person, and the reality of death. The casket cover is in front of the door, a beautiful cross on its top. It is black, and the cross is slightly askew. It is the cross of Nino, who evangelized Sakartvelo, and made a cross out of grape wines and...her hair...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVzaBpCM5nEfGux5rTkytljFWT8isYCrEyRYYvD7Ysl2fgEaQxaoVZCw-IeLqaicJWMZXKNgBU0DMyhRVyqR6OVjuOOeePL4SidwnID2XUSNx3kpT9KFavc2Tgo6SE9KkbTj-BM6RXo4/s1600/IMG_7190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVzaBpCM5nEfGux5rTkytljFWT8isYCrEyRYYvD7Ysl2fgEaQxaoVZCw-IeLqaicJWMZXKNgBU0DMyhRVyqR6OVjuOOeePL4SidwnID2XUSNx3kpT9KFavc2Tgo6SE9KkbTj-BM6RXo4/s1600/IMG_7190.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nino's cross in Sameba.</td></tr>
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The lady is resting in the lower part in the upper bedroom, in a wake led by her female children and grandchildren. Crowds of ladies in black, dozens at a time, file from the streets, to the house, and through the bedroom. Four days she is there, on a constant watch. The scene around the house is impressive, as the men welcome all day, in the cold and the wind. The male members of the family are lined up, and receiving anyone who comes in to pay their respects to their departed one. The ladies are in the back of the house, cleaning dishes that will be used for the funeral feast, or preparing the food. The immediate members are not allowed to work, simply to watch and wait. Most all of them are entirely dressed in black, a color that the immediate members of the family will wear for the rest of the year. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApmNY74FqS64a6o_M-cfLiIbklA53cIDYn6WBm_qPSayGuABu-9MNI7kU_q41pmhWIlHu6LTeVoga4knLekK7DYTqJsi4NQfFYTQZnipsID4bHLHHa_BlUFlcONAbLBfXTEzuZuhdNWY/s1600-h/IMG_3116.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174664847467279442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApmNY74FqS64a6o_M-cfLiIbklA53cIDYn6WBm_qPSayGuABu-9MNI7kU_q41pmhWIlHu6LTeVoga4knLekK7DYTqJsi4NQfFYTQZnipsID4bHLHHa_BlUFlcONAbLBfXTEzuZuhdNWY/s320/IMG_3116.JPG" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large modern tombstone in Koda</td></tr>
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The cemetery in this village is on the outskirts of the village, on the hill. The winds blow heavily most of the year, but the cemetery is protected by a curtain of cypress trees. The graves are large and more than double the size of a Western culture grave. They are easily 5 square meters for only 2 people. A likeness of the person, usually of the couple, since they mostly rest together, has been etched into the slab of marble. Their names, birth and death dates are the only bits of information on the stone. The tombs are then surrounded by a row of stones, only a few inches high, that determines the boundaries of the tomb. There is, next to every tomb, a table and some benches. They are used for picnics next to the graves, where people who come and talk to their departed members set up food and drinks. It is customary to drink 4 or 5 glasses of wine, and to spill the last part of every glass on the space where the person is resting. This is not, however, done the last of the burial, but at later visits.<br />
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<h4>
<strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">Let's talk about the food!</span></strong></h4>
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From <b>khachapuri</b> to <b>khacharuli</b>, to <b>perashki</b>, and passing through satsivi, the national dish, you will never go hungry in Sakartvelo! Based on ingredients that won’t cost an arm and a leg, they fill you up, just as the people do. Most dinners include a type of bread, such as khachapuri, a soft bread filled with grated cheese, and baked in a pan on the stove top. The cheese used is a sort of feta but has less salt. It ressembles a great big quesadilla, but the bread is fluffy, and warm. It is wonderful! <b>Satsivi</b> is a chicken or turkey dish, where the meat is cut and kept with its skin, boiled and then the magic begins: a sauce of <b>nigosi</b>, walnuts, one of the main products with citrus fruits in Georgia. The sauce also have special ingredients:“suneli, and marigold which makes the sauce a bright yellow, and gives it a taste unknown to most taste buds. That spice is....Turmeric!? Satsivi is eaten cold, or at room-temperature.<br />
Eggplants or “<b>badrijani</b>” are prevalent in the Georgian cooking, and they are often seen in thin slices, as "badridjani nigvsit" where the eggplant has been fried and cooled. Then, a sauce made of walnuts, again, spices and coriander, fresh and also in powder and a little garlic, is added to the inside of the eggplant slice and the whole thing is closed up tight. They are eaten cold also, and make a wonderful dish. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perashki! Bring it on!</td></tr>
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Perashki is made of bread, “puri” and potatoes, “kartopili”. The potatoes are cooked and mashed with some salt and pepper, some spices added and then they are covered with a soft bread dough made with yogurt. The last step is to fry them in oil. Although this make make your cholesterol levels shake for a while, it is tasty and you won’t need more than a couple to fill your stomach. </div>
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In the winter, fresh vegetables are not very available, but you will find cabbage. The markets also offer beets, green onions, cilantro, lots of parsley, carrots, and all types of root vegetables. Beans and grains are also prevalent. The red kidney beans are cooked Mexican-style, and cilantro is added, along with onions. They can also be eaten in a sort of soupy mixture, and boiling hot! Oatmeal made with milk, rice in milk with bits of apple, romi, a type of wheat pudding ressembling a white polenta, all these are eaten for breakfast, along with bread. And, will you say...when do you eat? The Georgians eat at all times of the day! They will eat in the early morning, sit down again at 10, have a "chai", or tea, at 11, eat lunch at 2, again at 5, and then, of course, the evening meal! No, you will not go hungry in Georgia!</div>
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Let us not forget to mention the Khinkhali!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkG_Laq86jWBIyX5C_kUU8j263Z66OUL_znOUmQM06JgRjm3A6VFREYsVtcNgpJVx-Zr_2Jkun7thCEslyGg3aLzDL-E6q1KPaS-O5u8W5ndFDuQPVq3WqADKgL3H36o64Yqceoixhp0/s1600/khinkali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkG_Laq86jWBIyX5C_kUU8j263Z66OUL_znOUmQM06JgRjm3A6VFREYsVtcNgpJVx-Zr_2Jkun7thCEslyGg3aLzDL-E6q1KPaS-O5u8W5ndFDuQPVq3WqADKgL3H36o64Yqceoixhp0/s320/khinkali.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pass the pepper!! and watch the fingers!<br />
It's hot!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkG_Laq86jWBIyX5C_kUU8j263Z66OUL_znOUmQM06JgRjm3A6VFREYsVtcNgpJVx-Zr_2Jkun7thCEslyGg3aLzDL-E6q1KPaS-O5u8W5ndFDuQPVq3WqADKgL3H36o64Yqceoixhp0/s1600/khinkali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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Khinkhali are little pocket of wonderful meat and juices, and if the juices don't run down your sleeves, you have failed to eat them properly! A normal person can easily eat 5 or 6 of these little wonders, largely covered with pepper, and downed with a large amount of beer..They are what could be called dumplings or ravioli, Georgian style. They are great! </div>
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2013</div>
Yesterday, I actually had <i>khinkali sulgunit</i>, in other words, with cheese in them! They were great too, but I misses the juices that form in the meaty ones. Yeah for meat!<br />
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<h4>
<strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">The landscapes:</span></strong></h4>
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Well, crossing the border from Turkey, the sights are quite incredible. <b>Batum'i</b> is a port town, and an obvious retreat for summer vacations. The tourists seem to be quite in demand there. There are some nice, very nice hotels, where the best can be had for as little as $60 a night. One of these hotels in the center of Batum'i even boasts a very fancy restaurant at the top of its rooms, with full service, a large fish tank and beautifully gilded tablecloths. The food is very good, and very reasonable. Then, the drive from Batum'i to T'bilisi changes. The scenes in the little villages are surprising, with pigs, cows, and goats, along with chickens, free-ranging in the streets! Watch out! And if that is not interesting enough, watch for the HUGE holes in the streets! The government has failed to repair them lately..The same holds for the whole country. Georgia is a volcanic, mountainous, earthquake-shaken country. The roads don't hold long.<br />
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You can see people getting water from a local water hole, as there might not be any running water in the houses. Imagine yourself about 100 years ago...Yes, you did know your neighbors very well, and your house could have been quite rudimentary. This country seems to have stopped growing. And then, you look closer, and everyone has a cell phone! Then, open your eyes and notice the satellite dishes on the roofs of the houses. How startling!</div>
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The villages don't lack for charm. Little stores pop up everywhere, and sell, for the most part, a lot of the same things, mainly citrus fruits, lemons and oranges, a ton of bananas (where do they come from? Apparently, Turkey! Can't be...), and lots, and lots of bread and....of course: TEA!</div>
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Tea is, or was, the largest production here during the time of the Soviet Union! Bushes and fields of bushed now stand idle, as no one has had the money to take over the fields..</div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>T'bilisi: </strong></span></h4>
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A surprising city. Imagine a city of great arts, architecture, writers, and people of high intellectual qualities, and you have T'bilisi. Now, imagine it in disrepair. Compare these pictures:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIqkkHbkrDLvqpK1_am0t7WkyHGCqLxpXLURaTpKoEfQ6qAyjItbnjJYZNpIPiCkbu6U0ya6CmxaW_NviRG8F4g7gZU_LpUFhoOJTqkswIqAwBWiMDQpQIYvJ_EfevjDzQblDsoxGekQ/s1600-h/IMG_3042.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174371990827234274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIqkkHbkrDLvqpK1_am0t7WkyHGCqLxpXLURaTpKoEfQ6qAyjItbnjJYZNpIPiCkbu6U0ya6CmxaW_NviRG8F4g7gZU_LpUFhoOJTqkswIqAwBWiMDQpQIYvJ_EfevjDzQblDsoxGekQ/s320/IMG_3042.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soviet-style buildings and garage rooftops</td></tr>
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This one is of the buildings outside of town. There are dozen of these and, at one point, they were the proud accomplishments of the Soviet Union. All these buildings have some redeeming value, as they are all different, with architectural differences. The inside of these buildings, the individual apartments have architectural design such as entrance columns and high ceilings with medallions, but the outside have been turned into a half-hazard collection of whatever everyone wanted to build on small plots of land they claimed their own after the fall of the Soviet Union. People decided to build themselves a garage, and demolished the parks that had been made for the children in the center of these buildings. Since the laws were non-existent, everyone took what little space they could, and they kept it. It is not against the law to take such land, and the government is talking of tearing all these down and rebuilding from scratch. A nice idea!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2-SAOfNQ2O0cnphArRd7FrTliNZBxDiEKzjsz36wWPcj3-HF25bnbP73M4N4ftZHRos3LJxAC6nyNFc2iHsgyT-xmlS7dX6eKQxbKbtrd4znB0aD_v4SAcwYMiyHxdso4VH8WMt_gLw/s1600-h/IMG_3090.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174373330857030658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2-SAOfNQ2O0cnphArRd7FrTliNZBxDiEKzjsz36wWPcj3-HF25bnbP73M4N4ftZHRos3LJxAC6nyNFc2iHsgyT-xmlS7dX6eKQxbKbtrd4znB0aD_v4SAcwYMiyHxdso4VH8WMt_gLw/s320/IMG_3090.JPG" style="cursor: move; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" unselectable="on" /></a>The second picture is next to the Opera. It is the statue of the builder of the opera. These statues are everywhere. They are not necessarily of political men, although there are a few, but mainly of people who have been painters, writers, dancers, artists of all kinds. Georgians are known for the Arts, and for the gold. Remember <b>the Golden Fleece</b>? Well, yes, it was from Georgia! </div>
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<i><b>Sept 2013:</b></i></h4>
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Since the first publication of this page in 2008, things have changed in Georgia, and yet, they are the same.</div>
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First thing:<br />
The streets have A LOT less holes. They have made an incredible effort to make driving easier on the tires, but yet people still drive like crazy maniacs. Just yesterday, someone passed me on the left (good, good) and decided to come so close, he broke my rear-view mirror(bad)! They weave through traffic like bats out of hell. I have driven here since 2008 and I see more police officers now, but people don't seem to worry about cutting a double white line at night, in the rain, in full traffic! They figure the oncoming traffic will leave them room! So, there went my mirror..<br />
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The Georgian police has really tried to change things. For one thing, the era of corruption seemingly gone, all the new police building are very visible. They want the working of the police to be transparent. Here is the local police building. It looks like the new bridge in town, loads of glass, and a curved shape. The transparency is in the glass. It is a statement, but it really seems to have changed since the arrival of soon-departing Saakashvili. All new police buildings are extremely well-guarded, and see-through. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The police building in the neighborhood of Varketili</td></tr>
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Second thing:</div>
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In the effort to bring tourists, major buildings have been either built, renovated, or destroyed. There are some real good ideas behind that, but the tourists are not fooled. These things have been built for them, and do not profit the average citizen who is paying to support them. In the end, I do believe this will be a good thing, but right now, it is simply widening the gap..</div>
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and..</div>
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..garbage cans are everywhere! Truly the best thing I have seen here! Big dumpsters for people to use and clean! T'bilisi is a very windy city and plastic bags were flying in all the trees before. It is getting better. Now, if we could eliminate little tiny cellophane bags completely like in most places in Europe, where you HAVE to bring your bag, or you have to buy one, that would be great. </div>
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Today, I was told by the woman "Gestapo-trained" security guard at the front of the local grocery store that I could not bring my empty recyclable bags with me.. She made me check them in a locker! Then, at the cashier's stand, I was given 3 large plastic non-recyclable bags to put my groceries in.. Totally assenine! Of course, I proceeded to get my bags back, and put the plastic bags in...Argh!</div>
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Maybe this will come later..Let us hope someone understand the lack of logic of it...<br />
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With the influx comes a variety of new needs. <b>Restaurants</b>, for one. Georgia has great places to eat. The menu is always pretty similar, and prices vary little, unless you go to a place where the tourists are likely to go. There, expect to pay double.. Old Town Restaurant, for example, or Dzveli Kalaki, in T'bilisi, is a real tourist trap. We tried it, knowing this would be the case. The decor is very cool, but portions are small, service is slow, and food is expensive.</div>
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On the other end, <b>Khinkali Center</b>, on <b>Rustaveli</b> blvd, has quite a menu, and caters to locals. For 2 people, 15 khinkali, 2 beers, a mineral water and a large salad will cost you under 20 GEL, or 9€ (in 2014). The decor is fun, too. Across the street and up to the left a bit, try <b>Georgian Cuisine/Pasanauri</b>. That is my personal favorite dowtown. Locals only, good food, good prices and nice relaxed atmosphere.</div>
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Right around the corner from Khinkali Center, you also have <strong>Khinkali House</strong>. No mystery what you will eat there either. Try the <i>kababi</i>, you won't be disappointed either. One per person, with 5 khinkali and a salad to share, and you will have plenty to eat.</div>
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Be aware, however, that most places do not have any way to take a Visa card. Bring cash, laris, preferably, or the change will cost you..Visa cards are taken more readily since 2014, but it is still easier to pay cash at most restaurants. Places where tourists are now have credit card machines..for a good reason...<br />
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<b>ATMs</b> are the best way to get € or $, or GEL. One recommendation is to not take GEL from the ATM, the exchange rate is not so good. Exchange booths are everywhere, but try to go away from the center to exchange money, as they prey on tourists by taking a percentage, or simply, cheat you out of the total amount...Don't think they stop at tourists either..Count what they are giving you back!</div>
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Either way, ATMs or exchange booths for GEL, life is still cheaper here, if you live like locals. But it would be cool if the country started taking credit cards more readily. </div>
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All around, the changes are evident in T'bilisi. Maybe not so much in the rest of the country. The Black Coast is becoming a playground for the rich, but fails to show you the "real Georgia", Kobuleti being the only exception to that statement. It still belongs to the natives, and it shows, and it is nice...The government has done nothing to update it.. Still better than Batumi, aka Las Vegas..<br />
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A must see in T'bilisi? Many...</div>
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The <b><a href="http://museum.ge/?lang_id=ENGGEO&sec_id=46" target="_blank">Museum of Ethnography </a></b></h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the "nicer" and more expensive restaurant</td></tr>
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If you want to see the differences, the past and the present, the wonderful history of the Georgian people, go to that! It is cheap. It takes a few hours to go see it, and you will have wonderful pictures. Also, eat at the restaurant above. There are 2 restaurants, one next to the other. One of the restaurants is cheaper than the other. It is up to you to choose. The cheaper one, <b>Askaneli</b>, a khinkali joint, serves great local food, such as Khinkali, of course. Try the "tbilisuri khinkali", yummy... The guy makes them there, and you can watch and take pics of him too...Great service and great view from both. The other restaurant (see pic here) has a great beautiful balcony, but the prices are triple. Clean bathrooms outside of both the restaurants. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite: Shida Kartli House!</td></tr>
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To get there, take the marshrootka/little bus to <b>Vake</b>, the end of line 170, and get a taxi to go uphill to the museum. Go to the main road going back to town just outside the parking lot and hail a taxi. It will cost you another lari or 2 for 4 people. You will see a road going up from where the marshrootkas park, at the end of the parking lot to the left. That is the steep road to the museum.You can also later walk up (watch for cars!) <u>from the museum</u> and check out Turtle or Tortoise Pond, <b>Koostba</b>, and grab a beer by the lake after a long walk in the museum. Walking down to the marshrootka parking lot is feasible too, but watch on the bends of the road for taxis going full speed...I do not recommend walking from the bottom of the hill to the museum, it is very steep and you need your energy for the museum, which spreads many acres. </div>
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This outside museum is really an absolute must to understand the people. Don't miss the "kartli" section!</div>
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Below is the inside of the open roof of the "kartli" house, made entirely out of wood. Kartli is the region around Tbilisi, and where the word "sakartvelo" comes from, meaning <em>Where the kartvelis live</em>. This museum is truly incredible!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the inside of the timbered roof of the Shida Kartli Home</td></tr>
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click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tbilisi-Open-Air-Museum-of-Ethnography/123997800978688#" target="_blank">here</a> for more info on the Ethnographic Museum.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Contact Giga on his Facebook page </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">for a fun travel time in Georgia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/">https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/</a></span><br />
or message us directly at:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/menuvoyage" target="_blank">Menu Voyage</a></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-67846457011926617912014-09-21T16:19:00.001+02:002021-01-09T05:03:34.469+01:00Wine harvest in Georgia <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great wine of Kakheti, Georgia!</td></tr>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Wine, glorious wine!</span></h2>
The Georgians will tell you; they were the first to make wine. It is true that wine, grapes and all paraphernalia related to wine-making are omnipresent in the Republic of Georgia. The evidence is everywhere. Ancient markings on churches and monuments, on tombstones, wrought-iron decors of all kinds, horns in which to savor your favorite, grapes growing on every balcony, some with incredible grape stock so large you wonder how old it can be, grapes on every market stall, it is for sure that you cannot disassociate wine and the Georgians.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">harvesting rkatsiteli in Koda</td></tr>
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However, present him with his favorite and national dish, a steaming dish of khinkali, and he will instantly grab a beer... It does go better with <i>ludi</i>, I agree..</div>
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On the planet of wine below, you see Koda's rkatsiteli grapes having been through the wringer. How will this wine be in a year? Only time will tell..</div>
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Harvest <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">is upon the Georgians once more. Will this particularly dry summer bring a superb wine? No doubt! Families who share rows of grapes in the countryside are getting organized to gather together and cut the grapes. Soon, <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2014/09/alaverdoba-tbilisoba-fun-oba.html" target="_blank">Tbilisoba</a> will happen and <b>churchkhela</b> will be made, dipping strings of walnuts hazelnuts and other goodies in </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>tatara</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, a mixture of grape juice, flour and sugar. </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Msvadi</b></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, bbqs will be roasted on the coals and accompanied by a great deal of wine. All will be processed, and in the end, you will drink a super </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Saperavi(red)</b></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b> </b>or a </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Rkatsiteli(white)</b></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, or make a toast with a shot of </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>Chacha</b></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">. Then, the long winter will start..the </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>qvevri</b> </i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">will be full of the golden or red liquid resting until it comes to maturity.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegQdm_Q900RBm_9tc5z8qiCX0ZaUM5LNFx8NIeATbAqo9I2jV38IFbo_Jih18HBfO3iGWkM2JxXgQsMGrB-DoStxJvQv_F3JJKQRprkH8fgzo9rYPDFZ0fqcRx7_Dzep-K3B_aVOWJ4U/s640/blogger-image--796817962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="harvesting grapes in Koda, Georgia" border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegQdm_Q900RBm_9tc5z8qiCX0ZaUM5LNFx8NIeATbAqo9I2jV38IFbo_Jih18HBfO3iGWkM2JxXgQsMGrB-DoStxJvQv_F3JJKQRprkH8fgzo9rYPDFZ0fqcRx7_Dzep-K3B_aVOWJ4U/s640/blogger-image--796817962.jpg" title="planet rvino in the Republic of Georgia" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planet Rvino...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQE0Caz1kNZ1K37oeYSjplohI0T_yZJS5k8odY79_CUx3pzaEd1vRwbFeKYboA2m4oyFPNpTR2sFPBb5IkoDq5QavNBMnT6dDOhkf2ziFgQ1ksl8u0k-3b0rP-0k2VrukXD4WCtFM5_0/s640/blogger-image--506008147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="www.menuvoyage.com" border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQE0Caz1kNZ1K37oeYSjplohI0T_yZJS5k8odY79_CUx3pzaEd1vRwbFeKYboA2m4oyFPNpTR2sFPBb5IkoDq5QavNBMnT6dDOhkf2ziFgQ1ksl8u0k-3b0rP-0k2VrukXD4WCtFM5_0/s320/blogger-image--506008147.jpg" title="pressing grapes in Koda, Republic of Georgia" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grapes will be put through the wringer in this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a2U3Lok_tBdly1sgf3j3ouqJxeBVmYhR6gpoUYtFyz5iqPju7m2jBLC_Si8xK7TyRWO07StyZMsXRKKKFc-M4AjY0WIIacRobJg4qpjttSiD2uQTxRq9oTm4R1DR3nQTc_AcMOtHO5U/s640/blogger-image--1255398902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a2U3Lok_tBdly1sgf3j3ouqJxeBVmYhR6gpoUYtFyz5iqPju7m2jBLC_Si8xK7TyRWO07StyZMsXRKKKFc-M4AjY0WIIacRobJg4qpjttSiD2uQTxRq9oTm4R1DR3nQTc_AcMOtHO5U/s320/blogger-image--1255398902.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rkatsiteli grapes will become a great honey-colored wine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">All over Georgia, the harvest is being organized. Soon we go to the region of Kakheti and experience the flavors, the sights and the delicious result!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">But first...<b>Koda-oba.</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">In Koda, the ancestral village of the B.family, a plot is tended by the members, and grapes are collected for the year's supply of wine. This was an extremely dry year, and only about 100 kilos of grapes came out of the 6 family rows. The grapes are never watered, and this year, they suffered from the extremely dry weather. More grapes will be purchased to add to this year's poor harvest, in order to have enough homemade wine for the coming year.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFIXab9JX3d0m8-q-0OGjZx5XsdwsErQccQQeJZJms7EGHG5cBQHyOXTqfPQ4mJqAz13jHT7hI4G9rhu6VJ1k9bVHtxD4czE21MALYFF90U0dvMUu1-y0CPvckGZHlJRe32w6HKvbvQ4/s640/blogger-image-845463767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="www.menuvoyage.com" border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFIXab9JX3d0m8-q-0OGjZx5XsdwsErQccQQeJZJms7EGHG5cBQHyOXTqfPQ4mJqAz13jHT7hI4G9rhu6VJ1k9bVHtxD4czE21MALYFF90U0dvMUu1-y0CPvckGZHlJRe32w6HKvbvQ4/s400/blogger-image-845463767.jpg" title="pressing grapes in the Republic of Georgia, Koda" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's family business!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcPz12hgoVM8MD4nnxIZCGw649i6AbRd9N_5nqVpOXi5Aja892kM_uMo6JJq-YVrPKIw1imTtZJNb5paMeoAfcwJmXBbbM-F1TV11eDYt-n6ieOIJOEg1Hr637bzCAg25jH1M0Nm4FWU/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcPz12hgoVM8MD4nnxIZCGw649i6AbRd9N_5nqVpOXi5Aja892kM_uMo6JJq-YVrPKIw1imTtZJNb5paMeoAfcwJmXBbbM-F1TV11eDYt-n6ieOIJOEg1Hr637bzCAg25jH1M0Nm4FWU/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" width="133"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful honey color!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The grapes are put through a wringer to crush them, put into a barrel for a week, then the liquid is drained, and put into large bottles. The skins are left in the barrel and sugar is added. After a few days, when it ferments and bubbles, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">the pulp is used to make the powerful </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>chacha</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, white if plainly distilled, or a golden brown when kept in an oak barrel after distillation. It is then called </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>cognaki</b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, or Cognac, and resembles the French Cognac </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The grape juice in the large bottles is emptied and filtered several times, to remove the pulp that would make the wine less pure. It is then allowed to rest. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The rkatsiteli grapes give a golden hue to the wine. No sulfates are added, it is pure wine. .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">That is one traditional method. But of course, the method of keeping the wine in a <i>qvevri</i> differs a bit.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Let's go to <b>Kakheti</b> and see how it's done!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">In Katheti, as well as in all other places in Georgia, wine is being processed in <b>q'vevris,</b> and in barrels. The traditional way of keeping wine in q'vevris is getting a boost these days, as it it particularly prized by tourists, and so contributes not only to the pleasure of the visitors, and to the national heritage, but also the economy in general. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwEZXgxPKP2vS6VXaDodygarkQKGe0zesiRiqFjurt5CfV6HpTmgKJccCB5_F9i0EgWIguRHE9CF43s27c6EYwprbIsXoKECRxC3VnRxrSv80TJbn_VeI2UXX9yzIIL0FroHxB9VAdhc/s1600/grapes+gvirabi+khareba+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwEZXgxPKP2vS6VXaDodygarkQKGe0zesiRiqFjurt5CfV6HpTmgKJccCB5_F9i0EgWIguRHE9CF43s27c6EYwprbIsXoKECRxC3VnRxrSv80TJbn_VeI2UXX9yzIIL0FroHxB9VAdhc/s1600/grapes+gvirabi+khareba+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grapes being brought to<br>
<b>Khareba Winery</b>, Kakheti</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A marani prior to the filling up stage<br>
and a beautiful Georgian to boot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5pX6SbChkSbi-5Kd7TUJdQJv66R9zusKwNCmwdgmcnUaQ3w-R8vWvJUTNjDjhEqwIux-xcwZyYZ-rV42DP0IKSqI23drqUl5f3IUIai2dnAj8gM24fOIlQiv49QCUBxvTySLUbcy1MM/s1600/marani+twin+cellar+napareuli+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5pX6SbChkSbi-5Kd7TUJdQJv66R9zusKwNCmwdgmcnUaQ3w-R8vWvJUTNjDjhEqwIux-xcwZyYZ-rV42DP0IKSqI23drqUl5f3IUIai2dnAj8gM24fOIlQiv49QCUBxvTySLUbcy1MM/s1600/marani+twin+cellar+napareuli+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="300"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Twins Cellar, in <b>Napareuli</b>,<br>
<u>each </u>of the 100 + qvevris is being filled <br>
with up to 6 tons of pressed grapes</td></tr>
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A <b>marani </b> is a set of q'vevris that are literally buried in a trench, then held straight and then covered with soil.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwgPL95m6GV6sZqYQhQ1kROhyphenhypheneq2aDLvpxrppF6Gw-1g3dOanmR3kB_IBsWwWoKyH4wHVj2eYHSakteVieJZDhLCk0ZauoAzOQC0tFrCpqqp6BrqIx8LookLqT24AlPjAJn6-mxWA2bs/s1600/chacha+twin+cellar+napareuli+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwgPL95m6GV6sZqYQhQ1kROhyphenhypheneq2aDLvpxrppF6Gw-1g3dOanmR3kB_IBsWwWoKyH4wHVj2eYHSakteVieJZDhLCk0ZauoAzOQC0tFrCpqqp6BrqIx8LookLqT24AlPjAJn6-mxWA2bs/s1600/chacha+twin+cellar+napareuli+kakheti+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pulp is what is left after <br>
the distilled "chacha" has been made.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The <b>marani</b> looks like a cellar, where the wine caskets are below your feet! It is quite impressive to see how the caskets are filled to the rim with the wine! Others wait to become <b>chacha</b> and the smells of the grapes skins in fermentation fill the room. In <b>Napareuli</b>, in Kakheti, the Twins Cellar, a rather small organization compared to huge competitors in the region, turns out 280 000 liters of wine per year.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The <b>Khareba Winery</b>, <a href="http://gvirabi.ge/gvirabi/" target="_blank">a local winery</a> also referred to as <b>Gvirabi</b>, because it stands for "tunnel", holds an immense reserve of wines, mainly kept in barrels and other massive vessels from the soviet age. A little dark to take good pics in there, but a great place for tourists! In this picture, you see one of those great big vessels. The wine is actually carried in the pipes that you see going down the tunnel. It is impressive. The only drawback is that the wine tasting here is made of ...European wines!! </span><br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remnant of the Soviet era.<br>
A great wine vessel..</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">You can buy their wines close to Irakli II place in Tbilisi, where they have a wine-tasting room and no doubt at the winery... </span><br>
In the <b>gvirabi</b>, you will see a variety of ancient and modern tools used in wine making, as well as some of their wines. It is definitely a must-see! This is not the q'vevri method, however!<br>
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<b>Napareuli's winery</b> is interesting in the way that it is set-up. I do not recommend staying there, simply because the food and lodging were average in quality and above average in price, and the mosquitoes brought on in the <b>chacha </b>making season were awful. The rooms are situated right above the marani, and they smelled of alcohol. Touring the museum can be of interest. Disregard the poor English translations, for the information is actually quite good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visualize the fermentation process<br>
in Napareuli Twins Cellar.</td></tr>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-55081468109916539042014-09-12T12:29:00.002+02:002018-08-27T11:08:05.409+02:00Walking the walk...Tbilisi, one step at a time..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is by walking the streets that you start to understand the lives of the people. Taking the underground, shopping for your daily meal, or just looking around, there is nothing better than that to absorb the beauty of a country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwy_ZGZGyeg8tK8yqq2CsVe-j6KV3N-qyU0eBMidHdG7DNcfxDf6icOFNRUpJrOqVCmaPJSBgEXbqTPG2CJq0yVuEwPLlW9z9lYM8A74RXgffzcbY4NngnhxdLtJHTwyMPLIebeBCWE/s1600/balcony+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJwy_ZGZGyeg8tK8yqq2CsVe-j6KV3N-qyU0eBMidHdG7DNcfxDf6icOFNRUpJrOqVCmaPJSBgEXbqTPG2CJq0yVuEwPLlW9z9lYM8A74RXgffzcbY4NngnhxdLtJHTwyMPLIebeBCWE/s1600/balcony+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful balconies near Pushkin street</td></tr>
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In Tbilisi, there is so much to see..<br />
Next week, I will start with Sololaki for a great photo safari. We are in search of beauty and realism. Luka will be my companion, tchemi patara pedagogi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-VJjjb4kU1VGhW7B51F7ae6CJrpnTaRjGPs_5xCl-H4yRwI6YpuMjGN3FpGmhybnsHMsDPQ0nvd_pQgT41ABS_cd96oMtaD9Wcv-xlgTbwX_h-XhpxHkzyjbMDehRmX1wYj-mVp8DbE/s1600/rustaveli+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-VJjjb4kU1VGhW7B51F7ae6CJrpnTaRjGPs_5xCl-H4yRwI6YpuMjGN3FpGmhybnsHMsDPQ0nvd_pQgT41ABS_cd96oMtaD9Wcv-xlgTbwX_h-XhpxHkzyjbMDehRmX1wYj-mVp8DbE/s200/rustaveli+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rustaveli, an inspiration to all</td></tr>
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Here is a slice of what we discovered already in the great Georgian khatchapuri pie...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWkzMDrivRFHG4SISK_R4cmeZ2kiFhVynIVfzpn7R1RxdI8hj7-wRzXvYJnOUa-rIz-dhTE7LkZYE2cv1LkzESFAcKaSRNuKunOLNYip5GxczXgHHY15RT4TFuTZ2NHx7X5G2cuG6G8k/s1600/churchkhela+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWkzMDrivRFHG4SISK_R4cmeZ2kiFhVynIVfzpn7R1RxdI8hj7-wRzXvYJnOUa-rIz-dhTE7LkZYE2cv1LkzESFAcKaSRNuKunOLNYip5GxczXgHHY15RT4TFuTZ2NHx7X5G2cuG6G8k/s1600/churchkhela+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fruits, veggies and all kinds of goodies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVscYy39p9b_kiO6txLVgFpqICe-6x3h7_p44MJ4Xk3BtFFLJsO0yJeiGXzwwVgP-WtxeKJDo8QGPzm6M1-WManW0anPsWWApSWYb356fR2Nz_PxMbDoBX2OM6nYX_QEyE1wilMCoAGw/s1600/grape+wine+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVscYy39p9b_kiO6txLVgFpqICe-6x3h7_p44MJ4Xk3BtFFLJsO0yJeiGXzwwVgP-WtxeKJDo8QGPzm6M1-WManW0anPsWWApSWYb356fR2Nz_PxMbDoBX2OM6nYX_QEyE1wilMCoAGw/s200/grape+wine+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grapes in downtown Tbilisi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfF4EiK53Kq8v64o6ee50eaOxS7ZPSjGXM8-pQ6eVDK7Sv_fDLqMeUc0o-0sQkeFkQraTrqEOQVJpmeuY-sJWXEmg3XISzBvyRSs1kDamLlu0AtlIm5YXVtQ0Fhd8ts3T3iVxwVgwnms/s1600/whatisthat+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfF4EiK53Kq8v64o6ee50eaOxS7ZPSjGXM8-pQ6eVDK7Sv_fDLqMeUc0o-0sQkeFkQraTrqEOQVJpmeuY-sJWXEmg3XISzBvyRSs1kDamLlu0AtlIm5YXVtQ0Fhd8ts3T3iVxwVgwnms/s200/whatisthat+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">still don't know what that is, but it is cool.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J4_vbJoyXLLll_oq1BGVtruEOENEH4Q0nf2TkFO3goXg6cAovxpc4oSyAUuV0KUQqzmjLMIqP-fqDb5eN19-oh9lQuIJhJ0uzp4tCTqK9jReN489GLbYZm-00QDkT0Zqvj5BPFmhsb4/s1600/old+balconies+aghmashenebeli+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6J4_vbJoyXLLll_oq1BGVtruEOENEH4Q0nf2TkFO3goXg6cAovxpc4oSyAUuV0KUQqzmjLMIqP-fqDb5eN19-oh9lQuIJhJ0uzp4tCTqK9jReN489GLbYZm-00QDkT0Zqvj5BPFmhsb4/s1600/old+balconies+aghmashenebeli+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wow..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvu-i3L0e5THtP-izFGIWWKHQRsLNXWDj1Tjj4w7ASsICCd61tIorMayTdt10pCuBeiXiKOTGroO44Ey0jCgAsy4_IEJg42kZ2WjiGnFnPegPaX4KEThutxaohyMkoHo_VGXUwnwBUb4o/s1600/bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvu-i3L0e5THtP-izFGIWWKHQRsLNXWDj1Tjj4w7ASsICCd61tIorMayTdt10pCuBeiXiKOTGroO44Ey0jCgAsy4_IEJg42kZ2WjiGnFnPegPaX4KEThutxaohyMkoHo_VGXUwnwBUb4o/s200/bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">China is so much closer here..</td></tr>
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The bazaris, or open-air markets, are going to disappear soon, as the government is trying to bring in more shopping centers with big names such as Carrefour, Zara, H&M, etc..For now, they are what remains of the great Silk Road, a mixture of goods from all over, and also, and especially close to my heart, local products made by local people. Give a pair of knitted Georgian socks anytime, rather than a Chinese or European knock-off version!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizevMMRdjzW3JPKBFQ5dX58iEXauPsk-py4fLS54aK12imfKrCWtq7fLfgccYdFvjmI0cm9yp0Zy766AsCXCpzt_PIEy6eLmPD5P6MbhTAlmW12wqk5tQ6s4VadG_SIbHcEP-tO8Lzhzo/s1600/wool+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizevMMRdjzW3JPKBFQ5dX58iEXauPsk-py4fLS54aK12imfKrCWtq7fLfgccYdFvjmI0cm9yp0Zy766AsCXCpzt_PIEy6eLmPD5P6MbhTAlmW12wqk5tQ6s4VadG_SIbHcEP-tO8Lzhzo/s1600/wool+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wool and other yarns. Vagzlis Bazari/Didube</td></tr>
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One of greatest things to do is to go to <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalchick.blogspot.com%2F2018%2F08%2Fvagzlis-bazari-my-favoritest.html&h=AT2Z-akEjP2RyP17AdxvgplbXPmVEMgaCA5yzJZg9fGD9hH_TtFo34NKqxrLJi-tX2yloxQNWWEL_7JIBFKd_YsoSqElWAVOFa4hC4s5QQjaSZDOPq_FmYUr_NCpGuLik6AA9L5hk9G_TnWnFnApnKhqKrdDrdTHFdjW0WgYT0XBgIHszcHeVmEYEN0rYHo1rAaU4XKs73EHecbDnm1nMOPQJIVCtx_amZY0U_JlVoNxWuXqewxI3RwMoN0pobWrA_Tr6OtQdvZQ2r71gWoH5zZGeemYNvp43d85JLw75V7zf_X6JYnnYjgT4XTfSd4s3Hy014hgHbwwfeYVnkvDTF0x9wo">Vagzlis Bazari, </a>(check this page of our blog for info on this market) and look at the gold! It comes from all over, at great prices. Gold here has a beautiful copper hue, and we all know what the Kartvelis have done to gold in the last centuries. They are absolute experts, and their work is absolutely flawless. Don't miss the gold in the <a href="http://globalchick.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-georgian-national-museum-simon.html">Janashia National Museum</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ02XxgTYKivMbP2jqexXfLrhR9pTa8vNIFl62E1WsogQhARD3yhMIFQ2DhdnG7ltgQEcn66gsefjRidThYA94N3Rxsb9FOEswmJinEHeqyRUMoijDimvxAy4YZvbHdbrv72PbeskP8U/s1600/balcony+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ02XxgTYKivMbP2jqexXfLrhR9pTa8vNIFl62E1WsogQhARD3yhMIFQ2DhdnG7ltgQEcn66gsefjRidThYA94N3Rxsb9FOEswmJinEHeqyRUMoijDimvxAy4YZvbHdbrv72PbeskP8U/s1600/balcony+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sitting on the balcony on a summer or fall evening, as temperatures slowly fall, is delightful. A lot of Georgians move their beds to the balconies in the summer, to escape the sweltering heat of the day. Today, September 13th, 2014, it is still 30+ Celsius.. Great if you arrive from Northern Europe, where I have already taken out my sheepskin slippers out..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJPPLCmyEmMe-VM9vl0M7LHFpkKrCyc-mRL0WyovOx8ZayU-gF4LOCoVyK4JHzLKnkXsxHz4SoJK5lJ9q-HB1Nemqi03fWJzxmJNlg6dBa5_KFjP3xk4Qtw3EqdNPzx1dT-nseUeGCv4/s1600/balcony+1+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJPPLCmyEmMe-VM9vl0M7LHFpkKrCyc-mRL0WyovOx8ZayU-gF4LOCoVyK4JHzLKnkXsxHz4SoJK5lJ9q-HB1Nemqi03fWJzxmJNlg6dBa5_KFjP3xk4Qtw3EqdNPzx1dT-nseUeGCv4/s200/balcony+1+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so pretty</td></tr>
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A mixture of ancient, very ancient, and very modern is what makes Tbilisi such an interesting place to visit. The Bridge of Peace is one of those examples that bridges modern and ancient, going from the park of Rike, with its ultra modern additions, to Kala, and the Charden district, or Old Town. The harmonious lines of the bridge do not alter the landscape, but rather....bridge it...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBPOuWBjytJ9xWo0OLq6rnFPkvl63d-dIk0Iki9JZJ5wOkC4jum7xfAy0oldv2FVpkGNpxng6BQXOSzra7024YbXQ2ozXP3gKiVCWK6Cl3sMQZ3dmQxm67_Oc8uRdospbtQ8Ix_xJ8Ac/s1600/bridge+of+peace+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBPOuWBjytJ9xWo0OLq6rnFPkvl63d-dIk0Iki9JZJ5wOkC4jum7xfAy0oldv2FVpkGNpxng6BQXOSzra7024YbXQ2ozXP3gKiVCWK6Cl3sMQZ3dmQxm67_Oc8uRdospbtQ8Ix_xJ8Ac/s1600/bridge+of+peace+tbilisi+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bridge of Peace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGsY0hRkDDyXEId_6UTsX9KjrqCYaRG2a5Or1JTQP5ohKg2i59QxuDcbi0q5Kp7b4EjyGKk0BUzhck4qXF3i0IMGTgJ9wvAv7iZPt_8RZ3khteMdDfVi0S7gNiA326BmCfJg8Xv4a6ZY/s1600/64.askana+turn+stair+to+betlemi+church+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGsY0hRkDDyXEId_6UTsX9KjrqCYaRG2a5Or1JTQP5ohKg2i59QxuDcbi0q5Kp7b4EjyGKk0BUzhck4qXF3i0IMGTgJ9wvAv7iZPt_8RZ3khteMdDfVi0S7gNiA326BmCfJg8Xv4a6ZY/s200/64.askana+turn+stair+to+betlemi+church+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This walk is not for the weak at heart.<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the way to Betlemis Eklesia.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUtBxxd6sr5AOlFMYNDp2Nnk7pfIEr7fFz6Q6TCM6nopf3vIBVtD_II3BlDl6oFT-basPFx6MC0WtYtkvXlkEcxbMX-dLtQiYPriOiZ-3-Q_ZXlRyilHRqUqNKz3CRZNozsXW-I-RSEg/s1600/1.metro+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUtBxxd6sr5AOlFMYNDp2Nnk7pfIEr7fFz6Q6TCM6nopf3vIBVtD_II3BlDl6oFT-basPFx6MC0WtYtkvXlkEcxbMX-dLtQiYPriOiZ-3-Q_ZXlRyilHRqUqNKz3CRZNozsXW-I-RSEg/s320/1.metro+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDIWi5QAvFHKitdTL9UvgQafzTe7c9GcUElaTmwwcGeYa0EPmZVwplKTQjuvwKXOQc0JdlDPa2MQl-DicWASseqpoXY780I_zp10iNawlSGLUJvn3mNNWoap9ymBd6PKscGtUHPvnU0Y/s1600/4.tavisuplebis+moedani+freedom+square+1+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDIWi5QAvFHKitdTL9UvgQafzTe7c9GcUElaTmwwcGeYa0EPmZVwplKTQjuvwKXOQc0JdlDPa2MQl-DicWASseqpoXY780I_zp10iNawlSGLUJvn3mNNWoap9ymBd6PKscGtUHPvnU0Y/s320/4.tavisuplebis+moedani+freedom+square+1+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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The beautiful golden statue of George </div>
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slaying the dragon on the main plaza, </div>
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called "tavisuplebis moedani", </div>
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or Freedom Square. </div>
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First, let's take the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tbilisi_Metro" target="_blank">metro</a>. Wow, scary, dude!! In order to get to that first step down..or up, obviously, you will need to buy a card that will allow you to go through the turnstile. The cards are available for a couple of laris (GEL) and you can refill it with cash anytime. Nowadays, some machine will refill your card at a sort of ATM. The first card is still usually bought at the desk in front of the dreaded steps. You can use your card for several people, it is not nominative. It used to be money was ok, but now the system is such that you can also use the card on all public transport systems, even the little marshrootkas/minibuses that go around town. Those, as I understand, will slowly disappear to make place for a more pollution-conscient alternative. Good, but then will it be ok to call it anywhere on the street like we can now? Don't know..<br />
Anyway, the metro lines, for the most part, go deep within the ground. It is amazing. And...you can get in trouble with the person that is sitting watching traffic at the bottom of the elevator stairs. No pics, please! Why? Yeah, this is an "illegal" pic of an elevator. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqrc-tPZCw9s7CuXbHe2srenznOyGq0zzIWldchvFDGmuBMhMTJpGw1W8oKFMKlhSpyL2T72bExH87-CxzeGlTYxo9AzgeiTDWmLHs_HfqMUI16-kfTHtjCrFHdFUuayQeJ9bphPOxWI/s1600/22.balcony+fig+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqrc-tPZCw9s7CuXbHe2srenznOyGq0zzIWldchvFDGmuBMhMTJpGw1W8oKFMKlhSpyL2T72bExH87-CxzeGlTYxo9AzgeiTDWmLHs_HfqMUI16-kfTHtjCrFHdFUuayQeJ9bphPOxWI/s200/22.balcony+fig+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful fig trees and balconies<br />
Lemontov avenue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23WIWVj3BiWrigLmBCRlzYNUZRSiaozd86uyOAthsjwNOvXSN14yQGgwohQHojAJyI5RVty091Um0HzRVQb9j4Oib0ARY6iEf_rkddX-qwad_TyYzGRjyiXy5XTZecUOwkBUUgNhkDDo/s1600/42.asatiani+entrance+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviZ_UldQfI-ldnLyjweC_663uq0DqYO6wYG41Ib5OXUbvXyzKr9xMiM3zp77qeugo_wrtF87EXQsyTRkBoQOcEJF1c-FWdLw6BHA2AcPK78zvIDqN7rDrWEjGePELIPYqQX_r7d3ghsk/s1600/13.dadiani+street+no.8+inside+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviZ_UldQfI-ldnLyjweC_663uq0DqYO6wYG41Ib5OXUbvXyzKr9xMiM3zp77qeugo_wrtF87EXQsyTRkBoQOcEJF1c-FWdLw6BHA2AcPK78zvIDqN7rDrWEjGePELIPYqQX_r7d3ghsk/s200/13.dadiani+street+no.8+inside+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23WIWVj3BiWrigLmBCRlzYNUZRSiaozd86uyOAthsjwNOvXSN14yQGgwohQHojAJyI5RVty091Um0HzRVQb9j4Oib0ARY6iEf_rkddX-qwad_TyYzGRjyiXy5XTZecUOwkBUUgNhkDDo/s200/42.asatiani+entrance+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /><br />
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Here is a link to an old part of Tbilisi, called <a href="https://www.google.fr/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjn4a7C9PbcAhVG2xoKHV7CAbkQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftbilisiguide.ge%2Fw%2Froutes%2Froute3.php&psig=AOvVaw3tCeq3Hde9jwImg-aKIu0M&ust=1534692305496170">Sololaki.</a></div>
On Dadiani Street, close to Freedom Square, you can see some amazing old buildings. The one above is number 8. The wall paintings are very cool. The doors are usually open since it is an apartment house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ054ejU7b6E76vI09U7yRWL7sS4CZJaOPGetNZzZQ5sTIVOC7i9TPlSoSyCdXKdBPe8r9cGy4JAdwLPmOhEqs4QXW3j16aH9DA1Ztl2MOoYW3cHNbLArKeWob9NWzNr3DdO2s7f4TKEk/s1600/24.gudiashvili+square+fountain+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ054ejU7b6E76vI09U7yRWL7sS4CZJaOPGetNZzZQ5sTIVOC7i9TPlSoSyCdXKdBPe8r9cGy4JAdwLPmOhEqs4QXW3j16aH9DA1Ztl2MOoYW3cHNbLArKeWob9NWzNr3DdO2s7f4TKEk/s200/24.gudiashvili+square+fountain+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lovely statue on<br />
Gudiashvili Square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVvD8cz9y8Nw2ztG8V2R6FokYieUotNXeAe4Y_tRMQsMonQYOZYWg-tADEiVvpdfLcfNEhCgjdbXSi6DIIPffH-vFabfietagL7ds1J_5pUITFnom0ENJWZz4_sHpqaG4lN9sSuSk9X4/s1600/63.betlemi+street+balcony+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVvD8cz9y8Nw2ztG8V2R6FokYieUotNXeAe4Y_tRMQsMonQYOZYWg-tADEiVvpdfLcfNEhCgjdbXSi6DIIPffH-vFabfietagL7ds1J_5pUITFnom0ENJWZz4_sHpqaG4lN9sSuSk9X4/s320/63.betlemi+street+balcony+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">amazing balconies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqgBPjrXJFafz9EPpq716AiSGfhS_dm7i3Xj_6qMK4ndPuZarAfR4p63zKNo4TEfO89HzgsZGdfxF2jpVH7APkfv-ZqU0YsEmMTWJv8AFeiiCqQNV36aRgID_ikSdwwiL9HX4BrqnIxA/s1600/49.betlemi+kvemo+lower+church+next+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.co.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqgBPjrXJFafz9EPpq716AiSGfhS_dm7i3Xj_6qMK4ndPuZarAfR4p63zKNo4TEfO89HzgsZGdfxF2jpVH7APkfv-ZqU0YsEmMTWJv8AFeiiCqQNV36aRgID_ikSdwwiL9HX4BrqnIxA/s320/49.betlemi+kvemo+lower+church+next+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.co.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFtCKuMfXQBIZq7Fl5A5LL2Bg9qJGrrPYTyWS3qdR3fTReH64l-UFtuuZKCONoIVYvuZMqCLL7sCDTRQzRqQD4P2x-pJjujlutGMTNtp1PlBuzbL0JHImrtnvq4-Ha93soE6dyVWeWs/s1600/70.betlemi+upper+church+view+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFtCKuMfXQBIZq7Fl5A5LL2Bg9qJGrrPYTyWS3qdR3fTReH64l-UFtuuZKCONoIVYvuZMqCLL7sCDTRQzRqQD4P2x-pJjujlutGMTNtp1PlBuzbL0JHImrtnvq4-Ha93soE6dyVWeWs/s200/70.betlemi+upper+church+view+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you make to the top of the hill, here is what awaits you. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvAttl50Wl5KGkaYx6y3fnI4vrPuZwdlGpWgcgA3mC49119M0igizOJwu9D2OujhyphenhyphenXuaaxQssRlevPvHIryq3H7g8A4XIB2iPWgV27BgqdoZgM56JRCpz9RHvzHxSDQ4Ndy1sVjcwu1w/s1600/96.ateshgah+garden+grapes+2+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvAttl50Wl5KGkaYx6y3fnI4vrPuZwdlGpWgcgA3mC49119M0igizOJwu9D2OujhyphenhyphenXuaaxQssRlevPvHIryq3H7g8A4XIB2iPWgV27BgqdoZgM56JRCpz9RHvzHxSDQ4Ndy1sVjcwu1w/s200/96.ateshgah+garden+grapes+2+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ebony and ivory grapes,<br />
a lovely arbor in front of Ateshgah </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-smHyd6xOXYEZWvutJEsWPh4Wlt7qZfn90LzZYaYyyIqvR6ecAuW4HksYXx5r_tqDGcarP3Grb70D6rR14U-aAoMXAZY68o22jMv_8_aLFoRX1MWo8d8MX_ASbW6TEYZYPdx4N8Mj8w/s1600/103.ateshgah+stairs+girl+knocking+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-smHyd6xOXYEZWvutJEsWPh4Wlt7qZfn90LzZYaYyyIqvR6ecAuW4HksYXx5r_tqDGcarP3Grb70D6rR14U-aAoMXAZY68o22jMv_8_aLFoRX1MWo8d8MX_ASbW6TEYZYPdx4N8Mj8w/s200/103.ateshgah+stairs+girl+knocking+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ateshgah is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism">zoroastrian</a> temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOQva8LfHha0FFzqTe7W9ltrozcIpM4GjTwdhrJ-CWnhV3YbiP2yPjzX5-s7zBVh6L-tfWjmOn-K851gWepDt8E-kdBvKMf_LEiECsblBAhvIziiZ3QflR6fBv9QBJzfIf0V1oDOAbf4/s1600/54.betlemi+kvemo+lower+bethleem+church+inside+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOQva8LfHha0FFzqTe7W9ltrozcIpM4GjTwdhrJ-CWnhV3YbiP2yPjzX5-s7zBVh6L-tfWjmOn-K851gWepDt8E-kdBvKMf_LEiECsblBAhvIziiZ3QflR6fBv9QBJzfIf0V1oDOAbf4/s320/54.betlemi+kvemo+lower+bethleem+church+inside+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way up the hill, by way of Asatiani street<br />
make sure to see the Betlemi churches.<br />
Can you find the two churches on that hill?<br />
Keep climbing...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Zororastrianism! What a word! It is, as a matter of fact, one of the oldest religions in the world. Some of our Georgian friends are still adepts of this faith that venerates the sun. This fire temple, called Ateshgah, only open to people of this faith, is an ancient structure from the 5th or 6th century. It was transformed into a mosque around the 17th Century, but is now back in the hands of the original followers of this faith.<br />
It is worth climbing to see it, because the way up is also a beautiful walk..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SVCLKt6n-nfPZoXUA4ANcbV_ut7U6hELjJ3pJOkOOqvJ4rz857OJccbSky95beAM6SOI2nfcda7DdabeLe2PxWGhDnGyvD0KftCJgDSDvll-mfuNzlZNKfs98mPEtzy7EaTSSuvcPMg/s1600/117.jvris+mama+church+2+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SVCLKt6n-nfPZoXUA4ANcbV_ut7U6hELjJ3pJOkOOqvJ4rz857OJccbSky95beAM6SOI2nfcda7DdabeLe2PxWGhDnGyvD0KftCJgDSDvll-mfuNzlZNKfs98mPEtzy7EaTSSuvcPMg/s320/117.jvris+mama+church+2+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jvaris Mama Church, at the bottom of the hill<br />
on Ierusalimi Street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the way back down, admire Jvaris Mama Church and Sioni. Both are very important churches in the hearts of the Georgians Orthodox. <a href="https://www.google.fr/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwikw63o-vbcAhWizoUKHbn5DMoQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thinglink.com%2Fscene%2F915252242158714883&psig=AOvVaw3tCeq3Hde9jwImg-aKIu0M&ust=1534692305496170">Sioni</a> is the most impressive. Small, but magnificent. Be aware that proper clothing is mandatory. No short sleeves, shorts, short skirts, or anything...short. The ladies also cover their heads before entering what can be called the holiest of holy in Tbilisi. Respect, please.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjze4z21_WdGhtlpTDKS_XhWyQZVETJ1eDJ9PSQjKJEY3qKNnFveuGedOntoMvfCzoYRqDODDEQXxCg6mdSZRR69z_EO_7x8XfEAzB_p4lO2f-UKTisEpMTT4s490Pjyck5C8wf8CjzV2I/s1600/134.wedding+sioni+3+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjze4z21_WdGhtlpTDKS_XhWyQZVETJ1eDJ9PSQjKJEY3qKNnFveuGedOntoMvfCzoYRqDODDEQXxCg6mdSZRR69z_EO_7x8XfEAzB_p4lO2f-UKTisEpMTT4s490Pjyck5C8wf8CjzV2I/s200/134.wedding+sioni+3+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many weddings happen in Sioni.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4XotjAvvdg54Xf4jNrytYWraeeeCSD_gJrIHOAsH-SVXAVHBUhbBTNgr4qdZ79Hj8v6yaI6Ya3yF2YHa9KiLgip9jsRayf2Ru9f_uv4LDJZnO_nYJsSyJh4uK26p9eqFy9np1vUd71M/s1600/145.charden+street+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4XotjAvvdg54Xf4jNrytYWraeeeCSD_gJrIHOAsH-SVXAVHBUhbBTNgr4qdZ79Hj8v6yaI6Ya3yF2YHa9KiLgip9jsRayf2Ru9f_uv4LDJZnO_nYJsSyJh4uK26p9eqFy9np1vUd71M/s320/145.charden+street+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charden Street is quickly becoming a tourist trap...<br />
but it is pretty. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BWaZivESZtWb0W1v7w-vPfFxDO1qKoiUqKVJdsUJ2ng4DaPvt6yv4XhNqgysNr7xMhZTticUrCUOx856AjtxnCwh79RWqRB59ZAVNGaEaQlYKAxigouLoBOgCbd-3VDVbueLGrnFhIg/s1600/140.sioni+carpets+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BWaZivESZtWb0W1v7w-vPfFxDO1qKoiUqKVJdsUJ2ng4DaPvt6yv4XhNqgysNr7xMhZTticUrCUOx856AjtxnCwh79RWqRB59ZAVNGaEaQlYKAxigouLoBOgCbd-3VDVbueLGrnFhIg/s200/140.sioni+carpets+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carpet store next to Sioni</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rLL6-46cQ9g2A_k8lUh0i0ozrLVpRASL_ADZ_qQ245ZgzEKdiLr4sOLM9aK8j5vg3zIi-i9MV7SE1SqXNoSn-VZkgAR12PfX_VHwG2IBK3xEfCCMaVU-6RKPGzJaSGWQUI4icb3jO-Q/s1600/165.rike+park+from+baratashvili+4+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rLL6-46cQ9g2A_k8lUh0i0ozrLVpRASL_ADZ_qQ245ZgzEKdiLr4sOLM9aK8j5vg3zIi-i9MV7SE1SqXNoSn-VZkgAR12PfX_VHwG2IBK3xEfCCMaVU-6RKPGzJaSGWQUI4icb3jO-Q/s400/165.rike+park+from+baratashvili+4+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going across the Bridge of Peace and over gives you a fantastic view<br />
of Rike Park and the Lower Caucasus Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There are many areas worth visiting in Tbilisi. I recommend...all of them. The <a href="http://tbilisilocalguide.com/tbilisi/tourist-information-center/">Office of Tourism</a> can help you decide. They have absolutely all it takes to cater to all tastes. Take good sturdy shoes, as roads can be sometimes in poor state. The place is nothing but hills too, so, hills, yes...heels...no..</div>
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Happy tourism!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWPL0Y0V8VF7JxtNRyK9Ds0Y1uQBxpclVd7gNJbZY43c5T3mL-n2aFicZJT8A-o5GVrK8Knhpxts7zhDlz1lAhJnsgJ8kcpHrcsaLC5nCioDcHYIf-_g8ID6Kt2J8AcmInC237lFkSMA/s1600/108.chocolate+betlemi+street+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWPL0Y0V8VF7JxtNRyK9Ds0Y1uQBxpclVd7gNJbZY43c5T3mL-n2aFicZJT8A-o5GVrK8Knhpxts7zhDlz1lAhJnsgJ8kcpHrcsaLC5nCioDcHYIf-_g8ID6Kt2J8AcmInC237lFkSMA/s320/108.chocolate+betlemi+street+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course! Was there a doubt?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> Contact Giga on his Facebook page </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">for </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">a fun travel time in Georgia.</span></div>
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or message us directly at:<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-57255393832227673222014-09-12T11:15:00.001+02:002018-08-27T11:08:42.694+02:00Abanotubani, a sulfurous experience...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Grab your towel, we're going abanotubaning! Well, maybe not..</b></div>
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It's the year. I only made it to the door last year, and chickened out..This year, I am going to do it! Bath AND massage, please!<br />
Only a week to wait...<br />
Then, I will go eat some pilminis, right next door!<br />
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<b>Abanotubani</b> is a strange and inviting place to any foreigner in search of exotic pleasure and relaxation. </div>
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But the ongoing thought in the Georgian population is that it is a place for prostitutes and ill-happenings. So, a Georgian woman who respects herself would not be caught dead there... I am having an ongoing discussion with my georgian family about even entering the dreaded place..and a woman does not enter alone, I am told. It remains to be seen if my towel will be even slightly moist with sulfurous waters.</div>
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All this, however, is a part if the culture and it explains why the majority of Georgians have never entered the place. With less than a week in Georgia, time is running short. To be continued..or not<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-kw1TllZvIGWsaZOFV6EWroilnZcX9rjFGopgWf2XR5Da3LDaLwLygQ19mxOljrvfchOmuweBcW7JkTn7VdcJCtWqS7y-OcPG1b4tNYHCymmgRAvW7DAsl05xIR25T6qPGosl8Bom6U/s1600/IMG_7407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV-kw1TllZvIGWsaZOFV6EWroilnZcX9rjFGopgWf2XR5Da3LDaLwLygQ19mxOljrvfchOmuweBcW7JkTn7VdcJCtWqS7y-OcPG1b4tNYHCymmgRAvW7DAsl05xIR25T6qPGosl8Bom6U/s1600/IMG_7407.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty view of the Abanotubani neighborhood.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINEtLmZWNvgbZBVRsEpgsoVWJOi12GV901iFO8-_EewDwpYeOiDIgQ8ikdc5o5DTRTuUAB2IOX3RcwfjRpoe_qCckWbYeC0qg0o40h17eYAy3IyXuHqHvMXGXfpm2ta-z4uCsD3spXqY/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINEtLmZWNvgbZBVRsEpgsoVWJOi12GV901iFO8-_EewDwpYeOiDIgQ8ikdc5o5DTRTuUAB2IOX3RcwfjRpoe_qCckWbYeC0qg0o40h17eYAy3IyXuHqHvMXGXfpm2ta-z4uCsD3spXqY/s1600/IMG_7402.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great steam vents in Abanotubani</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy30ITG4WXalVoqT4hU0ukNfzR-ehCXHsWmxoSjWHIfHY8T50unVjhyphenhyphen1crtOcqE_yx_U4q3AQg8D04XqoXmDKX9nCzZ-Mh8x6EiWhgz95AYh9r9ZgqXGm7ZSkkZ4eXJNpOeYrpM0J-q9g/s1600/IMG_7409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy30ITG4WXalVoqT4hU0ukNfzR-ehCXHsWmxoSjWHIfHY8T50unVjhyphenhyphen1crtOcqE_yx_U4q3AQg8D04XqoXmDKX9nCzZ-Mh8x6EiWhgz95AYh9r9ZgqXGm7ZSkkZ4eXJNpOeYrpM0J-q9g/s1600/IMG_7409.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulfur baths....Should be interesting!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEG1lR4KYLxZ4nzq7j10EurlWk1i6OCeZiAQAsShfPKZQ3mdlHPzK8vp6vgG4dgY3NsSpnXDysiGJs_TeQ4ROa1xIWE-8KTGw-Q29988KJBW2vnbrVo68n_qLsc0gOCdCXk14F38PeW8/s1600/IMG_7410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEG1lR4KYLxZ4nzq7j10EurlWk1i6OCeZiAQAsShfPKZQ3mdlHPzK8vp6vgG4dgY3NsSpnXDysiGJs_TeQ4ROa1xIWE-8KTGw-Q29988KJBW2vnbrVo68n_qLsc0gOCdCXk14F38PeW8/s1600/IMG_7410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This would be the place.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW37lWQoEASJQrhtbFJXDOIPyCKh0XI2eoNrGmuzQFnCGWqvnGbbDQXbQAVpSiZ1-rmzb2E8JZtMmJeuXuZ-hqvRApMcnLvIpn0zpl7p90gKtE6nX3lBtvnRP0F254c3tvlMgGH9DYG_M/s1600/IMG_7413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW37lWQoEASJQrhtbFJXDOIPyCKh0XI2eoNrGmuzQFnCGWqvnGbbDQXbQAVpSiZ1-rmzb2E8JZtMmJeuXuZ-hqvRApMcnLvIpn0zpl7p90gKtE6nX3lBtvnRP0F254c3tvlMgGH9DYG_M/s1600/IMG_7413.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, you don't see that everyday..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5N6X8kMlV5w7l5nKxTrTXa2CFZqq3gE3sz_Iru3iy13Lb-LgVIkdavMlhmvpG_O1yWgIRHJL66_YGcjPNycGZZtRzZ-7pd3nKSpWWxA9g4rj2U9Dbc7zSFuYpoZaaRvloJi1791EQuM/s1600/IMG_7447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5N6X8kMlV5w7l5nKxTrTXa2CFZqq3gE3sz_Iru3iy13Lb-LgVIkdavMlhmvpG_O1yWgIRHJL66_YGcjPNycGZZtRzZ-7pd3nKSpWWxA9g4rj2U9Dbc7zSFuYpoZaaRvloJi1791EQuM/s1600/IMG_7447.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steam vents and balconies. What else could you ask for..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKcHSKVkEjnRJUq4MdoEEYSRhBu2U6Yd70Ld9U9xI5qDls4y1DrBkwdT87DCfooKk0u_D2Hwpbc3MvBqPyQmL0di1SmbdMQgRun14CoqgJfnew87MY2hyphenhyphenb1U1F13RP5TBuEry8dUIG_M/s1600/abanotubani+5+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKcHSKVkEjnRJUq4MdoEEYSRhBu2U6Yd70Ld9U9xI5qDls4y1DrBkwdT87DCfooKk0u_D2Hwpbc3MvBqPyQmL0di1SmbdMQgRun14CoqgJfnew87MY2hyphenhyphenb1U1F13RP5TBuEry8dUIG_M/s1600/abanotubani+5+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come on it! The water is fine!!<br />
Beautiful door...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDdCMr0n0dOgzd8frxaABaYGW6yU-H3LQR4wluP-kpbVT8dy7FBcdo7S8cV1y8fSk2F3F7j-iZ784NtF_lRQwQtCCECtFa2T6RK-gNtYUyQDy0LKPX6Jcrv-_Ibfjq4S8HDDkJxtldtc/s1600/abanotubani+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDdCMr0n0dOgzd8frxaABaYGW6yU-H3LQR4wluP-kpbVT8dy7FBcdo7S8cV1y8fSk2F3F7j-iZ784NtF_lRQwQtCCECtFa2T6RK-gNtYUyQDy0LKPX6Jcrv-_Ibfjq4S8HDDkJxtldtc/s1600/abanotubani+tbilisi+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a great sight!</td></tr>
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Needless to say, my towel is dry! Darn it anyway!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Contact Giga on his Facebook page </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">for a fun travel time in Georgia.</span></div>
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or message us directly at:<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-70518512802137990192014-09-12T09:40:00.000+02:002018-08-27T11:09:12.324+02:00Alaverdoba, Tbilisoba, Koda-oba, fun-oba!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So glad you came to visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.</div>
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Time for some solid fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4VXne_nS2593KpnQCNKPMk6Ioi_JzOtOy8PxuW6qAxwX9MgXnFuGTebf4nhsZp4aiRc2gwYUNgX9QY3BabFjZqK6dad1qKW2L3SgizBvMcMd2aqWgFRo5fHvrDMddw7BL0WVYNAVPmg/s1600/IMG_7671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4VXne_nS2593KpnQCNKPMk6Ioi_JzOtOy8PxuW6qAxwX9MgXnFuGTebf4nhsZp4aiRc2gwYUNgX9QY3BabFjZqK6dad1qKW2L3SgizBvMcMd2aqWgFRo5fHvrDMddw7BL0WVYNAVPmg/s1600/IMG_7671.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chuamta fountain, on the way to Kakheti.</td></tr>
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This fall, I am making the rounds to Alaverdoba and <b>Tbilisoba</b>, the first weekend in October. I may even include my own, Koda-oba, as we will be going to check out the happenings in the vineyards in Koda, Tamazi's home town. The grape harvest will happen sometimes in the next week in the family's plot.<br />
-oba is the ending added to any town that is having a festival. Alaverdi, so Alaverdoba, Tbilisi, so Tbilisoba.<br />
Mainly, it is related to the grape harvest, but it can be a cheese festival too, any festival, really..and for <b>Alaverdoba</b>, it is also mainly a great religious festival. Alaverdi is well known as one of the main centers of religion in Georgia. The monks in the Alaverdi Monastery have also been growing grapes for centuries. You can see old qvevris still in front of the monastery commons.<br />
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<b>Kakheti</b> is one of the best known wine-growing regions of the Republic of Georgia, and a wonderful place to admire the surrounding mountains, but it not the only wine region in Georgia. In fact, you will find vineyards and wineries all over Georgia, with dozens of different types of wines. Not all are processed in clay <b>qvevris</b> either. Many wineries use barrels and process their grapes as Italians and French companies do.<br />
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So, are you ready for a little wine?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbRWiGmY2O8NOR7XQU3oJx5KeR4MFxKfaDkCHWIJPQqdirWerJKG6z1Gc1709mQaoMLFAUfuxwtbxB8n9kbPmvAnNGkgWH6X-BVH6hRDcIm-PUqXkdtPoIc5yz_fSoBXBWPY7St0Z9L4/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbRWiGmY2O8NOR7XQU3oJx5KeR4MFxKfaDkCHWIJPQqdirWerJKG6z1Gc1709mQaoMLFAUfuxwtbxB8n9kbPmvAnNGkgWH6X-BVH6hRDcIm-PUqXkdtPoIc5yz_fSoBXBWPY7St0Z9L4/s1600/IMG_0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vineyard in Koda, SW of Tbilisi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrUvy1Q0xkap3BVlUPsp7WFJcnwXn05XvNgiZ6VeGYeuR4FSgpX3ymGuNnU-D85_FwtnN7R-076UZdMXEXpc6JjZKhU9O791Sks-U6OOPWmAWgg60i92mKOPUmXXQSeun3zxvJyJwp0g/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrUvy1Q0xkap3BVlUPsp7WFJcnwXn05XvNgiZ6VeGYeuR4FSgpX3ymGuNnU-D85_FwtnN7R-076UZdMXEXpc6JjZKhU9O791Sks-U6OOPWmAWgg60i92mKOPUmXXQSeun3zxvJyJwp0g/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the picking!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvXtVXBrd0ckmK8B9gmWveUjxEEQmmnbhuaJhb6CrYGkwbwh7Ezfe7cvdDoezelQEbyt4z0hnNcr-RSB2HtE870xu0JrZ1fbPjE3Rn92an0uANSKhZzclv6NpN5p-2W60hyphenhyphenlsveNo6EQ/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvXtVXBrd0ckmK8B9gmWveUjxEEQmmnbhuaJhb6CrYGkwbwh7Ezfe7cvdDoezelQEbyt4z0hnNcr-RSB2HtE870xu0JrZ1fbPjE3Rn92an0uANSKhZzclv6NpN5p-2W60hyphenhyphenlsveNo6EQ/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grapes are held by strands of corn silk</td></tr>
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In Koda, <b>rkatsiteli</b> grapes make for an amazing golden glass of wine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxcKIaizWz3Fz4UbANrx7OhGt5ZI_aXZjmgf5Ew48CSWoukk9bmZdQHBtGi-vIoVoU1XN7niLQZ3T5sHSRKFfmsWB-YzNuea5SXaz-UwyXHnY0yTlFr0WnEuYYW1Dl3qYmX1USXtH9OU/s1600/IMG_2302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxcKIaizWz3Fz4UbANrx7OhGt5ZI_aXZjmgf5Ew48CSWoukk9bmZdQHBtGi-vIoVoU1XN7niLQZ3T5sHSRKFfmsWB-YzNuea5SXaz-UwyXHnY0yTlFr0WnEuYYW1Dl3qYmX1USXtH9OU/s1600/IMG_2302.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">going from grapes to wine in the cellar. Tbilisi 2009.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuFojvzBaJNerXSWw2ojeYOgCTJsSo1yCxXyuYebt2S4GunzsKPeJfuMxnlzb-GWzsZgOiY-BWUPwsywKAW7hqP2r-PB12zLBv_zHzBEHfqbsGbI3FDr_fe2jt_Z3qrJr7Yhb_httLu8/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuFojvzBaJNerXSWw2ojeYOgCTJsSo1yCxXyuYebt2S4GunzsKPeJfuMxnlzb-GWzsZgOiY-BWUPwsywKAW7hqP2r-PB12zLBv_zHzBEHfqbsGbI3FDr_fe2jt_Z3qrJr7Yhb_httLu8/s1600/IMG_0056.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">According to the owner, this is called<br />
Chala..Looks like Saperavi to me..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyIksshRWOdyECzGngy024pld7v3hgcVtHUGjT3BYTgTelPR7EGL9JWudNRY6olDj9zNf-qDJG5wpT7YkeKsi2hE1oeO9LCSNoYpNNzipXJ8aiMG-xlcko65FWNBGjkSQZJ7_jYFv_OY/s1600/vin+blanc+local+koda+georgie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyIksshRWOdyECzGngy024pld7v3hgcVtHUGjT3BYTgTelPR7EGL9JWudNRY6olDj9zNf-qDJG5wpT7YkeKsi2hE1oeO9LCSNoYpNNzipXJ8aiMG-xlcko65FWNBGjkSQZJ7_jYFv_OY/s1600/vin+blanc+local+koda+georgie.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The golden honey color of the wine<br />
is famous in Georgia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43Q6MmyehLXjTqsEvBvPhEwRHI44YVsms17TGYfkqGr_VhqhgSzMctZbE0T4AQi3TokEfvlpEy9aw22CoKxvBOvq-uZjYJ4ZnzbtEOuD2mYYYzKilEU_WOhk6SlR3NBzGw-6zeQdtGyA/s1600/IMG_2513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43Q6MmyehLXjTqsEvBvPhEwRHI44YVsms17TGYfkqGr_VhqhgSzMctZbE0T4AQi3TokEfvlpEy9aw22CoKxvBOvq-uZjYJ4ZnzbtEOuD2mYYYzKilEU_WOhk6SlR3NBzGw-6zeQdtGyA/s1600/IMG_2513.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">home brew of tchatcha..</td></tr>
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<u><b>Flashback, Tbilisoba 2009</b></u>. A taste of what is to come this year.<br />
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Food is everywhere. Msvadi, or bbq, send smoke throughout the Charden district. Bread is baking in the tonay, and churchkhrela is getting prepared. A paradise for the senses..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBaG_yxkaFAHdzOJYXEYOwLwxdQdTai1cqCnOk7oh-uTjJ8RHzPo0XnPSqAR2Wk30EYeshGGqsWpUi_kJ26ojPa9w_TF-lPgtTl4oQPa_9wCLCeAun1k8CsZVAchw6jZ4YW1AzpqLe8/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBaG_yxkaFAHdzOJYXEYOwLwxdQdTai1cqCnOk7oh-uTjJ8RHzPo0XnPSqAR2Wk30EYeshGGqsWpUi_kJ26ojPa9w_TF-lPgtTl4oQPa_9wCLCeAun1k8CsZVAchw6jZ4YW1AzpqLe8/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mixture of grape juice,<br />
sugar and flour, pelamushi is a great dessert</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhWb6b-_MK-BNZixWEYA461rwrxmF04bmQRsnNcNmsAgplvusa98A2ZteljU_hdf5eST2hN83AHhBARVrDNGuO092Ngq84bBWxBhg06EXikdNIMkH75AZ-3zjNwE6CyJ9aac_07hr-ok/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhWb6b-_MK-BNZixWEYA461rwrxmF04bmQRsnNcNmsAgplvusa98A2ZteljU_hdf5eST2hN83AHhBARVrDNGuO092Ngq84bBWxBhg06EXikdNIMkH75AZ-3zjNwE6CyJ9aac_07hr-ok/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparation of tonis puri, or<br />
bread in a tonay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrsfJvtcY3IP7vKbX9RmPvFNneiykNpFk95eDhcyjIZC47MjtGlCnMuZZqQtI5xo7ZmhOIHGCUCxPFVuYL-QOLLoNxca6jLVAdSw4Gh12vcfpWrMpc1JL_wWepJrSilZL_JJjtGt6NiM/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrsfJvtcY3IP7vKbX9RmPvFNneiykNpFk95eDhcyjIZC47MjtGlCnMuZZqQtI5xo7ZmhOIHGCUCxPFVuYL-QOLLoNxca6jLVAdSw4Gh12vcfpWrMpc1JL_wWepJrSilZL_JJjtGt6NiM/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heating the tonay for baking</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCfcPH3Q6BXS9COadrieZnvhgr_MQl_q5cVWZ2UDWMpdcj1Mt_yCkyO-hZzhU9aW21aPOUBMfB8WNBifpRH282e3QJTMtZRIhiI8qQuk2AqOkCCKbInWexJC6YRJHWmkCFr-uN24pL7w/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCfcPH3Q6BXS9COadrieZnvhgr_MQl_q5cVWZ2UDWMpdcj1Mt_yCkyO-hZzhU9aW21aPOUBMfB8WNBifpRH282e3QJTMtZRIhiI8qQuk2AqOkCCKbInWexJC6YRJHWmkCFr-uN24pL7w/s1600/IMG_2548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful display of Georgian fall products</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFqH-1Dw3GgSm4O6XfTL5lSmCl932FXAruUsPXovnvbJVy4SqXUzD83YmCcHRXmk3wwvtHW84_lSt74YRt3gr8Ul1ueG49QVV3rQEbwyWNGuBwveodkkCK6EXkBVMtAShDaRg9DxZRtQ/s1600/IMG_2575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFqH-1Dw3GgSm4O6XfTL5lSmCl932FXAruUsPXovnvbJVy4SqXUzD83YmCcHRXmk3wwvtHW84_lSt74YRt3gr8Ul1ueG49QVV3rQEbwyWNGuBwveodkkCK6EXkBVMtAShDaRg9DxZRtQ/s1600/IMG_2575.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Abanotubani district,<br />
dancing groups gather. Here, a group from Azerbidjan.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp5Ov4yRUic521MkF2X4yoEo9t1OAO6vyMqQq1Kn707sKcWPu_H9NUTb6eolRPq8M_XwRedjkysCFzsu2T0fE7MbrOyaU1WIloL7E4PH6zeLTq87UqexH12tQzWIQbfXigNRsU48q-uI/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp5Ov4yRUic521MkF2X4yoEo9t1OAO6vyMqQq1Kn707sKcWPu_H9NUTb6eolRPq8M_XwRedjkysCFzsu2T0fE7MbrOyaU1WIloL7E4PH6zeLTq87UqexH12tQzWIQbfXigNRsU48q-uI/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the music begin!</td></tr>
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Great displays of culture, dancing groups, singing groups, and joy all around! What fun!<br />
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<b>Flashback <u>Alaverdi 2013</u>:</b><br />
How will this peaceful retreat become a great wine festival, I don't know. I just know that it holds a special place in my heart..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sCJeCmfo1bnsg4AHXzClYwu4LQpSBhIkrXrsp43aGC6r9qxkRbhqpsywbNM1c4oeYMsDdK_RVdaRGHSu4WVmbFahFbTXWwMrwXJfzxwVGNwmBhh_fk4PSRZrg023fX-c8gSQXedfG4Q/s1600/IMG_1138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sCJeCmfo1bnsg4AHXzClYwu4LQpSBhIkrXrsp43aGC6r9qxkRbhqpsywbNM1c4oeYMsDdK_RVdaRGHSu4WVmbFahFbTXWwMrwXJfzxwVGNwmBhh_fk4PSRZrg023fX-c8gSQXedfG4Q/s1600/IMG_1138.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alaverdi Monastery, Kakheti region, Georgia</td></tr>
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Alaverdi, with its silence, its bees and its mountains. Quiet solitude for this ancient and holy place..Now, let's add a little wine and see what it becomes..<br />
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Well, Alaverdi was so calm, that we began to wonder if the Tourist Office had deceived us..It seems like it was going to happen, that day, or this day, and so we showed up and it was empty..but gorgeous, as usual.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRy10Mu3jdZSf60qrOYwpEQddDWXIbQ61NSIg-88QYxWhIJFzexVBxbJzLIJafFl5c-7d5nZ-K3RnMK_I4jz5v8w9XYlVkXafhGNeBuYGdzjJjgTHsAV0o1jYkpjUqJlNPlC656tlGUo/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRy10Mu3jdZSf60qrOYwpEQddDWXIbQ61NSIg-88QYxWhIJFzexVBxbJzLIJafFl5c-7d5nZ-K3RnMK_I4jz5v8w9XYlVkXafhGNeBuYGdzjJjgTHsAV0o1jYkpjUqJlNPlC656tlGUo/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Caucasus Mountains</td></tr>
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It turns out that the dates for Alaverdoba differ greatly, since they refer to a series of masses in the church. Leave it to me to think that it was going to be a very cool festival with cars lined up and maybe Mickey showing up..This is when you remember that not everything that is planned to happen in Georgia will automatically happen at the given date..Tomorrow is ok too...So, just as Alaverdi was still, admittedly beautiful, it was empty, and Tbilisoba, which was set to happen on October 5th, is now set to the 25th! Taking time or not being in a hurry is a science, and I was never a great science student..<br />
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...on to <b>Tbilisoba 2014 !</b><br />
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Thanks to my little friend, Luka, we will not go without pics of Tbilisoba. As Tamazi and I took the plane home to France, Tbilisoba was being prepared. It turned out to be HUGE! But the basics were here..You judge for yourself!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxDMw8S9J7bpMPBq93ICFvBwWHzbejN5cj01eqgCj-jF6OoV2dN7HNkX27zvKgH69x8Ykjx4b5c_gnNPOsbO6N5QobxgPAheTUV4wyArzQRZEvK0RSXribjQmVtFsjDr_mLp4BDT4Csc/s1600/dancers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxDMw8S9J7bpMPBq93ICFvBwWHzbejN5cj01eqgCj-jF6OoV2dN7HNkX27zvKgH69x8Ykjx4b5c_gnNPOsbO6N5QobxgPAheTUV4wyArzQRZEvK0RSXribjQmVtFsjDr_mLp4BDT4Csc/s1600/dancers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancing, singing, laughing<br />
and joy all around!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2nyAuLzRZfrnLthCIk-V4OaF42pSsKzRNwJ-q_HFex5OJUCOSMJRqoK2MUQcwN2si1w5Uz19OT9ylU8VhqtqhsUNg6WUvroFC6hKRwMK9RbN5U9gq8urH3Oq0Myl3PvMCrj4m4Qy1LE/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2nyAuLzRZfrnLthCIk-V4OaF42pSsKzRNwJ-q_HFex5OJUCOSMJRqoK2MUQcwN2si1w5Uz19OT9ylU8VhqtqhsUNg6WUvroFC6hKRwMK9RbN5U9gq8urH3Oq0Myl3PvMCrj4m4Qy1LE/s200/18.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rvinos kalaki, or "wine city"<br />
The Georgian answer to the Beer Garden..</td></tr>
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The basics were there: wine, pelamushi, or tatara (the difference, I was told, is one is made with flour and the other with corn flour.) For a great recipe, follow <a href="http://georgianrecipes.net/2013/10/13/pelamushi/" target="_blank">this link to pelamushi</a>.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbDV8fmcin46ylNq4uoKIwyO1ZUTspeyi-dvOuBeGiDDb2ITthBFaEyVkUK3zzkdk4bA8cB3W5LrgIl5L3DvwtJQdM6D9Y9VtVs896sGh3dnfoIZVsnTbr1b3Zb_NGez-fTeSHsfZ_20/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbDV8fmcin46ylNq4uoKIwyO1ZUTspeyi-dvOuBeGiDDb2ITthBFaEyVkUK3zzkdk4bA8cB3W5LrgIl5L3DvwtJQdM6D9Y9VtVs896sGh3dnfoIZVsnTbr1b3Zb_NGez-fTeSHsfZ_20/s1600/34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pelamushi galore...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudIyykNj3F-vlV2F_zp3pL31jbXkkSbDnJNP-giLTIM4l5aGINBcDT9-4d0mTJ_pmTXISUEov9SXuPtZry5sRUcCqeznVPVUw1end977vDpQ_H8SJ7hQgJKEyP4i5_O0ANX7ipu8qVRw/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudIyykNj3F-vlV2F_zp3pL31jbXkkSbDnJNP-giLTIM4l5aGINBcDT9-4d0mTJ_pmTXISUEov9SXuPtZry5sRUcCqeznVPVUw1end977vDpQ_H8SJ7hQgJKEyP4i5_O0ANX7ipu8qVRw/s1600/39.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A creamy-crunchy Georgian snack!</td></tr>
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Churchrela can be then dipped in it, or...tatara can be eaten just as is, as Luka shows us, with a sprinkle of ....nuts, of course!! What a fun treat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9HR8981VeTDNjxyt1qU6vQXg5Zn9Wey32HWznNAbT49vy_vAMexj0RaIUVTZxMyBaaZTtnmMVksMtSnjfOBvUPAzLfJHdwE5ZaHgrUjZzAGmFnfJ0KQdZA4k5FHcp1hjo7677XTxgNY/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9HR8981VeTDNjxyt1qU6vQXg5Zn9Wey32HWznNAbT49vy_vAMexj0RaIUVTZxMyBaaZTtnmMVksMtSnjfOBvUPAzLfJHdwE5ZaHgrUjZzAGmFnfJ0KQdZA4k5FHcp1hjo7677XTxgNY/s200/30.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Socks were here to sell, no doubt much, much,<br />
much more expensive than in the metro entrances..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkGCvTO2XPqRg0af4wOFu_ssyfiYLvuQYXplZKwfqAvBKTt1b_BR1oY6sauz8xxwNXRjnEhtk0Kr9QZhyjwC8lj5WvzmSfyrXoX1oCiLbkqP15nh0LhhLP8LpxmdbUWCa6wazQFUAJUk/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkGCvTO2XPqRg0af4wOFu_ssyfiYLvuQYXplZKwfqAvBKTt1b_BR1oY6sauz8xxwNXRjnEhtk0Kr9QZhyjwC8lj5WvzmSfyrXoX1oCiLbkqP15nh0LhhLP8LpxmdbUWCa6wazQFUAJUk/s200/22.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churchrela, and <b>tsabli</b>, or chestnuts,<br />
also strung out! A new one on me...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaY2_vSeFsIocrQKcYAmY-jamaX3lZ6t1d8Jde7iALIKtkvQsto1us8jFHcxid5Dn7nfd7FGcKExRBK9IuDXnaT_59tYX6Dvnxg1EAy1i7m-hxN8VlVFzT_kELywnkP6Y09U1R2ap8Ps/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaY2_vSeFsIocrQKcYAmY-jamaX3lZ6t1d8Jde7iALIKtkvQsto1us8jFHcxid5Dn7nfd7FGcKExRBK9IuDXnaT_59tYX6Dvnxg1EAy1i7m-hxN8VlVFzT_kELywnkP6Y09U1R2ap8Ps/s1600/44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery liquid..Honey?<br />
Very possible...Wine? Also very possible..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE8mrIA2qcugmPoKZEhOuNNB4oAhodCGadaoLy_7RytKYXgMh8CTjO94zXpAkvi4-GjRZXtH7nVfy-imNJPoKwfRnQhEGxZzYq-nhXf-wBkWXgrmuJamBHXpIoxLfiC2KJZTfmPwbiZI/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqE8mrIA2qcugmPoKZEhOuNNB4oAhodCGadaoLy_7RytKYXgMh8CTjO94zXpAkvi4-GjRZXtH7nVfy-imNJPoKwfRnQhEGxZzYq-nhXf-wBkWXgrmuJamBHXpIoxLfiC2KJZTfmPwbiZI/s1600/50.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a live Queen Tamar, or <b>Tamar Mepe</b>, "King Tamar", <br />
because she was such an important figure. <br />
Behind her, you see Metekhi. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMmzJG0SrvSFyPFkfnpfHi9qcYP5GaDe_0BuUe4KArBRBnPHIB3qBba4wyBi07sbGEQVcMbOssdrVAz6ZWS5uvOSPfXyoqyBkOnvLO148UNhwZy8eTyWlQfqfNqgFNypgQX_tN76k8HE/s1600/58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMmzJG0SrvSFyPFkfnpfHi9qcYP5GaDe_0BuUe4KArBRBnPHIB3qBba4wyBi07sbGEQVcMbOssdrVAz6ZWS5uvOSPfXyoqyBkOnvLO148UNhwZy8eTyWlQfqfNqgFNypgQX_tN76k8HE/s1600/58.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hot approach to the<br />
MSVADI, or BBQ!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kvEhSVGBasmH2kTH82N1qfqNhrQLKozt4i85FfrIVNCsOJSpS62hot-m0wK36zITy_f8QKdl500Ag9fqqEIqx6BExWrNm-DK5-PflmCnmezwiFryy2k4HhbBVIx10khehIsDLW8QcFg/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kvEhSVGBasmH2kTH82N1qfqNhrQLKozt4i85FfrIVNCsOJSpS62hot-m0wK36zITy_f8QKdl500Ag9fqqEIqx6BExWrNm-DK5-PflmCnmezwiFryy2k4HhbBVIx10khehIsDLW8QcFg/s320/65.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, they are not boots!<br />
Here, is wine all the time! Pretty cool!</td></tr>
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And here, bottle holders. Quite cool, don't you think?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnJKDJrnBiwjqS84AskNc0akCJ2oANhKQ3FOUFQJ_ktMD_CUVpBZbfkhkx9qPRo4WplX5iMRQJ7CckQ9KapzcA9-JTidh4lRELEsbBWuhqFty6ApH44vgn13lX2ic8m9QaF06zCWGC9k/s1600/107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnJKDJrnBiwjqS84AskNc0akCJ2oANhKQ3FOUFQJ_ktMD_CUVpBZbfkhkx9qPRo4WplX5iMRQJ7CckQ9KapzcA9-JTidh4lRELEsbBWuhqFty6ApH44vgn13lX2ic8m9QaF06zCWGC9k/s1600/107.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
It went on into the night, as you see from this view way up <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">on the fortress of Narikala! Luka, you are the greatest! </span></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Alaverdi, Georgia42.049485900000008 43.07278199999996142.002323900000007 42.992100999999963 42.096647900000008 43.153462999999959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-41565563883113737702014-09-04T18:43:00.000+02:002018-08-27T11:09:52.658+02:00The State Silk Museum in Tbilisi. Abreshumis Muzeumi. The Silk Road revisited.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjonAfA1l2DtWR24kw7AOKK9yRzssU8gAkI9agxff9AqN2rHwqP2TJkGL9Om7WUr8sIAn1O9tpNDG5pyTxk25ej1LyBGNV0zeUQ3GrChE2iaTAzlIDYbZT_gsibqejbCoob6j4tTqwP0/s1600/IMG_7695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjonAfA1l2DtWR24kw7AOKK9yRzssU8gAkI9agxff9AqN2rHwqP2TJkGL9Om7WUr8sIAn1O9tpNDG5pyTxk25ej1LyBGNV0zeUQ3GrChE2iaTAzlIDYbZT_gsibqejbCoob6j4tTqwP0/s1600/IMG_7695.JPG" title="Silk museum in Tblisi. Wall decor." width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The silk worm/butterfly</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Silk Road is famous for, as we know it...the transfer of great silk to the West..These caravans left China and went to all parts of Europe and Asia to sell their goods. A better term would really be the "Silk Roads", for there were many. To the west, to Europe, but also to the South, to the Middle East, etc..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Silk Roads were very active in the Middle Ages, and today we call them trading routes, remnants of the great age of caravans and trading in Asia and Eastern Europe. The products may be computer chips and crude oil, we no longer carry them on camel backs, but the idea is the same.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trading spices from the East in Europe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgian carpets in Tbilisi, Georgia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It is evident that the Silk Road merchants carried more than silk. Spices, carpets, tools, jewelry, ideas... and who could forget Marco Polo and the great noodle/pasta controversy. Italian? Chinese? A mixture of both? Either way, we love macaroni...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, people traveled great distances and came in contact with other civilizations. They came home and told of their travels, showed their goods, and gave ideas a new twist. They rested in caravansarai, such as the one on Kote Afkhasi Street in Tbilisi, and shared their adventures. Then they continued their journey and brought news of China, of Siberia, or the Middle East or, of the great food prepared by those kartvelis. You have to wonder whether or not <i>khinkali </i>were also brought from China, or was it the opposite? :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Back to silk...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Georgia did for centuries have its own flourishing silk agriculture. The silk worm was unfortunately decimated by a disease from the west, called Pébrine, in the 1860's. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Caucasian Sericulture Station was born in 1887 in Tbilisi, as an effort to revive the ancient knowledge of silk making, with extensive plantings of <i>tutta</i>, the silkworm tree, <i>morus alba</i>, commonly called the mulberry, and many buildings needed for that culture were built around the site of the present museum. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As described on this site <a href="http://www.silkmuseum.ge/">http://www.silkmuseum.ge</a>, webpage of the State Silk Museum, it was ...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The many silk butterflies</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #1f1f1f;">"the desire of the Russian Empire to make a typical colony of Georgia and thus turn it into a market for the industrial produce of the metropolis and a supplier of raw materials...with the development of such fields in Georgia that were non-existent in Russia. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #1f1f1f;">The Agricultural Society, the Sericulture Station, the Phylloxera Committee, the Cottage Industry Committee and the Local Agricultural Organization were founded with the purpose to develop sericulture, horticulture, tea-growing and other fields of agriculture.</span></i></span><i style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The State Silk Museum of Tbilisi is right next </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the great sports center called Dinamo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Its address is: 6 Tsabadze Street. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Its phone number is: +995-32 234 09 67.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you were to walk Aghmashenebeli Avenue </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">from the old neighborhood with the beautiful old balconies, through the newly restored part, visiting Park </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Djanzug Kakhidze on the way, and continued walking </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the other end of Aghmashenebeli, a walk I highly recommend, you would then be heading straight to the State Silk Museum. A wonderful and cool environment after such a long walk, but absolutely</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> a very interesting place to visit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spend some time admiring the building on the outside first. It is incredible in its details. The little park out front is quite unappealing, but the museum makes up for it inside. It may appear old and dusty, but there are treasures to see and lessons to learn..I promise!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful façade of the museum!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although it is difficult to get the door to open, ring the bell yet again, and once you get the person in charge to guide you, you will be led into a great space. The staircase is punctuated with carvings of silkworms and silk butterflies in different stages of growth. The building is absolutely incredible, although it is in great need of repair. It does house the Embassy of Lithuania, which explained why the guards at the door were somewhat careful in opening the door. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marqueterie floors in the museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1fhijCBRb84egmJ74zIdcF37od01BmX9P4lSpNFFP1xQnVxeXPkQFTAuho9_ZLt_pSRfEcw_qjJGvyTCkFzXq3fr9PW_ra28f2WWd6TmfTkvo31_Ngz1kDevQN2w8STbPLvfoQ3YKCM/s1600/IMG_7698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1fhijCBRb84egmJ74zIdcF37od01BmX9P4lSpNFFP1xQnVxeXPkQFTAuho9_ZLt_pSRfEcw_qjJGvyTCkFzXq3fr9PW_ra28f2WWd6TmfTkvo31_Ngz1kDevQN2w8STbPLvfoQ3YKCM/s1600/IMG_7698.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The library is incredible!</td></tr>
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The building was erected in 1892 and is a beautiful example of architecture, inside and out. It is considered an important national heritage. It was designed by a Polish-Lithuanian architect, Alexander Szymkiewicz, who lived in Tbilisi at the time and can be thanked also for a variety of other building designs, such as the Rustaveli Theater. His present to Georgia has been returned by housing the Embassy, isn't that fun? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKx20fgtcgcUfMuxcnf64FTXXO-CXJTUVLJyaxqIHIhqy5haovU0HcVRXC3bw81JcMSCb3bUZ7IlltQG91Vi3KACi78Nh8HS_EW3HLc_-yRjaYHDaeZKwxzFSBaXxah35nJaWuZL-8YTs/s1600/IMG_7706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKx20fgtcgcUfMuxcnf64FTXXO-CXJTUVLJyaxqIHIhqy5haovU0HcVRXC3bw81JcMSCb3bUZ7IlltQG91Vi3KACi78Nh8HS_EW3HLc_-yRjaYHDaeZKwxzFSBaXxah35nJaWuZL-8YTs/s1600/IMG_7706.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spinning the silk</td></tr>
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Only the main building remains. The cocoon house, the silk spinning and reeling mills, the nursery are all gone, unfortunately. </div>
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Inside are tools for harvesting <i>tutta</i>, or mulberry leaves, spinning tools, cocoons of all kinds, and shapes, silks...</div>
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We were thrilled to have a private tour. Not many Georgians have been or know of the existence of this museum, but it certainly is a great teaching tool.</div>
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The mulberry is a fast growing tree, but does not make a great addition in your yard. It drops leaves everywhere, and droops. However, it is of major importance for the worms, who are very voracious. We were amazed to see the size of some of these worms, and the care needed to obtain a good cocoon. The mulberry wood is a good wood to make musical instruments, as well as other instruments of all kinds, and there are many beautiful examples of this in the museum. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocoon strung to dry</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Musical instruments<br />
made out of mulberry wood</td></tr>
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It is unfortunate that silk is no longer made in Georgia, for the sample of last centuries displayed in the museum reveal magnificent works of art. It is nowadays difficult to find silk items made in Georgia, since, once again....China has taken over the market! You can't say things don't go around in this world, right?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wooden blocks used to print on silk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georgian woman doll<br />
with example of silk and silk lace</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">A new garden variety of "merchant travelers" has come alive recently, globetrotters interested in discovering the true natives, their customs, their everyday lives, their history and their civilization, away from tourist busses and major tour operators. That is the only way to befriend our fellow humans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This museum speaks of their toils, their troubles, and their accomplishments. A truly interesting site!</span></div>
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So glad you came to visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.</div>
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Contact Giga on his Facebook page<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">for a fun travel time in Georgia.</span></div>
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Bread making </h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artisanal tonay or bread oven, in Koda, Chida Kartli, Georgia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a fun bread bag..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">late bread baking in Tbilisi</td></tr>
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There is nothing more appealing to the senses than the smell of freshly baked bread, is there?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdOYsfBoOWmOIwcGzac4__fzNthFimhvM_m1z1KUtHhMRxRws1g_FjhBgHrVO0oQw_uhloVgMl6FQEgmRm6ncZ-mgCgjziLRoQQk5mnmsLA2EQksTHndXVR1An8ic4NU7foLRBCUNKRQ/s1600/baking+bread+tone+tbilisi+republic+of+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdOYsfBoOWmOIwcGzac4__fzNthFimhvM_m1z1KUtHhMRxRws1g_FjhBgHrVO0oQw_uhloVgMl6FQEgmRm6ncZ-mgCgjziLRoQQk5mnmsLA2EQksTHndXVR1An8ic4NU7foLRBCUNKRQ/s1600/baking+bread+tone+tbilisi+republic+of+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the dough is weighed and shaped for the tonay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGhAaytxRNvfPe71xGDrViGlpCiLhQux20FMaZMC6TDm0Clpk98wQ7Rw4vfKHjraYbsht0nMR3ACfKUg48mEo2ldAxZDE-VtJ31APG4o03Z53COWlp89TaiKH8C2ZNwOrP44CLy_w7FE/s1600/bread+oven+tone+tbilisi+republic+of+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGhAaytxRNvfPe71xGDrViGlpCiLhQux20FMaZMC6TDm0Clpk98wQ7Rw4vfKHjraYbsht0nMR3ACfKUg48mEo2ldAxZDE-VtJ31APG4o03Z53COWlp89TaiKH8C2ZNwOrP44CLy_w7FE/s1600/bread+oven+tone+tbilisi+republic+of+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the tonay is ready</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNoE6bymd8Btfr9AqoIw_CMuos1Fc4ZrZ2wSXGqwIE1io0W2YrThPJ698gfgdyyZZPePb1WE1xbI98kMv7Nwa2OK8Wf2pzlN2EeiezDDJQlj4cPbLnchEJiC8UyZ6hJGFveJ2deuIilc/s1600/bread+oven+tone+tonis+puri+sakartvelo+republic+of+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNoE6bymd8Btfr9AqoIw_CMuos1Fc4ZrZ2wSXGqwIE1io0W2YrThPJ698gfgdyyZZPePb1WE1xbI98kMv7Nwa2OK8Wf2pzlN2EeiezDDJQlj4cPbLnchEJiC8UyZ6hJGFveJ2deuIilc/s1600/bread+oven+tone+tonis+puri+sakartvelo+republic+of+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bread goes on the sides. <br />
When baked, it will be collected before it has a chance to drop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcn5FzoAz0F3fastNK3Bv2A4b3ZeGzewF4ie9EDvkN90xd3uSEN60YAbneCcQOs6z-ia5-MjKA931HRicR_DPFUlcZoeZDQdtDf0tVPeQXzZfQVxpglfAPYZh7EE0u1jkRuBqaOjTjXg/s1600/baker+sakartvelo+www.menuvoyage.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcn5FzoAz0F3fastNK3Bv2A4b3ZeGzewF4ie9EDvkN90xd3uSEN60YAbneCcQOs6z-ia5-MjKA931HRicR_DPFUlcZoeZDQdtDf0tVPeQXzZfQVxpglfAPYZh7EE0u1jkRuBqaOjTjXg/s1600/baker+sakartvelo+www.menuvoyage.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread's hot! Come and get it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEcbeBuswntX-8oM6eb2gn1amlxi5muFA1whTWNd9oly4rWDhBA985d6Tcyb7u-Opskk2OaNLboEiTNqPV2RVmyeuNKiBybiS2xdsZvpgMLlh7QijuNj7OJGOst0TzACiqtutgjdVLtQ/s1600/chotis+puri+republic+of+georgia+bread+pain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEcbeBuswntX-8oM6eb2gn1amlxi5muFA1whTWNd9oly4rWDhBA985d6Tcyb7u-Opskk2OaNLboEiTNqPV2RVmyeuNKiBybiS2xdsZvpgMLlh7QijuNj7OJGOst0TzACiqtutgjdVLtQ/s1600/chotis+puri+republic+of+georgia+bread+pain.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chotis puri</td></tr>
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Whether you buy it, or you make it, the bread varieties available will astound you. It can be sweet, savory, filled with tarragon, my latest craze, or with cheese, or just...plain, of course! Most people buy their tonis puri in town, simply because they do not have the oven needed to make it, but in the country side, it is made in the family oven, usually set up somewhere outside. Either way, it is delicious..<br />
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When I arrived in Georgia in 2008, I couldn't believe that you could walk around town at 11pm, and the bakers were still in front of their ton-ay, baking tonis puri, "bread made in a tonay". You could get bread anytime of the day, really. Over the years, I have learned that frankly, the best bread is tonis puri, so hot you can't even hold it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbPIVaG3IINghi8TJMIG0DOPX9WW7yRVTcn-OR0Yvl4DRc0bOeVKK4n4f7QArBNumPJbdc4pIyygB-2g5-MazjH78bDWQf0IO_uvu83VgNDPCdCLciq4wcK-jIR3Fqb9QbOB_nFcgYRI/s1600/pain+bread+tonis+puri+koda+republic+of+georgia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbPIVaG3IINghi8TJMIG0DOPX9WW7yRVTcn-OR0Yvl4DRc0bOeVKK4n4f7QArBNumPJbdc4pIyygB-2g5-MazjH78bDWQf0IO_uvu83VgNDPCdCLciq4wcK-jIR3Fqb9QbOB_nFcgYRI/s1600/pain+bread+tonis+puri+koda+republic+of+georgia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tonis puri in Koda, Georgia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhsXEWEl1_d1w0hY9DDorziy0eUHV_Pt1zUeXOpgoxSN-1qRAalRAja3vtQ2tfn0TW2WsRouMFyJWSTp9d-kRwpLf4dY-KU13HQV5zlwctKiS8ZTOFX75596reuqP4RntQXUf399J_N0/s1600/khatchapuri+acharuli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhsXEWEl1_d1w0hY9DDorziy0eUHV_Pt1zUeXOpgoxSN-1qRAalRAja3vtQ2tfn0TW2WsRouMFyJWSTp9d-kRwpLf4dY-KU13HQV5zlwctKiS8ZTOFX75596reuqP4RntQXUf399J_N0/s1600/khatchapuri+acharuli.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">khatchapuri adjaruli, or "from the region of Adjara" in SW Georgia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUy1EfwStA7Zh-Sqyb7ATXN24WWz4cZTQR8povosNIlEDrWJgMeUR8CJ0fnMqJN121YFC3rRHNiCZgfWOV9LL-eN7ZmDC4qx5BIHVekZQxpPLHg8TjY9E5bSbSii_6MuSlqarDqIYXLo/s1600/blini+berdzenuli+greek+bread+republic+of+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUy1EfwStA7Zh-Sqyb7ATXN24WWz4cZTQR8povosNIlEDrWJgMeUR8CJ0fnMqJN121YFC3rRHNiCZgfWOV9LL-eN7ZmDC4qx5BIHVekZQxpPLHg8TjY9E5bSbSii_6MuSlqarDqIYXLo/s1600/blini+berdzenuli+greek+bread+republic+of+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">berdzenuli, or Greek bread, with blinis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7e9cbfseldaMA7d_YkC4aQ0kSIYU0gL3XgYmUyB9Jh4Lao-9H5JacIR0LYPkgJIgNf_mAUdZKbhTILD2udzv4jI9KXE78miwtpWnI5spvaBlXJMjZoKtI05fe2Qzu29CcVWjD2Iq45Q/s1600/chotis+puri+republic+of+georgia+bread.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7e9cbfseldaMA7d_YkC4aQ0kSIYU0gL3XgYmUyB9Jh4Lao-9H5JacIR0LYPkgJIgNf_mAUdZKbhTILD2udzv4jI9KXE78miwtpWnI5spvaBlXJMjZoKtI05fe2Qzu29CcVWjD2Iq45Q/s1600/chotis+puri+republic+of+georgia+bread.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for dinner!</td></tr>
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This year, as we returned to Georgia, the little bakers seem to have regrouped and you can buy tonis puri, or berdzenuli puri, or "greek bread", in factories. Lucky for us, we live 2 minutes on foot from the nearest bakery, so the smell of bread baking is an all-day pleasure! Aa a French woman with an addiction for a crisp baguette, I must say that Georgian breads always deliver. Not once have I missed my boulangerie, but, of course, I wouldn't trade my "sandwiche jambon/beurre" with anyone at home!<br />
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So glad you came to visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.</div>
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Please contact Giga on his Facebook page for a fun travel time in Georgia. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/">https://www.facebook.com/LuckyToursInGeorgia/</a></div>
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This link to our Facebook album to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.698126160225459&type=1&l=6c20d46003" target="_blank">our latest trip to the Republic of Georgia in April 2014</a> </div>
Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-25005694155638587612014-04-30T20:51:00.002+02:002018-08-27T11:10:42.570+02:00April 9, Republic of Georgia.Tbilisi Massacre memorials. 25 years after..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial to the people who fell on April 9, 1989 in Tbilisi</td></tr>
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The year 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Tbilisi Massacre, when the Russian troops tried to break up the population assembled in front of the Parliament building, in protest of the regime, and for the independence of the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Absw13FT0BGC6LH-hf_zwFfVlLrPul6GQA-_LYFMpjGJPklaZPIh3_ZA9oTP5YEXA0KzWQ6PPmw0UvzYq68CezZtO5eu2GpqY8OQ0MhQDwKnCbGzio-Odx8IdfOlHfMjQ3nlRw_KCRU/s1600/DSCN7849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Absw13FT0BGC6LH-hf_zwFfVlLrPul6GQA-_LYFMpjGJPklaZPIh3_ZA9oTP5YEXA0KzWQ6PPmw0UvzYq68CezZtO5eu2GpqY8OQ0MhQDwKnCbGzio-Odx8IdfOlHfMjQ3nlRw_KCRU/s1600/DSCN7849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in front of the Parliament. Tbilisi.</td></tr>
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Georgia is well used to protecting itself. I heard once that Georgia had been invaded 32 times! They came from the north, the south, east and not often west, since the Black Sea in directly on the western part of the actual land known as Sakartvelo, where the Kartvelis live.<br />
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This celebration is of course, felt throughout the country, and not just in Tbilisi. Most of the population remembers that era, whether as a young person, or, as a militant. Many are the militants of yesterday that still live and remember the fight they led.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-c1SmFwAMcOpXpS5mxAgS74FMhsamx95Szs4qI5-upUshWyy55RFXg9LbT6IWvPHnBKw8Bod342JRjkvCzSpqS2JgPTIIoEpwelYxo5dVEMbq2k7nhaHY0TkjueEDyePD0NmT9baAW4/s1600/April9.1989victims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tbilisi April 9,1989 wikipedia" border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-c1SmFwAMcOpXpS5mxAgS74FMhsamx95Szs4qI5-upUshWyy55RFXg9LbT6IWvPHnBKw8Bod342JRjkvCzSpqS2JgPTIIoEpwelYxo5dVEMbq2k7nhaHY0TkjueEDyePD0NmT9baAW4/s1600/April9.1989victims.jpg" title="victims of the Tbilisi Massacre" width="320" /></a>What is worth it? Yes, of course, it is always worth it to fight for freedom, or tavisupleba in Georgian. The results of the April 9,1989 massacre, the deaths on that day, led to increased fighting, and, in 1991, to the independence and the making of the Republic of Georgia. The people didn't die in vain, and will remain heroes. In its wake, however, thousands were displaced, others captured, tortured, or simply eliminated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn495YYGQTPYyyppFL5shDxc_PydFmqBsxYqncfG8KIjMqF1eedybHY0y9oSbsLW44XXk1aefuCn7m1kDejK26FORCz70HyH0HSL8W1qlAp46CB3cP8yGwBdoEhZu_mLSar1XbDxx7PE/s1600/DSCN7852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn495YYGQTPYyyppFL5shDxc_PydFmqBsxYqncfG8KIjMqF1eedybHY0y9oSbsLW44XXk1aefuCn7m1kDejK26FORCz70HyH0HSL8W1qlAp46CB3cP8yGwBdoEhZu_mLSar1XbDxx7PE/s1600/DSCN7852.JPG" width="240" /></a>In France, where I am from, people all remember the Second World War. We all have someone who died, we still see bullet holes on walls, chest-height, and we all have grandparents who fought, but they are now for the most part, gone, resting peacefully, we all hope. The remnants are fading..<br />
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In Georgia, the patriots, the nationalists, as well as the separatists in the case of South Ossetia or Abkhazia, are still there, and they are still vibrant in their opinions. In a country trying to rise from the ashes for so long, this part of recent history is bound to have repercussions in the daily lives of the Georgians. 25 years is a long time, but it is but a blink of the eye in time for most of them. Their memories are still fresh and if the country has managed to change and rise somewhat economically, the past haunts them just the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9D-GP9QZqpDiJhsQmk1FJ7_bkbxAIsI4ZgXm2KDJ1X68FRAi60LB7kRz4cmcIeUmhh8e_FS9651FH_VuIJXrMSLcoQKjJhK8cEntThgcjE0LoWtxeSODuIP-LLSYj6lutfycOf3hodg/s1600/protest+parliament+april+1989+tbilisi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="hunger strike in front of the Parliament building. April 1989" border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9D-GP9QZqpDiJhsQmk1FJ7_bkbxAIsI4ZgXm2KDJ1X68FRAi60LB7kRz4cmcIeUmhh8e_FS9651FH_VuIJXrMSLcoQKjJhK8cEntThgcjE0LoWtxeSODuIP-LLSYj6lutfycOf3hodg/s1600/protest+parliament+april+1989+tbilisi.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a>As a foreigner coming to Georgia, it is, of course, moving to see the memorials, the flowers, and to hear the stories, but it is impossible to fathom the feeling that this population felt on those days and the months and years of uncertainty that followed. You can see the films taken then, see the hunger strikers, see the violence captured on video, in pictures, but the reality of those days is not easy to understand for us. I remember watching that on television, as a news story. I live in the USA then. It seemed so far away, and so impossible. Did people really assemble and fight for freedom? I wasn't sure. I couldn't really understand the power of their struggle.<br />
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In Bordjomi, the new memorial to the fallen heroes is simple, beautiful, and elegant. It is also based on faith. The faith that spurs the Georgian people is absolutely tied to their freedom. In this YouTube video, you will see how faith played and was an integrant part of the fight. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EInKmH7RNcQ" target="_blank">Tbilisi Massacre on April 9, 1989</a> . As the Georgians were told the Russians were coming to stop the rebellion, nobody moved. In fact, they advanced against the aggressor..<br />
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When I hear and speak to the Georgians I know and love, I have to keep in mind that these are people who have suffered in their heart and souls, people with an unquiet past, people who know how to get up and face the day the morning after. They are survivors. The struggles today are of a different nature, but they are facing those with courage, in the face of adversity. May you long live in peace, Sakartvelo!<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.716667 44.783332999999971 41.716667 44.783332999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-9326190688619229262013-11-28T11:18:00.002+01:002018-08-27T11:11:15.690+02:00Driving in Georgia!!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Driving in Tbilisi can mean taking your life into your own hands, or, better yet, placing it in the middle of the road, and hoping you make it home in one piece...</h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCulRioUHSmGeyzI99FKTr__UpypR1ie6XDvOvIs0Vb2dNfKn5HuEghzNnkqmUj61G6FQT9A8POacJGpIj9Bj8StQT0jH2OeuM195cGw05DYane87LkNMD9bdJPzOCG5IcpT98HmjSWT8/s1600/IMG_7394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCulRioUHSmGeyzI99FKTr__UpypR1ie6XDvOvIs0Vb2dNfKn5HuEghzNnkqmUj61G6FQT9A8POacJGpIj9Bj8StQT0jH2OeuM195cGw05DYane87LkNMD9bdJPzOCG5IcpT98HmjSWT8/s320/IMG_7394.JPG" width="320" /></a>I first started driving in Georgia in February 2008, at night, during a snow rain storm. Needless to say, it was an interesting first approach..You see, in Batumi, where I entered at that time, the main road improvements had not yet been done as they are nowadays, and there were still some MAJOR holes in the road. I had just survived a huge snow storm in Turkey, been stuck in Istambul under a couple of meters of snow, so I thought I had seen the worse part...and I had, frankly.<br />
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Here is the Justice Building, just in case the road gets the better of you..<br />
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You can tell the roads are quite large in Tbilisi. It is actually well marked, it is all made for normal, civilized driving. But civilized driving, it isn't. I always said that the Georgians are excellent drivers, but crazy nuts drivers. Let's say that driving in Tbilisi is a challenge to any human being in his right mind...If the cars don't get you, the pollution will, at this point. The government is trying to remedy the problem (2018 update) by eliminating the old cars and busses, the smoky mini-vans, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuIfnO5kZhDXPzwMdGWULtB4bMEqStIO-5t81SjaRlDZrj1we35-9kCG5VZ8jFXVDstH237GRfHOmo1DP25BCQT04OBPJOUmBbwakEdpRcv251bbuBQZKZ4CEF7Z4Hoywqsm-DGzRkFE/s1600/IMG_3017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuIfnO5kZhDXPzwMdGWULtB4bMEqStIO-5t81SjaRlDZrj1we35-9kCG5VZ8jFXVDstH237GRfHOmo1DP25BCQT04OBPJOUmBbwakEdpRcv251bbuBQZKZ4CEF7Z4Hoywqsm-DGzRkFE/s320/IMG_3017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the road that led to Batumi that day in Feb. 2008. It is actually what I drove in Turkey for hundreds of miles before arriving in Batumi. It was then that I was told that, in case of rain, you never, never drive in a puddle. Why is that? Well, I found out that the manhole covers can sometimes disappear, and you end up with a puddle the size of...a manhole cover, and just as deep. You can just imagine the rest..30 minutes into Georgia, I had fallen into one, which allowed me to understand the Georgian welcome. Within an hour, I had been fed, the car towed to a nearby hotel parking, a room found, a khatchapuri eaten...Yes, now I got it.. but, frankly, it was one of the best moments of my life. The one when I saw the power of solidarity..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf8BoUzTdn4c9Fo5OqT-raX3030xPwumFgWn8MsyCw42O0gsLqjShxwN-_l_4ys0xY3MbIOgz-Ab4Xxbru8dp5tKbuw0x4j3djf-PMpzArAx8TmCBTfoty4iH45REpAAuZkOV3BQMI_g/s1600/IMG_3044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDf8BoUzTdn4c9Fo5OqT-raX3030xPwumFgWn8MsyCw42O0gsLqjShxwN-_l_4ys0xY3MbIOgz-Ab4Xxbru8dp5tKbuw0x4j3djf-PMpzArAx8TmCBTfoty4iH45REpAAuZkOV3BQMI_g/s320/IMG_3044.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">In Georgia, the streets are quite large. Actually, they are large enough for 2 tanks to come through! That is the description I was given, and I found that to be a great image, even if it is just a visual for me, and a large amount of memories, not all that positive, for my Georgian friends...Here in Varketili, one of the neighborhoods a bit away from the center, you can walk in the streets, but beware! If you hear a motor, look quickly around you! </span></div>
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The police are quite present in Georgia these days. The system was completely redone when Saakashvili came to power. The officers are young, and do not take any bribes. At least, that is the ongoing thought. I have never felt anything but safe in Georgia. I cannot say the same for the Paris underground... There are a lot of cars, but they drive, albeit fast, but extremely well. Did I mention car insurance is just a notion here? On my arrival from France, I really wanted to insure my car...Why, they said? Nobody does...That would be exactly why, and the fact that once back in Europe, that would be the first question from the French insurance agent..It was cheap, and it was ..available!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScXvntmXfMCsG0gy2zBfLJvxwtxpQ20Y4QBL9h8SJnXLNjHXGN4dOkneGdYjo8bTjKe58qKpkL3WFHDL1uZ_hyHan8ZuLx-7YfTP87tMLYEVZVKUyzFUmF3bB0gM2NEIGgXUdQVm-mt0/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScXvntmXfMCsG0gy2zBfLJvxwtxpQ20Y4QBL9h8SJnXLNjHXGN4dOkneGdYjo8bTjKe58qKpkL3WFHDL1uZ_hyHan8ZuLx-7YfTP87tMLYEVZVKUyzFUmF3bB0gM2NEIGgXUdQVm-mt0/s320/IMG_3088.JPG" width="240" /></a> The streets in Georgia are getting much better, but it is not unusual to see gaping holes. Partly, because the street has not be renovated, or, because it has been, and the job was maybe not perfect, and also, because the earth moves a lot in Georgia...It is getting better. This pic dates from 2008. The streets in disarray, a reflection of the country somewhat, and the mink coat, symbol that they keep that inner beauty...The Georgians have that beauty, inside and out..don't let the streets fool you..</div>
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Here, the new cars...and the old cars... Guess the make of the light colored car!</div>
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Plenty of room on that street, with a marshootka in the background..This side pic shows that even in newer paving, the holes arrive quickly..<br />
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So, go ahead, drive in Georgia! They tell me I am crazy, as a French woman, to attempt it, but my answer is always: "I drove at noon, on the bridge between Europe and Asia in Istambul, and in the streets of San Francisco in the cold winter chill. I can drive ANYWHERE!"<br />
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2014:<br />
Funny how you think you can drive anywhere, drive like the locals, and be just fine...<br />
I guess it is ok if you don't drive like a Georgian in front of the police AND with foreign plates. The plates are a sure way to get yourself ticketed. I can drive like Georgians in our Georgian-plated car there, do all kinds of funky maneuvers, and somehow, nothing happens...BUT...<br />
and this is where, you guessed it, I got stopped.<br />
Oh, yes, I was following oodles of Georgians, who were passing trucks, cutting the solid white line, and speeding in town. So, I thought: "Ok, these trucks can be passed without any problem. No one coming the other way, no problem. I followed suit on the dozen or so cars that had done the same thing just in front of me. Except that the cops saw only me, a cute French little lady, and my load of tourists in the back seat! How do you spell "Score!"...??<br />
They took my passport, told me to wait, totally disregarded my Georgian husband telling them that I was doing the same as everyone, and asked me for my French telephone number..Went back to their patrol car, and we waited for a good 30 minutes..Then, the verdict was in: 1.my phone number didn't work(well, duh, there is an international code, sir...) and 2. I needed a ticket because "I looked like I was afraid of them". Believe it or not, that was the reason for my ticket! I looked guilty! Whatever...<br />
How much? About 25 US$, or 50 GEL. Not too bad, and I paid it the next day. You go into any bank, and give them the ticket, and pay it, and the nastiness is over..Please know that if you do not pay your ticket, you will NOT be able to get out of the country in plane, or car..The police system is well organized. You will need the receipt to show that you paid on your way out!<br />
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The moral of the story? Don't drive with foreign plates in Georgia,or you will be a "driving duck"<br />
Thanks, Officer!!<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.716667 44.783332999999971 41.716667 44.783332999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-21183096897945284552013-10-18T19:11:00.000+02:002021-01-09T03:58:49.262+01:00It's khinkali making time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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How to make KHINKALI, the most wonderful pockets of pleasure you have ever met....</h4>
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Khinkalis are THE dish to eat in Georgia. They can be made with cheese, but frankly, the meaty kind are so juicy, they are the most eaten version.<br>
So, you start with basic ingredients for the filling:<br>
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Ground beef and pork, a 75/25 ratio, and a little salt pork<br>
Salt (don't go cheap on the salt, it's important...)and a little red pepper, in flakes or powder, a little <a href="https://www.georgianjournal.ge/georgian-cuisine/30328-svanuri-salt-the-taste-that-you-will-never-forget.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">svanuri marili</a> , a mixed salt that is oh, so, so yummy...You can make it yourself. Just follow the link!<br>
Some water.<br>
Black pepper, for sprinkling on the khinkalis when you serve them<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOotLMShSeUPgx3zT3d8mB6c0Yh-FCL1ULjx8IJRIXtBmDme8h9uCHyENUSBJ4xPB1HUyA0xTGBRpLVR0ENrq1zdq8jLUL_QXXMl7-DG6Fl-3U-zphk_w-hbt41ckGsw_KZAm3PwE0OHg/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOotLMShSeUPgx3zT3d8mB6c0Yh-FCL1ULjx8IJRIXtBmDme8h9uCHyENUSBJ4xPB1HUyA0xTGBRpLVR0ENrq1zdq8jLUL_QXXMl7-DG6Fl-3U-zphk_w-hbt41ckGsw_KZAm3PwE0OHg/s1600/IMG_0393.JPG" width="200"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3d6DHUqKq-nUTOXx0LpibTwuODQ4hcsSgaKJFtVprbErmyz1k0Ln-575HqEhjy2StocMrNgjZ9vVkMsgJxGbLU_MEHpdXHxSXN3xjnVoGIvFFX6Dv1l6xUylHqT-EZioZduHQiTayc0/s1600/IMG_0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3d6DHUqKq-nUTOXx0LpibTwuODQ4hcsSgaKJFtVprbErmyz1k0Ln-575HqEhjy2StocMrNgjZ9vVkMsgJxGbLU_MEHpdXHxSXN3xjnVoGIvFFX6Dv1l6xUylHqT-EZioZduHQiTayc0/s1600/IMG_0396.JPG" width="200"></a>You then prepare the dough with flour, salt and water. No yeast needed. One kilo of flour (2.2lbs) is enough for 4 people, or about 15 khinkalis. People can eat from 4 to 7 khinkalis..<br>
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Here you see the kneading technique used in Georgia, where the dough is pounded with the fists, rather than turned as done in the US or Europe.<br>
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The dough will have to rest a bit. 30 minutes is enough, since it doesn't need to rise.<br>
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The ingredients are then mixed with the hands. They need to be thoroughly mixed. Then, a little water is added, to make the mixture as loose as a very heavy pancake batter. The water is a very important part of this dish, as it will separate inside the khinkali and provide the "juice" part of this dish, an absolute necessity.<br>
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you may think you have enough water, but at that point, add a little more, you won't regret it...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfxCG-YFPZIGnKcxnZ-5XPDnxBuKWtb37gQY1h39WMN9UiH-k76PB2PXqaJaUnsmR0PX4MvOYJLK00DFUv48mtdngcdezR2ZuFWNqhWZdT9bOj53udp4SPDraUZkHcl9jKEaOgohoeBw/s1600/IMG_0409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfxCG-YFPZIGnKcxnZ-5XPDnxBuKWtb37gQY1h39WMN9UiH-k76PB2PXqaJaUnsmR0PX4MvOYJLK00DFUv48mtdngcdezR2ZuFWNqhWZdT9bOj53udp4SPDraUZkHcl9jKEaOgohoeBw/s1600/IMG_0409.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
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Then, pound the dough onto a rolling surface, using a little flour<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E8yJQYnMvDInrd7o42TNilKbJCqin1_RNVzLzRVS-XePCK_bRgmVYvVZIAVS6By6BTj6Ah0c6eAhccoW2I6-cjTY4D__YdIUxXjT9oBbD4e6JzmyVKhYwwQfIJjvveHQBEX0TEonWHA/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E8yJQYnMvDInrd7o42TNilKbJCqin1_RNVzLzRVS-XePCK_bRgmVYvVZIAVS6By6BTj6Ah0c6eAhccoW2I6-cjTY4D__YdIUxXjT9oBbD4e6JzmyVKhYwwQfIJjvveHQBEX0TEonWHA/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" width="200"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGIdSTDt3pT-jQjudAsgzX2DlbCo8cZ1W_5GdFtWOgLrNHN3xL49_R1Emc-lEmCZ3FoiucQp-2JEOZ0eUpFUH69d4a-0GuhL5m3ZixL2ihneIxmUcldhyphenhyphen0cixBnUMp01G9TBh0I2KIRM/s1600/IMG_0415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRGIdSTDt3pT-jQjudAsgzX2DlbCo8cZ1W_5GdFtWOgLrNHN3xL49_R1Emc-lEmCZ3FoiucQp-2JEOZ0eUpFUH69d4a-0GuhL5m3ZixL2ihneIxmUcldhyphenhyphen0cixBnUMp01G9TBh0I2KIRM/s1600/IMG_0415.JPG" width="200"></a>Roll the dough out to about 1/2 thickness, then cut round disks out with a glass or basic cutter.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZkbOu-P1BXalN2l7fivIn2v4_mzA250VImnxPPk82zQauyKl4_aBOj-aUiH3goPDNfgDp7JAeps9OnZu8zX5OkWldGc0X_mVs4y8lc-aN-069jEsLTzuG351Kei_fBlIQmEfaOEazHU/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZkbOu-P1BXalN2l7fivIn2v4_mzA250VImnxPPk82zQauyKl4_aBOj-aUiH3goPDNfgDp7JAeps9OnZu8zX5OkWldGc0X_mVs4y8lc-aN-069jEsLTzuG351Kei_fBlIQmEfaOEazHU/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" width="200"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEtZ2_uz4eizFgOBrkhzTGZ9GEjA_Rq2DhKcZCI0DRxdhz_TtGCQaiuN4CX_5j_khq8o2aM3HBGuDti1K2FZfqZU98DSsiNWvWxG0LGn-GAqfQk7wR1NkhM0nX8g_lSnQKU5jeqrsSGA/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEtZ2_uz4eizFgOBrkhzTGZ9GEjA_Rq2DhKcZCI0DRxdhz_TtGCQaiuN4CX_5j_khq8o2aM3HBGuDti1K2FZfqZU98DSsiNWvWxG0LGn-GAqfQk7wR1NkhM0nX8g_lSnQKU5jeqrsSGA/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" width="200"></a><br>
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Then take each individual cutout, and roll it to about 1/8" thickness, keeping the shape as round as possible.<br>
Now, take a large tablespoon of the meat mixture. The water will separate a bit, and that is ok. Gather the sides of the round by making folds. They say in Georgia that you are supposed to fold it 19 times for the perfect khinkali, and that can be a goal, but most will have between 11 and 15 folds. Squeeze all the folds together at the top, making sure that the khinkali is sealed and pinch off the excess. The result should look like a large fig.<br>
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Place the khinkali on a floured surface. Do not allow them to touch.<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSR5_Jr-XxYp-pG_arcUXwHJnO56d7jetkoWlOMFoFvEuiZ5XbposOlsps_anWsm6oda7ab7iKByFi9BRsufUo-ez8C5GLMlyFHKK61IeEV6qdS9gTdRMbjoUxvz1z0502iSI-G8bo84/s1600/IMG_0435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSR5_Jr-XxYp-pG_arcUXwHJnO56d7jetkoWlOMFoFvEuiZ5XbposOlsps_anWsm6oda7ab7iKByFi9BRsufUo-ez8C5GLMlyFHKK61IeEV6qdS9gTdRMbjoUxvz1z0502iSI-G8bo84/s1600/IMG_0435.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
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While you are making the khinkalis, warm up a large amount of water. Add a little salt.<br>
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Drop the khinkalis in boiling water, a few at a time as so not to make them touch while cooking. The khinkalis are eaten as soon as they are cooked, so you make a few, eat a few, make a few, eat a few...or buy a super large pan... :)<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMHWtEr4bpIhjKuupFb0hCfnR4A07Vxn6KXYKa9TgcmE4EWSiYKjz-DK8rgBT_GeXEyHI5DwyRejfxRCbGdd4QhXrCK3CjSEwGhf9ooLQN9RStCm2BYx4jQ7BY01gzbhl80pAN_A9WjY/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMHWtEr4bpIhjKuupFb0hCfnR4A07Vxn6KXYKa9TgcmE4EWSiYKjz-DK8rgBT_GeXEyHI5DwyRejfxRCbGdd4QhXrCK3CjSEwGhf9ooLQN9RStCm2BYx4jQ7BY01gzbhl80pAN_A9WjY/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" width="200"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm72-VV7rxNcJeMO99Ot4_luqZDxv-LQNMH_Cap3Ihiyo48tISF89Ler7LC7XdRZn-zrwUU1s5vYOh4wliqDVdZ4zbCrqP2yDJNFm34J6SodPHuPW5q4VvWzSnasxh0GR7G_pGS40HnKA/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm72-VV7rxNcJeMO99Ot4_luqZDxv-LQNMH_Cap3Ihiyo48tISF89Ler7LC7XdRZn-zrwUU1s5vYOh4wliqDVdZ4zbCrqP2yDJNFm34J6SodPHuPW5q4VvWzSnasxh0GR7G_pGS40HnKA/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" width="200"></a>Let the khinkali boil for about 8 to 10 minutes. They will first sink to the bottom, like pasta, and rise up and float. At that point, they are done. Take them carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon and drop them on a platter or an individual plate. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6w_aEFu9-c0xa9fMbOReK3qYOx3Q_zVhtfPfRLzmvSFE-K-7lmibxKM5M17XZ4IJV0xKut-yCnSSltXs7HbGmLALcQUNC8vSCZvN13pVkV7Knp2AilA6Ii0ZKT6NrExVIXQu1w7KzrU/s1600/khinkali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6w_aEFu9-c0xa9fMbOReK3qYOx3Q_zVhtfPfRLzmvSFE-K-7lmibxKM5M17XZ4IJV0xKut-yCnSSltXs7HbGmLALcQUNC8vSCZvN13pVkV7Knp2AilA6Ii0ZKT6NrExVIXQu1w7KzrU/s1600/khinkali.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
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Sprinkle with a little or a lot of pepper, depending on taste. Serve immediately! Khinkalis are eaten hot, and with your fingers! The trick is to take a little bite, then let the steam escape. Do not let the juice escape, drink it out of the hole made, then eat around. The tradition is not to eat the little "hat" made by gathering the dough. More room for more khinkalis!</div>
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And if you are of age, khinkalis are followed by a tall glass of beer.</div>
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Gaumarjos! </div>
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Enjoy!<br>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-25389017861576996992013-09-07T14:21:00.001+02:002021-01-09T04:24:51.052+01:00Akhaltsikhe, and Rabati, a must see!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefUPQzRX2s5wGsGBNwzEoaCMZfHbGMytAbXesynYAfYibc2kJ7fMadnCQfuPItiZI1kyumb7U_xw91A9AM-zFu0JtYOjP9CitGrea-wn60HHgm2Zy1Mfor5zyaXHWSHtJxkTybXYcHTM/s1600/IMG_0866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefUPQzRX2s5wGsGBNwzEoaCMZfHbGMytAbXesynYAfYibc2kJ7fMadnCQfuPItiZI1kyumb7U_xw91A9AM-zFu0JtYOjP9CitGrea-wn60HHgm2Zy1Mfor5zyaXHWSHtJxkTybXYcHTM/s320/IMG_0866.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
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RABATI!</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qBaT2VquOv2R5clzwhX3Mx6aspzGY4YnPlCMhDXQhgrpi47YnpfOsX00Qq_2EC-2oNs-XekJKdgaFyrxlfrTdZcPo-GgDdV62tbNpsO5n0wjaX_kI2Gqo8GqEv3hrFmlb4rtJ_o9Kfs/s1600/IMG_0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8qBaT2VquOv2R5clzwhX3Mx6aspzGY4YnPlCMhDXQhgrpi47YnpfOsX00Qq_2EC-2oNs-XekJKdgaFyrxlfrTdZcPo-GgDdV62tbNpsO5n0wjaX_kI2Gqo8GqEv3hrFmlb4rtJ_o9Kfs/s200/IMG_0916.JPG" width="200"></a>Rabati is a big place in the little town of Akhalsikhe. Situated only a few kilometers from the Turkish border, and a few more from the Armenian border, it offers an idea of tolerance, many religions gathered. Although it was not always that united in this valley, with the Ottomans slaying all who didn't convert, the Orthodox dying by hundreds to defend the fortress, the pacha and all of his court and harem inhabiting the place, it might have been a bit of a zoo, frankly.</div>
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What is left now, what has been renovated by the Georgian government, is a wonderful display of magnificent buildings, a quiet and beautiful place to wander and wonder..Ok, it is a bit like Disneyland, but still, pretty nice..<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-cJXZ80Y7JU5qqmR0eUHs6zR8JJM2aiwy0x5Kx39y9xaS1xi0yG0-1UjhuNGXAE45rsuWyyQjRh9pZKagJ0EgsAOin4_VXkNrBZxap9Wzm7Df_eJQLIJHQzmIxTtga1BHDnR-su1gug/s1600/IMG_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-cJXZ80Y7JU5qqmR0eUHs6zR8JJM2aiwy0x5Kx39y9xaS1xi0yG0-1UjhuNGXAE45rsuWyyQjRh9pZKagJ0EgsAOin4_VXkNrBZxap9Wzm7Df_eJQLIJHQzmIxTtga1BHDnR-su1gug/s200/IMG_0937.JPG" width="149"></a>Akhaltsikhe, or <i>New Fortress, </i>is home to Rabath, or <i>rabati. </i>Very christian in medieval times, it was conquered by the Ottomans in the 16th Century, so the population of Georgians and Armenians, who already had their own set of churches, had to convert to stay alive.. So in Rabati, the recent renovation work has rebuilt surrounding houses all adorned with beautiful balconies, and restored the fortress to a splendor unequaled in Georgia. You will see a synagogue, a mosque, a catholic church, the pacha's chamber (don't miss it, it is really a sight!)...and so much more. It is spotless, polished and, no, don't step on the grass! Some houses at the entrance have also gone through extensive renovation.</div>
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The grounds are young still, since the renovation dates from 2011, but as the trees mature, it will certainly be a sight/site to see. </div>
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Rabati is also the home of a National Museum of History that hosts fantastic pieces. Pottery dating from centuries ago, and millenia, too! A page from a 16th Century rendition of the man in the Panther's skin, from Shota Rustaveli, and articles of clothing too magnificent to describe. <b>Absolute must see!</b> The one unfortunate thing is: no pics allowed and no postcards..bummer!</div>
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It could look like a Disney project to most, and the new buildings look out of place somewhere, but it does bring some interesting beauty to a region that has been hurting for a long time. There is a very expensive hotel in Rabati, but you can find rooms to rent with acceptable standards right below the fortress. On the way out of town south of Akhaltsikhe, try the rooms on the river. Basic, but clean. The owners also operate a car wash. Negotiate the price...</div>
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The best way to see all of Rabati is as follows:</div>
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Buy tickets to see Rabati in the evening; see the outside perimeter. Rabati has an outside area, but inside the fortress. It consists of the first "level of defense". There is plenty to explore. Then wait for the lights to come on at sunset. The fortress doesn't close ever, because it holds a hotel, so there is plenty of time to take beautiful pictures or relax on the terrace of the restaurant. The prices are reasonable..</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the outer fortress at night</td></tr>
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In the morning, come back in. You can enter the center of the inner fortress at 9am. The restaurant serves a nice khatchapuri and 2 coffees for only 10GEL (7$ or less.2013 prices).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGyfct6hM2qlTm0-N9_kagC29DOatQ51J2TjtZ2CzDRve5AJUfnJe89pUnlBjZUazgm99n3poOq-Mit7L_W-GK-KZj011XlaR43gWgzdxZn3EV0zJE2uJTCKyleQfeIXi9dCd_DWoFNY/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGyfct6hM2qlTm0-N9_kagC29DOatQ51J2TjtZ2CzDRve5AJUfnJe89pUnlBjZUazgm99n3poOq-Mit7L_W-GK-KZj011XlaR43gWgzdxZn3EV0zJE2uJTCKyleQfeIXi9dCd_DWoFNY/s200/IMG_0809.JPG" width="149"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">details from the hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CADGikepzlibPuCAqmnhdGyT-nXH6FqjmuvKn_rtASzfr8SG6V0PmLZM5tCsVTrWKunjr_ztLQSLVa7ipfLbn_R7i1aHVh6usT-Gpgufdrgs9UHimHTmxh_pwf4on-docsZPL1YsOio/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CADGikepzlibPuCAqmnhdGyT-nXH6FqjmuvKn_rtASzfr8SG6V0PmLZM5tCsVTrWKunjr_ztLQSLVa7ipfLbn_R7i1aHVh6usT-Gpgufdrgs9UHimHTmxh_pwf4on-docsZPL1YsOio/s200/IMG_0949.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the top fortress</td></tr>
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Then, it takes an average of 2 to 3 hours to see the buildings, depending on how high you decide to climb. Going all the way to the top of the tower is not easy, but it is worth the effort. There are 3 levels to the fortress. Going to the top does take a fit back and a good pair of shoes, but take my word for it, when you see the view from above, you will be glad you came. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF4JJpUy4cKaX7NeSeXdOY5xmIqqsMD_oKJJKYTg9leeRCNIHB-eJpz4fbOkqft-0hl0OgUHp5Dn5EOEp4oaB-bmTL-m_2r_lDgscqY_nY7U9YDXl1d-ORJq1CTHnqiwHOKgr4OlQnFg/s1600/IMG_0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF4JJpUy4cKaX7NeSeXdOY5xmIqqsMD_oKJJKYTg9leeRCNIHB-eJpz4fbOkqft-0hl0OgUHp5Dn5EOEp4oaB-bmTL-m_2r_lDgscqY_nY7U9YDXl1d-ORJq1CTHnqiwHOKgr4OlQnFg/s200/IMG_0959.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fun details</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaJ9VxUPTmoz5RbbWHlvA8B326gr37m9Xyp5d-NXzosAMfcaNpeKMo4XBQBwv2-j3Bli7B-RLKswowL_df_F_a48zSJHVNN4ERuJdLPrfnHL6GO0FEmQ0-f-OXIMGrBDpbbgDX2uRIio/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaJ9VxUPTmoz5RbbWHlvA8B326gr37m9Xyp5d-NXzosAMfcaNpeKMo4XBQBwv2-j3Bli7B-RLKswowL_df_F_a48zSJHVNN4ERuJdLPrfnHL6GO0FEmQ0-f-OXIMGrBDpbbgDX2uRIio/s200/IMG_0943.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a beautiful portico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what the pacha could admire <br>
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Really a cool place. Do not miss the museum! Bathrooms are spotless!!<br>
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nb: the road from Akhalstikhe in direction of Batumi is VERY rough from Akhaltsikhe to 50 km west. Do not navigate in winter or around the rainy season. After Rouhlo, the road is ok..almost..It is better to go up to Khasuri by way of Borjomi to reach the Black Sea. Not faster, but safer..</div>
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Walking around in the town of Akhalstikhe is fun too. It is mostly Armenians, and boasts sites that differ from the town of Tbilisi, for example.</div>
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Queen Tamar welcomes you on the center plaza in the town of Akhaltsikhe. Beautiful statue that makes you want to go check out the Vardzia caves not too far away.<br>
In the distance, you see the upper towers of the fortress of Rabati.<br>
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Georgia is always surprising. </div>
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Admire this door on the church. Beautiful details. </div>
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Not far from Akhaltsikhe is Vardzia..but that is another story, or page on this blog!</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-17554109798876960142013-08-20T12:17:00.003+02:002018-08-27T11:12:50.441+02:00Philosophy of playgrounds in the land of conflicted offers.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is where you tell yourself.. "Do we really want progress?" </span></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nike, Coke and other companies? KFC when you don't have enough to buy milk? mmm.... From someone who travels from the land of plenty to the land of not much financially on a very regular basis, it hurts to see what is happening. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I arrived in the USA in 1977. Nike was not even a name then. You didn't go to McD's, and you certainly didn't buy apples in plastic shells..</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I arrived in Georgia in 2008, and rediscovered home foods, local markets, simple pleasures. Then, money started talking. The government wanted to put the country back on its feet. A good thing. But with malls and cigarettes?! The best cell phone, the most, the biggest, the ultimate...</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And now, it is hitting the world. Kids want the latest, and who could tell them no? But, really, is that what we want for them? Where is the notion of restraint, or control, or just limits.. (2018)</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">______________________________________________________________________________</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">August 19,
2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<em>These are, granted, somewhat negative comments, but the melancholy is quick to install itself , when no hope surrounds you.. It is very catchy. Let's hope the children can overcome it..</em><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Somewhere,
the children have won…</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the
years since 1991, the children have been waiting. Anxiously, at the apron
strings of their mothers, they have waited for their turn.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">It looks
like it is finally here. The children will have a chance, maybe. </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Playgrounds,
the laughter of children in the descending summer sun. We, as Westerners, all
take that for granted. What more natural sounds than the laughter of children
chasing each other around a plot of sand with a few toys? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here in
Georgia, after years of invasion by anarchists, the playgrounds have bloomed
again. And they are well kept, clean and somewhat free of dangerous debris.
They used to be everywhere, before the Great Revolution of 1991, for every
building in the ghetto had his playground. 1991 marked the start of the
children’s prison, inside this society that was more interested in keeping old
Russian cars from being stolen, than to hear the laughter of their children.
They tore the playgrounds down, and replaced them with awful concrete
constructions, just to keep their meager possessions from being stolen. They
took whatever land they thought was needed, without any regards for their
children. They forced them into the same hell as the one they lived in. Nothing
to eat, no job, no electricity, no running water in place of the very
repressive lives they lived under the soviet rule. Back then, everyone had a
job, and everyone had running water, everything was cheap and although main
food items were hard to come by, no one died of starvation. Such was the price
of their non-tangible freedom. With the ease in life came the impossibility of
leaving it, no visa allowed out of communism..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, when
freedom was won in Georgia, anarchy came with it. Since the Russian umbilical
cord was cut, no help was to be expected from the greater power. When man is on
his own, he growls like a wolf, takes and does not share. Here in Georgia, they
took from their neighbors, they started erecting ugliness in the image of what
had been started and left by the Soviet Union. Tall apartment buildings, all concrete,
never painted, apartments calculated on square meters allowed for each person,
was all that was possible here during the Soviets. And no permitted contacts
with the outside world, they believed it was the way it had to be. So, when
they started tasting their own freedom, they took away the playgrounds from the
children, replaced them with concrete garages made of recuperated steel bars
and other oddities, and condemned the children to a lifetime of anguish. After
all, where do you learn about society and life, if not on the playground as a
child? Where do rules get established? How do classes get built? Where do you
learn respect for your neighbor? The families here kept to themselves and the
children in town never learned the rules, since there were none. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The concrete universe subsists until today. Vast expenses of ugly buildings, all with people living a meager life. The real Tbilisi lives here..</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Today, the
generation of children that lived in 1991 is lost. Without a job,
mostly educated, but without aim. They have no hope, they have no future and
they have no plan. One of the main sentences heard here is “I don’t know”. It
is the start of every conversation..They just don’t know. They will go to their
early graves brought on by years of unemployment, stress and lack of health
care. They will never know, for the most part, the joy of being socially
successful, or professionally successful. Because they were not told the rules
of sharing on the playground, you cannot count of them, since they only fend
for themselves. Since they have nothing to claim their own, they go for the essential daily search for survival...but..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">..<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> businesses in Georgia are getting setup on a daily basis. Come to Georgia, they say, and
start a business! No taxes for years! Many big Western companies have bitten
the worm on the fishing line, and Zara, Steve Madden and Carrefour are running
here, among others. Prices are lower than in Europe, since the employees are
not paid so much, and the taxes are inexistent…The president has erected
expensive, showy, beautiful buildings, in order to make them feel welcomed, but
he has forgotten to hire people to clean around them. The cleaning perimeter is
so narrow, you can step from beautiful to dirty and unkept in 10 meters or
less..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And now
comes the conundrum.. How do you reconcile the thousands living in the ghettos
left by the communist powers, who have no desire to share themselves,
their way of living, and their society, with the power of Western civilization
at its worse? The Georgians don’t even want to taste anything other than their
own food, so little interest they have in others. The law of the jungle is
alive and well here. What can be available, money-worthy, and immediate? That
is the plight of a desperate person. Where is the next meal coming from?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mass
consumption? These people have no money. The shaky government has recently established
that each person living in one of these ghettos would pay 3 GEL per month for
an unending supply of water. The Georgians think that it is expensive, but
claim that now, at least, the water runs all day, and not sparingly, as it did
2 years ago. The price is, at today’s rate, $1.81, or 1.36 Euro, so let it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>run all day, they say. If a person cannot pay
3 laris (GEL) for water per month, will they really buy a pair of shoes at
Steve Madden in the bran new Tbilisi Mall for 100 laris? What will they do so
that their children can?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sugar was 1
lari per kilo at Carrefour this week. The masses came. Many came just to buy
sugar, although rice, oats and buckwheat were also available. It is peach
season, and “muraba” is also in season. The world over, we make jam. Sugar is
the drug of the poor. People were fighting to get to it, to shovel it into
bags, since it was sold out of 100kilos bags set in a pile at the entrance of
the store. They were told to not overfill their bags, but, used to having
nothing, they filled them to the rim, for abundance feels good, and were then
incapable of closing them to get weighed. Sugar was on the floor everywhere,
and they didn’t see it. People were rushing and cutting in line trying to get
their sugar weighed by a non-descript, average Georgian woman. The crowd was
getting angry. They needed their drug. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">That was,
of course, the way for Carrefour to attract them to the place, and make them
look at the rest. A population that has been used to buying local products
coming fresh from local farms who cannot sell to anyone else, is suddenly
confronted with the world of Nestlé, Coke, Marlboro and Sony. After all, why
couldn’t they buy that for their children? They deserve it, right? So,
Carrefour positioned a very slim, very scantily dressed, young and beautiful
Georgian woman at the cashier's stands, and she asks all the men “Do you need
cigarettes?” You see, she is the cigarette girl. Few are the pleasures of the
Georgians. One of them is nicotine. The second is food. Appeal to their sexual
fantasies to buy cigarettes they cannot afford by the carton..Makes sense,
really..<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sugar, the
great pacifier of the masses. So few people here are obese, that in public
transportation on the way to Carrefour,…, a very heavy man made his way into
the bus. Under American standards, he was heavy, and not obese. When he left at
his stop, the men talked about him as the refuse of society..It will be
interesting to see what the obesity percentages will be in 10 or 20 years in
Georgia. The appeal of ready-made, and somewhat cheaper food at the one large
supermarket Carrefour, will leave its mark, to be sure. Little local markets
that make the foreign visitors take pictures will soon be a thing of the past.
Fresh will be replaced by cellophane goods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH7F0qwvbxG88NiPXbGNY489Pg4HTc4M2igyByISiRxkUUnBobJFwlS9FZJk_YYF7tTcOjyCC_CYaGp_-PK93qiD5OqEvO2vbfc0l6Yzr-MMnz5c_LMKWd67rofZ7vQlQBgMWhafT0b4/s1600/IMG_6955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH7F0qwvbxG88NiPXbGNY489Pg4HTc4M2igyByISiRxkUUnBobJFwlS9FZJk_YYF7tTcOjyCC_CYaGp_-PK93qiD5OqEvO2vbfc0l6Yzr-MMnz5c_LMKWd67rofZ7vQlQBgMWhafT0b4/s320/IMG_6955.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the
meantime, in this fine little morning, the local little lady announces in the
street “bulkebi ak aris”, or “the sweet rolls are here”. She is a leftover of
the soviet society. All dressed in black, and quite cute in her way, she has
baked them herself in her home, and goes from building to building in this
ghetto where our apartment is, just to earn a living. You see, if you worked
all your life, you get no retirement here. Every person is allotted about 50$/month as a retirement. The Soviets took the work records
with them. No reward for your lifetime of investment. She has to bake to live. Her husband is maybe ill, or dead, so she will do it until she dies..So people will peek out of the window, see the children play on the newly
sanded playground where a covered table and benches have been added to, so that
the mothers can see their children happy in the summer morning, and think
“Well, she is a nice little old lady, but I can buy croissants from France
cheaper at Carrefour”..</span></span></div>
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I'd rather have the <em>bulki..</em></div>
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How about you?</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.716667 44.783332999999971 41.716667 44.783332999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-19646804095377141122013-07-02T14:14:00.000+02:002018-08-30T17:37:44.388+02:00Kakheti, the place to go for wine.. TSINANDALI, ALAVERDI and SIRNARI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /> Here we continue in the Kakheti region, with its reputation for great wines and great food. </h4>
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Another fun-filled time!<br />
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TSINANDALI, where you can see the home of the Chavchavadze family, in Georgian: <span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">ჭავჭავაძე </span><br />
The family is famous for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilia_Chavchavadze" target="_blank">Ilia C.</a> who was a great poet of the 19th Century. The house in the town of Tsinandali is something to see. Although the tour is done in Georgian, it is worth taking. The grounds are very nice too. It is calm and interesting.<br />
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A few pics to put you in the spirit...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzlpF4IPgvT94_NSWwyBln9t89IvMt6inOpAKXO_xm5GyLGJ03LQunCO_aXek40N6vwHvRwutrzjeyQbZM9_LHKx0tk3Xb7DdUFlQP-Jsbmj7qQgTRykICnGP6cjp7EcVnwIEMIbgXio/s640/david+garedja+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzlpF4IPgvT94_NSWwyBln9t89IvMt6inOpAKXO_xm5GyLGJ03LQunCO_aXek40N6vwHvRwutrzjeyQbZM9_LHKx0tk3Xb7DdUFlQP-Jsbmj7qQgTRykICnGP6cjp7EcVnwIEMIbgXio/s200/david+garedja+2.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a>David Garedja Monastery. I personally love the second pic...Now, that is monastic!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYd1DkUsATOAH_NErSlPjNxQ2UfaqiGzaYMP6HZKI5_P-BJgnPsSDLssHrbvwgKYu_jG4t6KVmpjaO9BVYGmeeCq9KJBdeWrgatRo8nq79F2oJ3eQ7NjxVaQSJyutVYBFG0zmS4Ps3c0/s640/david+garedja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMYd1DkUsATOAH_NErSlPjNxQ2UfaqiGzaYMP6HZKI5_P-BJgnPsSDLssHrbvwgKYu_jG4t6KVmpjaO9BVYGmeeCq9KJBdeWrgatRo8nq79F2oJ3eQ7NjxVaQSJyutVYBFG0zmS4Ps3c0/s200/david+garedja.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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If I were a monk, which of course is not likely to happen soon...this would be my house!<br />
I think that looks like a great house for a hobbit!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_C-l68QZVEvq93eFhcznkYl29GnzGUMFBhGR9GZ4PUqhPSQys5P-iooKj4CpEE3Sgf2j_fZofQEiHgXcFhEvewoMNCVHGQ5We0l3N2jEdVB3warO7tQD87jQIcslvwgR40ULS6TxkAE/s1600/IMG_1066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_C-l68QZVEvq93eFhcznkYl29GnzGUMFBhGR9GZ4PUqhPSQys5P-iooKj4CpEE3Sgf2j_fZofQEiHgXcFhEvewoMNCVHGQ5We0l3N2jEdVB3warO7tQD87jQIcslvwgR40ULS6TxkAE/s320/IMG_1066.JPG" width="160" /></a><br />
<strong>Kakheti</strong> is famous for its wines. They say that wine originated in Georgia, with grape stocks dating millennia! Here is a fun rendition of the Georgian passtime. As seen on the wall of the wine cellar of the Chavchavadze Princes residence in Tsinandali. Here, you see the place where the princes would enjoy the wine, right in the cellar. The storage of the bottles in quite interesting, too. These bottles are too close to the general public to be valuable, no doubt. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbijvVFJ_6nu6eP9sM2BEBYf0myV6OtWghdnCsKMxZJ2itl7CrkGc26ahGW9w1bUaXNe59agGlL9L72uioIi7PVJSMOjSbE5Khf8PSgJtfEdTrMCR-n2X5qfQhszCy4TkWidYOkHKe9jE/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbijvVFJ_6nu6eP9sM2BEBYf0myV6OtWghdnCsKMxZJ2itl7CrkGc26ahGW9w1bUaXNe59agGlL9L72uioIi7PVJSMOjSbE5Khf8PSgJtfEdTrMCR-n2X5qfQhszCy4TkWidYOkHKe9jE/s320/IMG_1144.JPG" width="350" /></a>In <strong>ALAVERDI</strong>, a few miles from <strong>Telavi</strong>, the Monastery is a wonderful place to visit. It is very quiet, in the middle of a great valley, and surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains. The monks live there in peace, so you will need to be respectful, and to dress accordingly. No pants for ladies, no shorts, no tank tops for anyone. They do have "coverings" for those who do not have the proper clothing. If you are a lady, you are supposed to cover your head in the cathedral. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeunf1tzAVX-e4_8CnIjsI9TDYYGtOSsHXKYXjunQG7ErilO8T3vziyrnbti6OGTP5U3QYyZVLIZdeSBCED3EBfZYC44_uQs2uxCH9kgNCjeSOfoF_kNBWlgd-TdXGLQmW6mjf4TnrbR0/s1600/IMG_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeunf1tzAVX-e4_8CnIjsI9TDYYGtOSsHXKYXjunQG7ErilO8T3vziyrnbti6OGTP5U3QYyZVLIZdeSBCED3EBfZYC44_uQs2uxCH9kgNCjeSOfoF_kNBWlgd-TdXGLQmW6mjf4TnrbR0/s320/IMG_1108.JPG" width="160" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR8hVmQyLoADZTrInqIbuGTn0u8ZBM8agDa5D2jKlXjn8CELH9aYtSJAigx6GEg-ihn57VHEXcZhdS7W3nZTzhMXHQ8LYyZNxfTyv80acOP5xPBbmT7JLDlkPBGG4mZhrRHI7t7R2CXE/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR8hVmQyLoADZTrInqIbuGTn0u8ZBM8agDa5D2jKlXjn8CELH9aYtSJAigx6GEg-ihn57VHEXcZhdS7W3nZTzhMXHQ8LYyZNxfTyv80acOP5xPBbmT7JLDlkPBGG4mZhrRHI7t7R2CXE/s320/IMG_1117.JPG" width="160" /></a>It is really a very beautiful place. It has suffered much from an earthquake in 2002, and since it is several centuries old, it is menacing to fall down, if no restoration is coming soon. </div>
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We saw this in the evening, when a great thunderstorm was upon us. As we were leaving, after being stuck on the parking lot with car problems for over 2 hours, the bells tolled. It was a magical time. We never got a drop of rain on us.. Yeah, there is peace there...</div>
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The frescoes inside are incredible. I admit I took them as no one was present, but it is not allowed. May I be forgiven for that..The rest of our day was trying enough to make up for that transgression, I think..</div>
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The orthodox monks are quite self-sufficient. They have planted olive trees, and here, peach trees, where bees make honey below them. Think of how great the honey is going to taste. They have grapes, evidently, for they are well known for their making of wine. The monks no longer give tours to their inner courtyards, but you can see large clay pots or <em>qvevri</em> in front of their living quarters. They also grow veggies. <br />
A big recommendation for this magnificent monastery, one of the main stops in Georgia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUQQd_LIwe0w4y3Ov098c6pNWsSM_BwPwODm0Vb70bnqk5iSEeFOJc0CvKVqg2OFtw1Lo9LEVebRhLfbowZ8eC3Bkjd5C0OKohphcBpT-ZdfJcHdc6XI5JGidjCnSxUoRtP2Af9K4rE0/s1600/IMG_7686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUQQd_LIwe0w4y3Ov098c6pNWsSM_BwPwODm0Vb70bnqk5iSEeFOJc0CvKVqg2OFtw1Lo9LEVebRhLfbowZ8eC3Bkjd5C0OKohphcBpT-ZdfJcHdc6XI5JGidjCnSxUoRtP2Af9K4rE0/s320/IMG_7686.JPG" width="226" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4F_NjEgYpOGWFuuUSUloNUzj3OZRdu01Z2jjIuGlo23Hb0JDrLed4sLzSIZ9JIUs523Mm-d16PQOH3fg5gPUlXCDx2Jt77FsQP-kkuImOYSUlbNcdM4ZAUv4V4dzhzNkUjFTdgwhhFk/s1600/IMG_7690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4F_NjEgYpOGWFuuUSUloNUzj3OZRdu01Z2jjIuGlo23Hb0JDrLed4sLzSIZ9JIUs523Mm-d16PQOH3fg5gPUlXCDx2Jt77FsQP-kkuImOYSUlbNcdM4ZAUv4V4dzhzNkUjFTdgwhhFk/s320/IMG_7690.JPG" width="160" /></a>In TELAVI, Pirosmani is a good restaurant with regular prices and visited by locals, it seems. It is in the center of town, on the way to the Persian Castle, on the left. It is a doukani, and is below the street level. Enjoy a great meal, and a great Georgian beer!<br />
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Make sure to visit <strong>SIRNARI</strong>, sometimes written "Sighnaghi". Although the Georgian government is trying to make it the mecca of tourism, and the only place to go in Kakheti, it is placed in a very interesting region, high up on the mountains, and it does need to be a stop on your tour, but not the only one...This wall is particularly cool in <strong>Sirnari, </strong>south of Telavi. It is on the main plaza, below the Sirnari Museum. The museum also holds several originals from Pirosmani, the great Georgian painter. <br />
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Sirnari is a very nice little village, with good restaurants and lodging, but its prices are getting to be a bit high. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSo1Tqp84p91zZBHxBEvi4APURsd1rtlipR8bYoX3Vd_Hv6KXshbWpw2foKs3Pe8WFVbWtgIkrs-N-kCocBqMeVz9dcJawI4_fJfoEfqtFXtKrMNI78y0o-KAi8NUPXM29GRB6xOVLtw/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSo1Tqp84p91zZBHxBEvi4APURsd1rtlipR8bYoX3Vd_Hv6KXshbWpw2foKs3Pe8WFVbWtgIkrs-N-kCocBqMeVz9dcJawI4_fJfoEfqtFXtKrMNI78y0o-KAi8NUPXM29GRB6xOVLtw/s200/IMG_0113.JPG" width="133" /></a>This is a glass of homemade wine<br />
from the Rkatsiteli grape stock.<br />
I do believe that is what you came for....</div>
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Looks as rich as it tastes!<br />
Gaumarjos!</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Telavi, Georgia41.916667 45.48333300000001641.869411 45.402652000000018 41.963922999999994 45.564014000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-85555223241237083002013-06-10T20:23:00.000+02:002021-01-09T04:15:07.076+01:00the Georgian National Museum. Simon Janashia Museum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Georgian Janashia National Museum</h2>
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The golden treasures of the Colchis Region are on display in the <a href="http://www.menuvoyage.com/colchis-gold-gastronomy-and-culture.html" target="_blank">Georgian National Museum</a>.</div>
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This museum in on the main street, Rustaveli Boulevard.</div>
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It is an ABSOLUTE MUST SEE!!</div>
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This fibula is only about 2 centimeters high!!! The detail work in Georgian gold is absolutely incredible. Note the color of the gold in Georgia, a golden caramel hue. Magnificent!</div>
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In Georgia, gold abounded in the rivers. The gold panners would lay sheep skins in the bottom of the river, the gold flakes would attach themselves to the skin while the water ran down, then, they would hang the skins on trees to dry. Hence the legend of the Golden Fleece...<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lovely lion (<i>lomi </i> in Georgian) is tiny,<br>
but it is solid gold!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcy1RgJu1PWQTD70JMa3a-7i8PlTdrSrLUV2yRm3dekgNOhh9cSIQ_WHFNBbQ92HnwAToCFGhWSlK3o8JI0tkWCl3J2efv1AbRUOZWan3NhNbG_0_bbnGvWUo0pK_A7KgixSZNyIlU2o/s1600/round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcy1RgJu1PWQTD70JMa3a-7i8PlTdrSrLUV2yRm3dekgNOhh9cSIQ_WHFNBbQ92HnwAToCFGhWSlK3o8JI0tkWCl3J2efv1AbRUOZWan3NhNbG_0_bbnGvWUo0pK_A7KgixSZNyIlU2o/s320/round.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
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This button used on armors is very intricate.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhw89CgW1LpASIN32rNk1vU8EyfMB1ll4qZUQq4-9W5TVjvM_dMU_HMxgAFqoTkSrvCg9qsjhV07GVemTGyHd4t7xJ1IVF0MGBFOwwa_yw9nhyphenhyphenf1OL7JcEL-E2TryWMtVeYUZKAbWut8/s1600/silver+dish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhhw89CgW1LpASIN32rNk1vU8EyfMB1ll4qZUQq4-9W5TVjvM_dMU_HMxgAFqoTkSrvCg9qsjhV07GVemTGyHd4t7xJ1IVF0MGBFOwwa_yw9nhyphenhyphenf1OL7JcEL-E2TryWMtVeYUZKAbWut8/s320/silver+dish.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A silver vessel</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqEtHBdRP9ObHYB81PgkQIu5yGKMvOHTYwS1im-y4vnPuJYyK1KUXtpwhdEuFdDu-xhlPvkJIUb6tOTACCZCocV2OefSaBN_YdsZgZ-Oqn50jkUEcjRsktCDLRb1YvGpw3tXUO-lEn1s/s1600/statue+and+necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqEtHBdRP9ObHYB81PgkQIu5yGKMvOHTYwS1im-y4vnPuJYyK1KUXtpwhdEuFdDu-xhlPvkJIUb6tOTACCZCocV2OefSaBN_YdsZgZ-Oqn50jkUEcjRsktCDLRb1YvGpw3tXUO-lEn1s/s200/statue+and+necklace.jpg" width="145"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-ywf4zeChC65qXV5p_8hnJoeAagKMEbT9DPa-camIQ4lQqo1h7vi2l_aMWCtSK7wFPbxqLv3CDb0RS8qI2fpMm8sJHG8lL1nWOKumcm5qU-ILlxvfguNlDoWSmN5veq1hkLFxC6r-DA/s1600/necklace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-ywf4zeChC65qXV5p_8hnJoeAagKMEbT9DPa-camIQ4lQqo1h7vi2l_aMWCtSK7wFPbxqLv3CDb0RS8qI2fpMm8sJHG8lL1nWOKumcm5qU-ILlxvfguNlDoWSmN5veq1hkLFxC6r-DA/s200/necklace.jpg" width="196"></a>Necklaces abound and they are made of cloisonné in precious and semi-precious stones.<br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FkkotQe9RoxP8HFc1E9rjPGZ6inN4Hd1eTIKrd71Fx-GdNjCxDrMyW4D5jvSoKy9xF6VW_v73MTuT5kpNEvYvfL3duMUehMw3yAchrGlKhikSFZn8y7-ejKDW6-PgfNc-8jvd7ss8RA/s1600/IMG_2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FkkotQe9RoxP8HFc1E9rjPGZ6inN4Hd1eTIKrd71Fx-GdNjCxDrMyW4D5jvSoKy9xF6VW_v73MTuT5kpNEvYvfL3duMUehMw3yAchrGlKhikSFZn8y7-ejKDW6-PgfNc-8jvd7ss8RA/s200/IMG_2822.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earrings about 7" long</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3apt-fSce0wTsJJODJDVwOvmrjYSEvi9nWqXbjKFG6qvrWCcOL-CerdUPtJ47O_643xZA4kKn2C5IcOML_5eBVSIAn-RB7hpGtzYyghMEiTCaly43IWTqZcgiw5f3RAqmeilNbW9BY8/s1600/IMG_2806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3apt-fSce0wTsJJODJDVwOvmrjYSEvi9nWqXbjKFG6qvrWCcOL-CerdUPtJ47O_643xZA4kKn2C5IcOML_5eBVSIAn-RB7hpGtzYyghMEiTCaly43IWTqZcgiw5f3RAqmeilNbW9BY8/s1600/IMG_2806.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
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A <em>qvevri</em>, the type of wine amphora that Georgians still bury in their cellars. They can contain hundreds of liter of <em>rvino</em>, or wine. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIja6HB8eotKDY1qCx_IfOWdlNbHZHG0klmJkco6Q53GU1_S9g9vUaFD6xA8nh80SUXZ_XLBCE2Q22KtrB4tOXsEBLgpfE3flfpcvvsbK11aRTLxSBqd_rtau22SwLp9FOpoxVO9OE6g/s1600/DSC03743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIja6HB8eotKDY1qCx_IfOWdlNbHZHG0klmJkco6Q53GU1_S9g9vUaFD6xA8nh80SUXZ_XLBCE2Q22KtrB4tOXsEBLgpfE3flfpcvvsbK11aRTLxSBqd_rtau22SwLp9FOpoxVO9OE6g/s200/DSC03743.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"> An interesting and expensive way to seal your</span>letters ..</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugE3WGjW2rV5XElLukAEkggwbQPvn1qkoz-AcCMnZrN3p0KNE9RU4soKXFaqzdIRMWyfw-DogWNYCh-HHQ0GDSOuuZm7Y_W8X30pE7QROsgDfzZq8RiCPFaxL3GLgFjZwwDJOvPiLgPU/s1600/DSC03813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugE3WGjW2rV5XElLukAEkggwbQPvn1qkoz-AcCMnZrN3p0KNE9RU4soKXFaqzdIRMWyfw-DogWNYCh-HHQ0GDSOuuZm7Y_W8X30pE7QROsgDfzZq8RiCPFaxL3GLgFjZwwDJOvPiLgPU/s200/DSC03813.jpg" width="200"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1F4wGWO18Myc3_08z8cwviZ5T0TH3kb1nUSrZri3vRq3a537b55RWPpfPXwOvj4mLixy367vbzecdjNS6VWTNkjSMAMfFxaJkKL_3lI937LErR9StHXUcZDTuF7181hh_QzQlixlxPes/s1600/tskheni+luka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1F4wGWO18Myc3_08z8cwviZ5T0TH3kb1nUSrZri3vRq3a537b55RWPpfPXwOvj4mLixy367vbzecdjNS6VWTNkjSMAMfFxaJkKL_3lI937LErR9StHXUcZDTuF7181hh_QzQlixlxPes/s1600/tskheni+luka.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A horse!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1B-cHpPLZi6-UQLEGqbK2kwa0w7Y_7YdwTaTvOOa4rMCmtnimvTTwj1xbwjfadeGobJ1lldGTHjVSuwtII0F5plntvvTJEsg5aH6Fq8Um3xzdt6_zZJF6INbtxHZK2lhmSWNiBFi9Ec/s1600/writing+set+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1B-cHpPLZi6-UQLEGqbK2kwa0w7Y_7YdwTaTvOOa4rMCmtnimvTTwj1xbwjfadeGobJ1lldGTHjVSuwtII0F5plntvvTJEsg5aH6Fq8Um3xzdt6_zZJF6INbtxHZK2lhmSWNiBFi9Ec/s320/writing+set+2.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
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Writing set inspired by the Greeks with stylus</div>
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For more information on this stunning museum, go to:</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Janashia_Museum_of_Georgia">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Janashia_Museum_of_Georgia</a></div>
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So glad you came to visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.</div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-30591016614834008112013-04-30T20:37:00.002+02:002018-08-27T11:13:55.476+02:00Ormotsi = a celebration of life 40 days after the death of a person inGeorgia.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Ormotsi: meaning 40, as in 40 days after the passing of a loved one..</h4>
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It is a big honor to be included in a supra, called <i>ormotsi, </i>in this case, and the honor came to me in 2008, when my sister-in-law's mom passed away. <br />
After the death, there is a week-long wake around the deceased, and this in her house, where she is on her bed, and visible to all who enter the bedroom. I had no desire to go in, since that was largely a foreign concept to me, and since I had just met the family, my place was certainly not there.<br />
So, for a week, the family and friends come in, and cry, sometimes very loudly, around their dearly departed. It is a form of mourning that is interesting in the way that the people, with their cries, really express themselves in a physical way, and this together. This form of unity in mourning really differs from what the Western world does.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx0Rk7QP_AORJXAx8kf0AzUqosKRH0AevtwWv6V-wXeEFMGo_oSNJ-sfY963qCZwOiidIW3JTKHmb7kWFQIJZDPAKQMZs0jTyvrF84EyMMDm6mMGYoeThw3rZyrdC3iCCGXWxo1lIYEQ/s1600/IMG_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCx0Rk7QP_AORJXAx8kf0AzUqosKRH0AevtwWv6V-wXeEFMGo_oSNJ-sfY963qCZwOiidIW3JTKHmb7kWFQIJZDPAKQMZs0jTyvrF84EyMMDm6mMGYoeThw3rZyrdC3iCCGXWxo1lIYEQ/s320/IMG_0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Then, a week later, the body is taken out of the house, accompanied by loud cries from the family and friends, and the casket is left open and placed on the shoulders of the carrying team, usually family members. In that case, her sons did. Then, the walking procession starts to the cemetery, still in a very vocal way. It was frankly heart-wrenching, but the family was so exhausted from crying, that they hardly seem to notice the world around. You will excuse the lack of pictures of this ordeal, of course, as I felt it totally inappropriate to take any. <br />
The casket is then closed, put in the ground, and an orthodox priest says a few words, incense is being burned, and then the soil is added to the hole. When filled, the children, grown and young, throw themselves on the mound and cry more. This display of affection was to me a great introduction to the meaning of family in Georgia. Family ties are incredibly strong, partially, I suppose, because they live together with older and younger generations. Always a grandma on hand, or a grandpa, and they absolutely adore their children and grandchildren, tell them so all day, and have physical contact, hugs and such very often. Coming from a civilization where you had to be "seen not heard", it was unreal to me..<br />
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So, the mound over the casket is not covered for a period of 40 days after the death. It allows the soul of the dead to rise up. The final stone is put on the 40th day, with a ceremony not unlike the burial itself, but more subdued..All the personal papers of the deceased, such as passport and ID papers, are also put into the casket, sealing the "forever" part of the death..ormotsi means 40, and therefore the celebration of life is called <i style="font-weight: bold;">ormotsi</i>, since it has been exactly 40 days.<br />
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then, the party starts!!<br />
Imagine hundreds of people, literally, coming to eat at your place.. I was told we were 300, but not all at the same time..People come in and contribute, give a certain amount of money, knowing it will more than cover what they will eat..A person sits at a single table, and takes in the contribution, and the names and amount are written in a special book, used, no doubt, to thank people later. no flowers are brought.<br />
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The amount of bread needed filled a room, there was stuff everywhere. It was awesome!<br />
and the feast was AMAZING!<br />
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This is what we ate:<br />
In order of appearance (I took notes.... :). Each line is one course..Keep in mind that it was during Lent, so most of the usual meat dishes had mushrooms instead..<br />
-radishes, sprigs of fresh tarragon, and green onions<br />
-lobiani: fresh bread filled with refried beans<br />
-cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes cut and on a plate together, with chopped cilantro<br />
-djondjoli, or pickled sprouts, and other pickled items<br />
-round corn cakes called <em>mchadi. </em>A bit like corn bread..but better..a specialty of Western Georgia<br />
-little blini with black mushrooms inside, rolled<br />
-cooked spinach<br />
-carrot salad<br />
-potato salad<br />
-cauliflower and walnut salad<br />
-hot red beans<br />
-<em>chakapuli</em>, which could have been meat, but was mushroom, with red spices<br />
-in a tiny cup: wheat berries, honey and walnuts(that was wonderful)<br />
-mashed potatoes and dill weed<br />
-<em>adjapsandali</em>, a sort of ratatouille with eggplants, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes<br />
-fruit platter with bananas, cut apples and other season fruit<br />
-assorted cakes with cream, large slices<br />
-sweet rice and apricots</div>
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- chai tea and Georgian coffee<br />
and then, when they want the guests to leave, they serve <em>chilaplavi</em>, which is a rice dish, usually with mutton meat, but that day was mushroom). The guests then understand that it is the end of the meal..<br />
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-of course, all is served with copious amount of Georgian wines, mineral water and lemonade!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqXGeq-5HdsQdomNaFYR5oAZk63B_Zk22bjbaYN-US_j38fb-2IM1OOrtiAmSrcv6_tAd_dHHzzcOq4R3jspHc16V-zGLSjJXJFFpA6Irac22P8owGa4j6l0GFB8-Eu8su7yHRr2oD8s/s1600/IMG_3114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqXGeq-5HdsQdomNaFYR5oAZk63B_Zk22bjbaYN-US_j38fb-2IM1OOrtiAmSrcv6_tAd_dHHzzcOq4R3jspHc16V-zGLSjJXJFFpA6Irac22P8owGa4j6l0GFB8-Eu8su7yHRr2oD8s/s320/IMG_3114.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old tumb in the cemetery</td></tr>
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Georgian ladies are very often dressed in black. They wear their loss with their clothes, and follow a very strict rule of mourning periods. It is counted in months and years for family members. Therefore, a lady can have several members of the family pass away when she is in her fifties, which means that she will dressed in black for years. Along with the black clothing, she will also restrain from an fun activities, such as going to a restaurant or on vacation...Too strict for the average French girl , I'm afraid, but I have an immense respect for these women who wear their sorrow..It gives you a sense of loss, however, that I am not sure I could endure day after day.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Contact Giga on his Facebook page </span></div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Koda, Georgia41.5770621 44.77916210000000841.5770621 44.779162100000008 41.5770621 44.779162100000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-43878591844841460542013-03-12T12:33:00.001+01:002018-08-27T11:14:20.893+02:00SAMEBA and Easter rituals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2>
<b>Sameba, the religious heart of Tbilisi and Georgia</b></h2>
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Built in the last few years with money partly given by the new Prime Minister, soon to be president(2013), Bidzina Ivanishvili, this beautiful set of buildings, as well as the main church, is really a wonderful place to visit!</div>
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You get to Sameba by going up a very very steep hill, so it is a good idea to first stop at the little shops down below in the Avlabari neighborhood and load up on khatchapuri..You will need the calories! They make a fantastic <i> lobiani, </i>the bread stuffed with beans. Only buy it if it is hot. Otherwise, it is dry and not so great.<br />
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Sameba is surrounded by lesser churches within the site. They are also worth seeing. </div>
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You enter through a massive door and on both sides, you have possibilities to buys "santelis", or little candles, to put in front of the icons. Ladies are ok to come in head uncovered, but it is better to have a scarf handy, or you will feel out of place.</div>
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I entered Sameba for the first time with my sister-in-law Nana, at the height of a service. It is strange, for a person who is non-orthodox, to see that while the office is going, and the priest is reciting its litanies, the people are in constant movement around the interior of the cathedral, saluting and praying in front of the icons. Those icons are magnificent, and that is not enough of a word, really. They area larger than life-size...</div>
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Judge for yourself!</div>
This one, of the Archangel Michael is literally THICK with gold! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbv925VF8j1cqKwI1cQqXaLgsl0otpjXuF9aGPQSquENYVLe-bdm_1W36n0vfAnmUmhIsNdOKWoqovUha80kHEGaaDPoJ0y4S7_yds4Kt0WKMsaQeif6h1xDI9WPScOZLJAIlPJVvfws/s1600/IMG_2713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbv925VF8j1cqKwI1cQqXaLgsl0otpjXuF9aGPQSquENYVLe-bdm_1W36n0vfAnmUmhIsNdOKWoqovUha80kHEGaaDPoJ0y4S7_yds4Kt0WKMsaQeif6h1xDI9WPScOZLJAIlPJVvfws/s320/IMG_2713.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint Georges, of course! <br />
He always has a red cape. <br />
That is how you will recognize him..</td></tr>
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When services are ongoing, you can not see, or approach this! It is full of people moving, making the stops, lighting candles and moving to the next icon. All the while, the priest reads, prays and swings incense. An interesting experience, when you compare it to the Catholics in France, where a sermon is nothing than you being told what to do, while you freeze your b... on a bench.. :)<br />
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It is an interesting experience, to be welcomed in a church which is not of "your religion". I am not a practicing Catholic, let's make that clear, but well, the mysticism associated with religion is certainly source for questions. Did you know that the Orthodox is the one religion (except for budhism, but that is not considered a true religion, rather a way of life) that didn't kill or start wars because or for its religious beliefs? </div>
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Interesting, eh? </div>
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<u>ARDGOMA means Easter in Georgian</u><br />
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So, in this time of Easter (celebrated on May 5th this year in Georgia), things are heavy in the life of a practicing Orthodox. Meat is not eaten, fat is not permitted either, so no animal products, cheese or cheese products either. There is even a period when ladies are not allowed to garden, or to touch the earth. So, people replace meat with <i>soko</i> (mushrooms) and make wonderful dishes with those. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxlMpAIni0X4CHM9YYLYvRUhrrG6ZYmUSYvIbq0PDBYhRMbdRKwOasQcMlkZv0Yskbe74VER9ASN1EObXgNQV8z8GM9EOBSjk2IqzcVoT62R5sV_bakkhH9gbfSYir5XrNHd2gzRCpWs/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxlMpAIni0X4CHM9YYLYvRUhrrG6ZYmUSYvIbq0PDBYhRMbdRKwOasQcMlkZv0Yskbe74VER9ASN1EObXgNQV8z8GM9EOBSjk2IqzcVoT62R5sV_bakkhH9gbfSYir5XrNHd2gzRCpWs/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Easter Bread, or "<i>paska</i>". <br />
A sweet buttery bread..</td></tr>
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Easter is however a time for rejoice, one of the great days in the Georgian calendar. People go to the <i>sasaplao</i> (cemetery) and clean up the tombs, take out the weeds and plant lovely flowers. They also make it a family gathering around the tombs and bring a feast to be shared with the departed. <br />
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We were very lucky to see Sameba tonight while the church's rugs were being washed outside. What a pleasure of colors charmed our eyes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2H0lQwUrZ4ZCbfyA2kIis7O9JKegwNS3JEqxuukQGP5P_u_oxUaTaawgxNOAKidT6q6gp-D-C2tLSiAF1KX_Knquracjk3bH3GcsozhQaObJGEJJpTU1J2E-xHWFgCen8LgiylFGxoI/s1600/IMG_7148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2H0lQwUrZ4ZCbfyA2kIis7O9JKegwNS3JEqxuukQGP5P_u_oxUaTaawgxNOAKidT6q6gp-D-C2tLSiAF1KX_Knquracjk3bH3GcsozhQaObJGEJJpTU1J2E-xHWFgCen8LgiylFGxoI/s200/IMG_7148.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rugs are drying<br />
after a deep cleaning<br />
with soap and a high pressure hose!</td></tr>
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The sheer array of patterns was incredible!<br />
Keep in mind those are very, very old rugs.<br />
To say nothing of the price they must have cost..<br />
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These are what we describe as "Persian rugs"<br />
in the Western society. They are amazing up close.<br />
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I counted over 20 of those rugs,<br />
and I just assume not all of them were out at once..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUs3frZlGHDBNsxt_nAqVqEGNTPuoOk0OB90zrqV2Iw7_piaU8rEdcqZzhaW0HHLRIPAhpy1G7EM7SKqKdqaYFSzA5nTZyKvxOt0yYeeDtUr9Nse8L1SUu4Wz5VSfbx2dLkSZDjjZpuKw/s1600/IMG_7171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUs3frZlGHDBNsxt_nAqVqEGNTPuoOk0OB90zrqV2Iw7_piaU8rEdcqZzhaW0HHLRIPAhpy1G7EM7SKqKdqaYFSzA5nTZyKvxOt0yYeeDtUr9Nse8L1SUu4Wz5VSfbx2dLkSZDjjZpuKw/s320/IMG_7171.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGVfvOqzPP4hhR4iV8wX2t3xnoliMCZS0SSilFw-sKtc6WF8v25UlDjoChfWSlTqHCmUqWAfOXIZB3g8ZPoCN39notVXJq252EmjlaMraxmaNw7K3E4kVCAnWCcTK9fDc3C9_nLeOdZw/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGVfvOqzPP4hhR4iV8wX2t3xnoliMCZS0SSilFw-sKtc6WF8v25UlDjoChfWSlTqHCmUqWAfOXIZB3g8ZPoCN39notVXJq252EmjlaMraxmaNw7K3E4kVCAnWCcTK9fDc3C9_nLeOdZw/s320/IMG_7175.JPG" width="240" /></a>I love this pic! If I had been able to stay longer, I would have nailed the shot a little better, but the person washing the rug was just above with a firehose!! And water was coming out of it, of course...<br />
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St Georges and his red cape again..<br />
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What a beautiful view in the evening sun!</div>
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If you are visiting Sameba someday, don't miss going to the little restaurant at the bottom of the staircase that sells lemonades. There, try the one with "<i>tarhuna"</i>. Let me know what you think!<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #274e13;">Cemeterie</span>s</strong> are an odd thing in Georgia, but they have a certain peaceful feeling.<br />
Here is what happens at Easter time.<br />
No one would think of NOT doing this..<br />
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Irises are all cleaned up in the tombs of Tamazi's parents. Every tomb has a table next to it, so that the family can come and have a meal with the departed. Wine will also be shared with them, poured over the graves and a great toast pronounced.<br />
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It is ok to walk over the graves and to talk to the departed. Frankly, I see that as a healthy way to treat death. It keeps the ties with the family members that are gone. You share a glass of wine with them, you talk to them. It makes people feel good. It doesn't mean that tears do not fall on the earth..<br />
This lady was buried in Koda, a small village on the plateau that overlooks Tbilisi. It was over a hundred years ago..or so. She is as beautiful in death as she was in life. </div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.716667 44.783332999999971 41.716667 44.783332999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-80627136537388233512010-06-30T00:08:00.002+02:002018-08-27T11:15:00.339+02:00People of Georgia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So glad you came to visit. Please feel free to leave a comment.</div>
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<h4>
The people of Georgia</h4>
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Seems they come from a different time, a time of fear and darkness. They remember it, and base, of course, their lives of today on the fears of the possible return of the dark times.<br />
In their lives, they have lived and seen abundance, hunger, fear, happiness, war. They still remember when everyone had a job, everyone was trained for a job, everyone had a right to go to school for free. Then, at the same time, those same people remember the lock on their frontiers, the forbidden products, like records back then, and anything seen as subversive, anything coming from the Western world. They remember sharing jeans, because they were so expensive. Now, hardly anyone has a job, people struggle each day to earn a very meager living. What system, they ask themselves, is the better one? Interesting dilemna! Would you want a sure job, and no possible way to leave your country, where you are in very restricted freedom? Or would you like a society where business is now possible, but you don't have any security at all?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkJBLN0whyphenhyphenTYTvuqdf_qJLRVu3es_7k5XTEVF0VCvTPfj0EeQgD5MhuKEom0gCG-vjJevgNiMb4P9Jv9BbfecPiFyMxcMjN6buhxpvbcN1k4VZvDxQYo-5H4rOdXeu3hUK6_aGIG8u6s/s1600/IMG_6853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkJBLN0whyphenhyphenTYTvuqdf_qJLRVu3es_7k5XTEVF0VCvTPfj0EeQgD5MhuKEom0gCG-vjJevgNiMb4P9Jv9BbfecPiFyMxcMjN6buhxpvbcN1k4VZvDxQYo-5H4rOdXeu3hUK6_aGIG8u6s/s200/IMG_6853.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
This man sells hats on the Black Sea. He is blind. All day, he sits in his trailer and sells hats. What he did in his "former" life, I cannot tell you. He takes your money and trusts you on the amount you give him. His family makes the hats to survive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrhel2l8Hpr6SbA6V4ukDBis_rRyOvag1CHsWmqAN2rVl532bfCDzonZVqYbwgmTiFyvJ-u_2L00LSGhGzLq7P5gPL8un9QPGEeEuNPsrMFg7hyjs-1wfs_gEf8RKPCu9dwfhSzo5MNQ/s1600/IMG_6854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrhel2l8Hpr6SbA6V4ukDBis_rRyOvag1CHsWmqAN2rVl532bfCDzonZVqYbwgmTiFyvJ-u_2L00LSGhGzLq7P5gPL8un9QPGEeEuNPsrMFg7hyjs-1wfs_gEf8RKPCu9dwfhSzo5MNQ/s200/IMG_6854.JPG" width="178" /></a><br />
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This lady sells fish on the side of the road. The fish hang on strings at the edge of her stall. Passer or driver-bys stop and pick out the fish. She guts out your fish, wraps it, and you are set!<br />
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Here is an interesting little story:<br />
What do you suppose this lady is doing?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Eiz01egUc35YOgRNtZIBUF1Bj0npyEOa1S3HuRzGWMTiSLMbKbAekA-NfjYJop_J2v7ab4qu3l6wr0PuFGX0WLeIAGO16oppWKsvwmrKwZwtBmW7gbQCwzuNI84yQ7j_uzspOmSPLI/s1600/IMG_6989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1Eiz01egUc35YOgRNtZIBUF1Bj0npyEOa1S3HuRzGWMTiSLMbKbAekA-NfjYJop_J2v7ab4qu3l6wr0PuFGX0WLeIAGO16oppWKsvwmrKwZwtBmW7gbQCwzuNI84yQ7j_uzspOmSPLI/s200/IMG_6989.JPG" width="200" /></a> She is washing wool! In each of the netted bags, she has about 3 sheep shavings. The content of all 3 came out of 8 sheep. Brown or white sheep, it does not matter in this job...<br />
So, here it is. When she is done hosing and stumping on the wool, trying to remove all the dirt and such out of it, she will hang the bag from her balcony. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTduo9rnzmHMQQtZIbaAdO1I_SOgKLyMoJVuevlLlgzlLbPZ2qR6jCP24uojD6IFtQAwSvWr-8Rw3TnWNHIHF3-mzUBQCUBMWdKoSXaBMfb-K1X6uLPjqtOx0en-rpmhGbQJGyYzH_oo/s1600/IMG_6990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTduo9rnzmHMQQtZIbaAdO1I_SOgKLyMoJVuevlLlgzlLbPZ2qR6jCP24uojD6IFtQAwSvWr-8Rw3TnWNHIHF3-mzUBQCUBMWdKoSXaBMfb-K1X6uLPjqtOx0en-rpmhGbQJGyYzH_oo/s200/IMG_6990.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the morning, when the wool has dripped and dried, she will take a willow stick and beat it...That will fluff up the bag...Getting an idea of what she is making yet?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlJNFHGbtVmIrufRE-doqOyAZrJBjwNTHN865NvT4DEAa4S5mtf9mU257dsFT50BTw-ncuN5KAEO_c-DbLsaUyPDkDAgGxo4MOpQFwoa22xF-AQXiiHC5I1FDZmhupRglcg0ZtvviadE/s1600/IMG_6993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlJNFHGbtVmIrufRE-doqOyAZrJBjwNTHN865NvT4DEAa4S5mtf9mU257dsFT50BTw-ncuN5KAEO_c-DbLsaUyPDkDAgGxo4MOpQFwoa22xF-AQXiiHC5I1FDZmhupRglcg0ZtvviadE/s320/IMG_6993.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOY8_NZjaCL3mZFbLd5RR-BfU4CkFcaHFtSVS2Vp8KVp1zMKBsYIio5YtASn7GAKlNWlDzMGD9kyVAz1VyPZP7g1-gEOihBjgWLa_iJLKCH-JsU_0v3y0amT2-QHrwbjnUCSWorWyBNE/s1600/IMG_6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOY8_NZjaCL3mZFbLd5RR-BfU4CkFcaHFtSVS2Vp8KVp1zMKBsYIio5YtASn7GAKlNWlDzMGD9kyVAz1VyPZP7g1-gEOihBjgWLa_iJLKCH-JsU_0v3y0amT2-QHrwbjnUCSWorWyBNE/s320/IMG_6992.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Well, here is the answer:<br />
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She is going to fill her mattress with the new wool. Here in Georgia, the mattresses are made of wool around Tbilisi, while on the Black Sea coast, they use cotton, because the weather is more clement on the coast...<br />
Cool, no?<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD8rn9DLm9h7Rh17dEu9_z7fpf1uuTZZS8mWL3IUjSCVtXuxydKFo8T7_WGxeDhsQ6DPAOQ1wXoi9X8Qf8hz2-3XL9WXI5rH_YxFw6iGj1PBCNEXWEmIm4Uskz1TBkRcywPedm0F4LpQ/s1600/IMG_6811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD8rn9DLm9h7Rh17dEu9_z7fpf1uuTZZS8mWL3IUjSCVtXuxydKFo8T7_WGxeDhsQ6DPAOQ1wXoi9X8Qf8hz2-3XL9WXI5rH_YxFw6iGj1PBCNEXWEmIm4Uskz1TBkRcywPedm0F4LpQ/s320/IMG_6811.JPG" width="320" /></a>Another detail of importance: The beds have 2 mattresses, one for each person. The wool will end up making an "envelope", more than a mattress as we see it. It will be about 10 to 15cm high. Here you see the blue mattresses for single beds. It is not particularly fluffy, as you might have thought, but it is very comfortable. The idea that each person has his/her own mattress brings on some interesting discussions, but I have yet to think that it is a bad thing. The beds are usually quite large, about a king-size or a little less. Plenty of room to stretch out!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIL0UvL2jtUi9XNI_lJy2VK3BhBcGvRCYPKqVixDJteo8KCA0WeOv5zI7Wen8-bxE2IRTndZvnCgr_bZs3-SCQXI6sPMtk1r_srI3U7QhDdJdjZu72ip1m93G4fuZMR0k9ysIUMNuNtI/s1600/IMG_7010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIL0UvL2jtUi9XNI_lJy2VK3BhBcGvRCYPKqVixDJteo8KCA0WeOv5zI7Wen8-bxE2IRTndZvnCgr_bZs3-SCQXI6sPMtk1r_srI3U7QhDdJdjZu72ip1m93G4fuZMR0k9ysIUMNuNtI/s320/IMG_7010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow, Giga! You used to be soooo young!!</td></tr>
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Georgian people tend to be somewhat gloom about the situation in the country, but they are very rich emotionally. It comes from having lived at a period of turning points in their lifetime, having seen and first-hand experienced 2 completely different social and governmental systems, having had abundance, and lack of everything. They are amazing people, very resilient. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM0FjLuuIMQUq5Cc0QwqwYtG77OYAdy-foTZB-WDNhKc-yPn4qkdfaPCYKRPIIjTNgAI6t4xCVjtqjclIPSYu1yC9Uxse646WKZCZRvllnpI3bvpTo7CFrRJAtlq4opE0X0Nw2OlZnL8/s1600/IMG_6859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM0FjLuuIMQUq5Cc0QwqwYtG77OYAdy-foTZB-WDNhKc-yPn4qkdfaPCYKRPIIjTNgAI6t4xCVjtqjclIPSYu1yC9Uxse646WKZCZRvllnpI3bvpTo7CFrRJAtlq4opE0X0Nw2OlZnL8/s200/IMG_6859.JPG" width="150" /></a> ..and the new generation is coming right up. Same beliefs as the grandparents and the parents, but with a love for CocaCola and Wifi...Watch out world!<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-80890183081539144252010-02-07T09:41:00.006+01:002018-08-30T18:02:58.340+02:00the Georgian Language! ქართული ენა, kartuli ena<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h3>
ქართული ენა</h3>
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Oh, dear, oh, dear! The Georgian Language contains 33 letters, most of them recognizable in the English Language. Some sounds, totally unknown to Westerners. Glottal sounds that are somewhat impossible, even for a global chick like me.<br />
The alphabet is beautiful, a work of art!<br />
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Somewhat distantly related to some Greek letters, but not really, although the Greek influence has been recognized, it is also close to Basque, the language of another curious land. As a matter of fact, those two civilizations may have some ancient relationship. In the bookstores, they put those dictionaries together...Strange!<br />
Georgian is a poetic language. One example, to be pregnant, or "orsulad" is translated as having "two souls"..<br />
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There is no tonic accent, so it may sound a bit flat. This blogger took a long time to figure out that they were not constantly upset with each other, but simply, there was little intonation, and so it just sounded like they were upset. They are not. They are pretty calm people.<br />
There are no UPPER CASE letters in Georgian. Even first names don't start with a capital..<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">the questions marks are identical, commas, etc, too..</span></div>
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What is surprising in the language is that the order in which you put your words doesn't really matter. For example:<br />
"hungry me I am" is perfectly acceptable. "I am hungry" is acceptable too, but the emphasis is on "hungry", so it goes first.<br />
and...<br />
"am" would actually be "to be" so..."hungry me to be" would be how you would put that together.<br />
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When I first taught French to Georgians, I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. The sentences they were making in French sounded so strange! It wasn't until months later, when I started learning the language and bought a "go ahead and learn Georgian if you dare..."book, that I understood. They were translating word for word what they were trying to say in Georgian! Needless to say, if it is difficult for Georgians to learn French or English, it is just as difficult to learn Georgian for us!<br />
and no...it is not like Russian...Everybody thinks that, because the population speaks it very fluently(bilingual at birth they all are...). The alphabet is different, so that children learn the minimum of 3 alphabets before the age of 10: the Latin(French, English, Spanish, etc) alphabet, the Georgian alphabet, and the Russian alphabet..Let's institute that in our schools!<br />
It is true, however, that, if Russian was mandatory during the Soviet years, it is no longer required and many teenagers prefer to learn English. Many programs on television are in Russian, such as cartoons, and children are therefore still able to understand it. </div>
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Language is part of the individual. The individual is a representation of the language, and the country. It is only fitting that the Georgians be such a proud people. Their language is direct, to the point, but finite in its ways of describing feelings. They change their verb conjugations in fonction of their feelings. A preposition? Well, you can have prepositions, post-positions, and even positions...in the middle, to express a feeling! Those are complicated people! That is a complicated language! However, I heard that out of the many people who have tried, the Anglo-Saxons, or English speakers have actually been the most successful at it. Now, that is reassuring!<br />
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March 12th, 2013<br />
I have been taking lessons from our niece, the English teacher, for a few months now, and on Skype..Also bought a very good book, "Beginner's Georgian" by Dodona Kiziria. A very good book, it turns out, if you have already spent a few years trying to speak it, without trying to understand the grammar..That was my case: I know quite a bit of vocabulary, mainly nouns and adjectives, and the verbs were a mystery still. It turns out that after studying on my own in the book, I started to "get" the way to put things together. Needless to say, I am far from speaking it fluently, but now, it is no longer a big mass of sounds, it is starting to make some sense..<br />
So, yeah, the verbs are the toughest I have ever learned. I have a hard time figuring out when to use what, even with all the languages I learned over the years.. I thought Ancient Greek would help, and maybe it helps a bit, but only so far. I am thankful for having had the pleasure of a good linguistic base in my life, for it chases the fear of adopting a new language. But practicing on a regular basis does seem to help, of course. <br />
Now, if I could just figure out why verb forms change when the direct/indirect objects change, that would be helpful!<br />
:)<br />
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March 26th, 2013<br />
I now look forward to my lessons, oddly enough..The company of my dear Maia is bound to have something to do with it, of course.<br />
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I realized I didn't post the actual alphabet, so here is a little sample, with maybe even some real words<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">ღჯუკენგშწზხც</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ფძვთაპროლდჟ</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ჭჩყსმიტქბჰ</span></div>
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so much for the keyboard. No wonder I get lost..You must admit, it is very very pretty. If any of you have studied Greek, you will see "some ressemblance", granted...not much, but it does have a little of it. It is normal, as the Georgian alphabet, at least this one, was inspired by it. <br />
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ღომი : prononced "romi", with a hard "r". That is the equivalent of polenta in Georgia. A favorite in this family. The only difference is that romi there is white, and is mainly prepared by the Western Georgians. Good stuff..<br />
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გამარჯობა = gamarjoba, or "hello", but literally "May you be victorious!" Love that...<br />
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გული = guli, or "heart"<br />
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Not so difficult, when you have memorized the letters, eh?<br />
Now, if I could just remember all the cases..and the tenses...and the numbers..Good thing I have the rest of my life, eh?<br />
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too pretty..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfGVArRmd5SxR3k_0UiTdB1VFP7iavqT6OH2NIPBNAdFWQoFHvIPcKLAH6OjfkLOiO4Bf_Vmz4PXvGLMKQOaR59YsOjRGSdQkYXyc86Kz4rkkC6IkrLhxFw4NzoAdi31oAtyVKCjg1Fk/s1600/650px-Georgian_calligraphy_Georgian_alphabet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfGVArRmd5SxR3k_0UiTdB1VFP7iavqT6OH2NIPBNAdFWQoFHvIPcKLAH6OjfkLOiO4Bf_Vmz4PXvGLMKQOaR59YsOjRGSdQkYXyc86Kz4rkkC6IkrLhxFw4NzoAdi31oAtyVKCjg1Fk/s320/650px-Georgian_calligraphy_Georgian_alphabet2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5qtMoSa2JxyvkBmdRRsfFS5bKcWHMeNmlC4M0r_rAyLbUMAHIibhmsFqxAMsEUBBfwBF6bMcoqo0LNYpCkmCZ_YlwM6C2UeFXmLGB7Lg7wJMJrZXZLB3WlY-r6amh6cBsa8tJFos6Zo/s1600/rustaveli.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5qtMoSa2JxyvkBmdRRsfFS5bKcWHMeNmlC4M0r_rAyLbUMAHIibhmsFqxAMsEUBBfwBF6bMcoqo0LNYpCkmCZ_YlwM6C2UeFXmLGB7Lg7wJMJrZXZLB3WlY-r6amh6cBsa8tJFos6Zo/s1600/rustaveli.gif" /></a>One of the very famous writer in Georgia is Shota Rustaveli. In Georgian : <span lang="ka" xml:lang="ka">შოთა რუსთაველი</span></div>
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<span lang="ka" xml:lang="ka">He lived around 1100-1200 and wrote the epic poem "The Knight in a Panther's skin". It is a story of courtly love, chivalry and ladies in distress. </span></div>
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Rustaveli is also the large artery in the middle of Tbilisi, and most cities in Georgia. Walking Rustaveli is like walking the Champs-Elysees in Paris, although it is surely more expensive in Paris. <br />
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July 10th, 2013</div>
The first things I needed to learn in Georgian were the basics. Food stuff! How do you say "beer", for example..Actually, the Georgians, or <em>kartveli</em>, use a lot of Russian words. In this case, it is <em>piva</em>. The Georgian word is <em>ludi</em>, but I have yet to hear it refered as such.<br />
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So, here are some of my favorites:<br />
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eggplant: <em>badridjan, here prepared "nigosit",</em> which is ...full of walnut, and coriander, and tons of grated garlic.<br />
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tomato: <em>pamidori</em> this is from the Italians, pomadoro, or gold apple..<br />
milk: <em>rdzay</em><br />
yogurt: <em>matsoni</em><br />
walnut: <em>nigosi</em><br />
rabbit: <em>kurdreli</em><br />
bread: <em>puri </em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPxXtjKt7MBqrPA3F5jH9YTNleq7mwZQrcoaxFL_A_IpJQPlmoUl1UFL9ETo9vKW2ujBktjd56dXat-w_w1woWA4dag5y7Gl_BfOzTEci3_se9kGVdQ_rfTHcSPGVN9RSN74Nlo4QZOw/s1600/IMG_3208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPxXtjKt7MBqrPA3F5jH9YTNleq7mwZQrcoaxFL_A_IpJQPlmoUl1UFL9ETo9vKW2ujBktjd56dXat-w_w1woWA4dag5y7Gl_BfOzTEci3_se9kGVdQ_rfTHcSPGVN9RSN74Nlo4QZOw/s200/IMG_3208.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
the bread varieties depend on the shape and whether or not they are stuffed, so you will have:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_CfAthatmFVk5JcPJmROhICAPYk382p6VESu6XpDKHhj9pdaS11yjV7MzXu6fTkBdTDYz9mAerRZw-Sj4bl0_nkDmAhOEFZ49mTlFeDItYplS3j1cUTt_Qghp6bY77PnvPPSnF2Y8Bs/s1600/chotis+puri+guy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_CfAthatmFVk5JcPJmROhICAPYk382p6VESu6XpDKHhj9pdaS11yjV7MzXu6fTkBdTDYz9mAerRZw-Sj4bl0_nkDmAhOEFZ49mTlFeDItYplS3j1cUTt_Qghp6bY77PnvPPSnF2Y8Bs/s320/chotis+puri+guy.jpeg" width="232" /></a><em>chotispuri</em><br />
<em>khatchapuri</em><br />
<em>lobiani(with refried beans stuffed in the middle!)</em><br />
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<em>etc...</em><br />
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green or red pepper are <em>tsitsaka</em> which really bothered me, since I also love greek <em>tsatsiki</em>...made with yogurt and cucumber, which is<em> kitri</em> in Georgian, by the way... Love <i>tsatsiki </i>with <i>tsitsaka!</i><br />
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So have a wonderful dinner, everyone, which, if you are lucky, is called a<em> supra</em>! That is the most food you have ever had the chance to see at one time. Yeah for supras!!! <i>Supra </i>is also the word for <i>tablecloth! </i>That is always a good start, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJhO2kyDxnKjQOiROYQ2AMvGrfhWxddIAq1HhOGR-RskLRHLTXNl7Txyp58hJTj0dw-Fu6k-FeSiqUfQXoIjhoYlXMEM-YA3TgFqPZnu22i7lkXmZ567rRarNKYVjK3kPcfGPDNLI9Sc/s1600/fb+19513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJhO2kyDxnKjQOiROYQ2AMvGrfhWxddIAq1HhOGR-RskLRHLTXNl7Txyp58hJTj0dw-Fu6k-FeSiqUfQXoIjhoYlXMEM-YA3TgFqPZnu22i7lkXmZ567rRarNKYVjK3kPcfGPDNLI9Sc/s320/fb+19513.jpg" width="320" /></a>September 5th, 2013</div>
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After a month in Georgia, and a mountain of conversations around the dinner table, I realized my learning the verbs has increased my speech a minimum of 2-fold. I was able to order my entire dinner yesterday!</div>
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Figuring out the verb formation has led to sentences in more than the present tense. I can say what I did yesterday, and my plans for tomorrow, with a disgusting ratio of errors.. Oh, well..</div>
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Yesterday, while on tour in the palace of the Chavchavadze princes in Tsinandali, the guide decided to literally attack me with the historical stuff, in Georgian, of course! Always prepared with historical background, I swear I think I understood maybe a good 50%! She spoke of royal European families tied to the princes and their wives, so, 'twas easy.. </div>
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My favorite new words:</div>
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sashishi = dangerous. Can be used every second while driving..</div>
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sa interesoa! = how interesting! For when you didn't get what they said... :)</div>
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gabrazebuli = upset. It just sounds cool.</div>
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skhvanairi = different. The prononciation is real different too..</div>
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itsostkhlé = health. To be used when somebody sneezes. The equivalent of <i>gesundheit!</i></div>
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kmarkhopili = happy. Not to be confused with <i>kartopili, </i>which led me to say I was a ...potato! </div>
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Of course, nothing compares to my version of coffee, <i>nakeliani khava</i>, an unfortunate error that could have brought me <i>cow patty coffee </i>instead of <i>nalekiani khava</i>, Turkish coffee.. They will be repeating that one in the family for generations to come, no doubt..</div>
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and the winner is..</div>
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<strong>shlangi</strong> ! That would be... Rubber hose! Just too fun to say!</div>
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2014</div>
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Lessons are continuing with Maia, for conversation purposes, and with Thea here in France. She is a lovely Georgian woman I met last year. </div>
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Thea teaches me to read and write. In language acquisition, the process goes as follows: listening, speaking, reading, writing, thinking and then, the Golden Ticket : dreaming in Georgian! That is how children learn, and the most logical sequence to follow. Maybe I forgot to mention that I am a language teacher, a linguist, a polyglott, etc. Georgian is putting me through my paces and I do hurt when the lessons are over, especially when they tell me that "<i>ara"</i>, it is not correct..<br />
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Although I mastered individual letters, I had neglected one step when I studied them on my own, mainly, the way to write them. Do you start with the top of the "a" or the bottom? And yes, I was making the graphism of the letters incorrectly! Thea is fixing that, and so, I am attending my own private 1st grade...</div>
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Now, it is easier to write the words, because I have understood the flow. Although the letters do not touch, as in cursive writing, it is easier and faster to write a word if you know where to start the next letter!</div>
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Next, reading..since I have, for my own sanity, decided to write the verbs forms in Latin letters, my reading skills are basic, and as slow as molasses. Once again, I feel for the Georgians who come to France and have to learn the grammar with the additional pain of an alphabet unknown to them..</div>
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A few new words:</div>
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<b>Mshia</b>: I am hungry, although the likelyhood of that nil..</div>
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<b>Ra lamazia!</b> : It is so beautiful!</div>
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<b>Atami</b> : peach</div>
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<b>Gargari</b> : apricot. Not to be confused with <b>gargarisme</b> in French. 😏</div>
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<b>Bali</b> : cherry</div>
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<b>Avtobus</b>: bus. Many of those "auto" words in English become "avto"</div>
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<b>Teleponi</b>: telephone...due to the lack of the letters "f" in Georgian. Check this one out : <b>pilosopia...</b></div>
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Now, the next hurdle: finding a word in the dictionary, since the order of the letters in the alphabet is slightly messed up, in my limited mind..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFihjVk6etCk58Wt16tCweG51hirDIJqmLRNcbY3zE-9_l-yrNYGDQ4SrATkhS7e4R_r6t73LwHYBFb4UTAi-aUGipXW1i9ErWGZSlXIjYzW-bv-vIl-nZwwNdf4nNcbvz-keznLu46A/s640/blogger-image--65272997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFihjVk6etCk58Wt16tCweG51hirDIJqmLRNcbY3zE-9_l-yrNYGDQ4SrATkhS7e4R_r6t73LwHYBFb4UTAi-aUGipXW1i9ErWGZSlXIjYzW-bv-vIl-nZwwNdf4nNcbvz-keznLu46A/s640/blogger-image--65272997.jpg" /></a></div>
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And this is <b>sausme</b>, or breakfast, complete with <b>blini </b>filled with <b>smetana</b>, a Russian word for sour cream, <b>tonis puri</b>, or bread made in a tonay, and <b>chai</b>, you've guessed it... Tea!</div>
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<b>Mikhtvit! </b>(Enjoy!)<br />
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It appears that verb conjugation affects the case now..Oh, geez!...<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6pZ2KXTp5XrkBXEonWO50_j9DNpMTAQ-o8hT-527PPeFLEiNVJsV5YZpIXsm6t_mSMGoRJxw_vqZ4cnRvqKV5csKrWA70go8-H90NudyNtuTj3KVH1g_MTCjxLf1nTCfcw4bdC3plVc/s1600/DSCN7219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6pZ2KXTp5XrkBXEonWO50_j9DNpMTAQ-o8hT-527PPeFLEiNVJsV5YZpIXsm6t_mSMGoRJxw_vqZ4cnRvqKV5csKrWA70go8-H90NudyNtuTj3KVH1g_MTCjxLf1nTCfcw4bdC3plVc/s1600/DSCN7219.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's your pleasure this morning?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hang on to your hats on this one:<br />
In the past, the subject of the sentence changes its case from nominative to accusative.<br />
Here is an example"<br />
the girl gives an apple to her sister:<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;">= gogo
adzlevs vashls tavis das </span><span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;"> = გოგო აძლევს ვაშლს თავიმ დას</span><br />
<span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">but...</span><br />
<span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">the girl gave an apple to her sister </span><br />
<span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">= gogom mistsa vashli tavis das = </span><span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">გოგომ
მისცა ვაშლი თავიმ დას</span><br />
"gogo" or <i style="font-weight: bold;">girl</i>, went to "gogom", which is cute, in itself, but is still the same subject! </div>
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<span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Note how the verb "to give" changes from <i>adzlevs </i>to <i> mistsa !! </i>Yes, it is the same verb!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; line-height: 115%;">This is when I realize that the road is still very, very long..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Here is a good word: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>tavisupleba</b> : freedom!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="GEO/KAT" style="font-family: "sylfaen" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
September 2014:<br />
mmmm....so, yeah, there is no accusative case..So much for my try at using Latin and Greek to explain what is happening..Wrong again!<br />
My word for today: <b>genatsvale...</b><br />
I have always loved this word, even when I didn't know what it meant. I heard the grandmas say it to their grandchildren..."Oh, genatsvale!", so of course, any normal person, would just assume it meant "dear", or "love", or something like that..<br />
Wrong again! I did learn recently that it meant "May I take your pain and carry it for you.." or something to that effect.. Since I had been using it with "my.." preceding it, of course, it meant nothing. Still, I think that is an incredible sentence..<br />
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And now that I know how to read...(yeah, right..), I practice..<br />
Like I can say: "Maia kalia". Unfortunately, if you say it with the wrong "k", like I am likely to do.., you don't say "Maia is a woman", but "Maia is a cricket", which loses its charm, doesn't it?<br />
I pray that my very soon, upcoming to Georgia finds me mastering the glottal letter, or I am in deep you-know-what...<br />
Here is a fun sign to try to read:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0C6_02Ev-BtfC8n4CMba_EeDQA7piy0cxOncBZqSyzEM3UG6QyOOv0g0LgUE5rOX0Hpc_VuvjumDirm7pSR4OlMF24MSwBuyDMuHiiJ2GC_b-hDQEI9HqB2t1vhoTRNZX5mTAEi0qu0/s1600/vagzlis+bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0C6_02Ev-BtfC8n4CMba_EeDQA7piy0cxOncBZqSyzEM3UG6QyOOv0g0LgUE5rOX0Hpc_VuvjumDirm7pSR4OlMF24MSwBuyDMuHiiJ2GC_b-hDQEI9HqB2t1vhoTRNZX5mTAEi0qu0/s1600/vagzlis+bazari+tbilisi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and this one, known all over Georgia and much further, as one of their favorite bottled water:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFZyHvzqFqbzFQaUv9DMMR_v5F_ROjJkGcJudYzdp9UN02Xad1fYTnuPeP-G5WwvKi3spXGvmnTUIfVBF7_UB6YoBfwxrcy8AgdQHG7Y93s5RJI677EHemHz7iRiF-1ADyKEv4_EBffk/s1600/bordjomi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFZyHvzqFqbzFQaUv9DMMR_v5F_ROjJkGcJudYzdp9UN02Xad1fYTnuPeP-G5WwvKi3spXGvmnTUIfVBF7_UB6YoBfwxrcy8AgdQHG7Y93s5RJI677EHemHz7iRiF-1ADyKEv4_EBffk/s1600/bordjomi+georgia+www.menuvoyage.com.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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2018:</div>
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Well, the conquest continues..</div>
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After YEARS of studying Georgian at a distance, we have decided to do this up close and personal. As soon as the house is sold, we are moving to Georgia! I am excited, and completely ready to utter the roll of mistakes that will surely come out of my mouth..</div>
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So, let's review..</div>
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I have found an incredible program online, and it is free. It has allowed me to go on step further, which means that now, I can read, and I no longer rely on my Latin letters, that, in fact, made the pronounciation of words more difficult. I have learned the sounds!</div>
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Here is the <a href="http://www.goethe-verlag.com/book2/EN/ENKA/ENKA002.HTM" target="_blank">link to the Goethe program</a>. You can set it to any language, it is very very cool.</div>
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You can also download the files to listen to, which greatly increase your comprehension of ..sounds only, of course. I follow the courses and use the sentences as dictations, which forces my ear to recognize the sound. Anyway, it is working.</div>
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Can I say more stuff? Yeah, I suppose. I understand more. I get it a little better. But as far as using it, I need a live body to shoot the language at me to check that out. No live practice makes for a basic speech.</div>
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So, in a year, I will hopefully report that I speak without sounding like an idiot. </div>
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It is a good thing that I have great support over there who explain to the new guests that I speak French, Spanish, English fluently, and know Ancient Greek and Latin, understand Italian and I am working on Russian...So, there!!</div>
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My new favorite words are:</div>
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<i>khmamalma</i> : Laugh!</div>
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<i>tchadraki</i> the game of chess</div>
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<i>pekhburti: </i>SOCCER!! </div>
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And lemme express my French pride: </div>
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Allez les Bleus!! We won, we won!! :)</div>
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Fall 2018 update:</div>
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The Goethe program is awesome! I have made great progress in reading but particularly in listening. Granted, this has never been my forte, being an outspoken person means that I am not a good listener, but this program made me listen for ...sounds.., obviously, and allowed me to train my ear to the language. It is an excellent language acquisition skill and, I am aware, the specialty of children 0 to 2 years of age. When you can't talk, you listen..and learn. Now, I can however take slow dictation in Georgian, and make 1/10th of the mistakes I made before!</div>
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The mistakes left are due to my age, unfortunately. Some sounds just don't have the possibility of attaining my little grey matter. Now, if I had heard those between the ages of 0 and 2, it would be no problem.</div>
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Here are the troublemakers..</div>
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1. ტ and თ. Both make the sound "t" to me. ტამაზი, თარიელი (Tamazi, Tarieli. Proper nouns)</div>
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2. კ and ქ . Both make the sound "k" to me. კაცი, ქალი (katsi, kali = man, woman)</div>
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3. წ and ც. Both make the sound "ts" to me. წიწიბურა, ცუდად (tsitsibura, tsudad = buckwheat, badly)</div>
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4. პ and ფ. Both make the sound "p" to me. პური, ფული (puri, puli = bread, money)</div>
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All these have to do with either aspired or glottal sounds, hard or soft sounds, etc. </div>
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I just guess and pretend..for now. </div>
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.716667 44.783332999999971 41.716667 44.783332999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788131401611205302.post-59745062432624592642010-01-30T23:41:00.006+01:002018-08-27T11:17:14.143+02:00Second trip to Georgia: more on Georgian food<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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FOOD, WONDERFUL FOOD!</h3>
So, of course, it will all start with food! In a year, the look of Georgia has changed, but the food is still just as fantastic! <br />
It is so nice to come back and to see that the work of Saakashvili is not lost. The streets have been repaved, and the danger of falling into large holes is not so present. People walk with more ease, their heads a little higher maybe. Reconstruction is such a long process!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZhN7GW4jGIdu1A_m7XKhwTEl9l29JXZTPA3tUqjy1RPbEJc-klgM55Y10ziYOSOX7dKv3hyphenhyphenXrf4z-pPO0wrOHUqt4c1tRbfZQRvtTfsQ6XHmSad9wKNh0SI-uSjbNVxgLCGQBFziuSQ/s1600/IMG_2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435416800438698434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZhN7GW4jGIdu1A_m7XKhwTEl9l29JXZTPA3tUqjy1RPbEJc-klgM55Y10ziYOSOX7dKv3hyphenhyphenXrf4z-pPO0wrOHUqt4c1tRbfZQRvtTfsQ6XHmSad9wKNh0SI-uSjbNVxgLCGQBFziuSQ/s200/IMG_2435.JPG" style="height: 150px; width: 200px;" /></a>It seems like the outlook is a little less grim this year. A little over a year after the Russian attacks, people are still standing, and still extremely proud of their country. <br />
In Gori, where a lot of destruction happened, Saakashvili has built tons of houses for the people who lost everything. In South Ossetia, the region around Gori, the houses belonging to the Georgian natives have been destroyed to the ground, while the houses of the Ossetian, claiming loyalty to the Russians, remain standing. It is very disheartening to hear the stories of people whose entire lives have been wiped out by the Russian armies, and then some of them miss the era when they all had jobs and lead maybe emprisoned lives in this country from which they could not escape, but where they had an identity. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IwhJXqogrRh47moiTebTPesMOseViZeATMlVAZcGbm4dPw7iBVibRP-Oeu5Vd6IpTfvl-SQOqhK0bZbufczkawUvaMwE_ei3LukOVFr2NeR0EwUIR3M9wGw6kNbFqpy59zT45-vPllo/s1600/store+choorchrela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IwhJXqogrRh47moiTebTPesMOseViZeATMlVAZcGbm4dPw7iBVibRP-Oeu5Vd6IpTfvl-SQOqhK0bZbufczkawUvaMwE_ei3LukOVFr2NeR0EwUIR3M9wGw6kNbFqpy59zT45-vPllo/s200/store+choorchrela.jpg" width="191" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTdYXRuQuRrhxp1Staezkw7oPTfW8Jj8_09gaCNy8Eon337X3r_c9sWgXvH001u-b_1Z71qlxWEviFMoUQt1Awzfx7aixwWh-2y7sG2NJfpKw9exEgcu-7lnZnZ5Jb3NbM-7nc1VPqxc/s1600/chilika's+plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTdYXRuQuRrhxp1Staezkw7oPTfW8Jj8_09gaCNy8Eon337X3r_c9sWgXvH001u-b_1Z71qlxWEviFMoUQt1Awzfx7aixwWh-2y7sG2NJfpKw9exEgcu-7lnZnZ5Jb3NbM-7nc1VPqxc/s200/chilika's+plate.jpg" width="200" /></a>and so we eat....At Chilika's, a nice kababi, some green stuff and beer, of course..A little dessert <em>churchrela</em> is always welcome, along with all the fresh fruit that Georgia is famous for. The Churchrela is a string of walnuts halves dipped in <em>pelamuchi</em>, a mix of grape juice and thickener like flour. The ladies then dip the strings of nuts in the pelamuchi, and hang the lot. They dry and form a delicious treat with low sugar. </div>
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A great bunch of <em>khinkali</em> and bbq items go well with a nice bottle of <em>saperavi</em> wine. Let's eat!<br />
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Global Chickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350231071938908756noreply@blogger.com0Tbilisi, Georgia41.716667 44.78333299999997141.337479 44.137885999999973 42.095855 45.428779999999968