For our last our trip out of the city, we’ve chosen a trip to the Kakheti region, largely because it will give us the chance for some time in the countryside but also the tour is in a different direction, south towards Azerbaijan.
Having driven through farmland with vines lining both sides of the road, we rose to grazing land and stopped briefly at a lake for a leg stretch.
The landscape became more arid, becoming an area of semi-desert. Here, the mineral-rich sedimentary rocks look like they’ve been painted with brightly coloured stripes so are often referred to as the Rainbow Mountains.
We enjoyed our short hike down into valley through a wildflower meadow with time to explore.
… and then had time to explore.
This also the location of a massive rock-hewn monastery complex built in the C6th by Davit Garejeli who came to Georgia to preach Christianity.
We visited the Lavra monastery, on the slopes of Mount Garejeli, and like Uplistsikhe, this was carved directly into the sandstone.
Access was rather limited as the monastery is still inhabited by monks, but were able to go in the chapel where Davit Garejeli is buried.
We hadn’t appreciated that as the complex straddles the Georgia-Azerbaijan border which has been disputed since 2019, the rest is closed to tourists, a shame as the best frescoed walls are there.
Leaving the monastery courtyard, our guide led us round the outside of the wall, up the hill behind the monastery …
… past the Georgian soldier at the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan, and up to a platform in front of a gated cave where we sat and ate our picnic lunch. Some view!
It wasn’t until I looked carefully at the map later that I realised that the highway we had taken actually crosses the border briefly and we had spent 150m in Azerbaijan … on the way there … and in the way back!
We were back in Tbilisi in time for a cuppa at Cafe Leila, and their speciality. Orbeliani’s Candy, is a C19th royal sweet with a hard crystalized shell, a creamy walnut inner filling, and a single piece of crunchy walnut inside – yum!
We also had a count up of the last of our Georgian Lari. Here is the poet Rustaveli on the 100, Queen Tamar on the 50, and Pirosmani’s Fisherman in a Red Shirt on the 5.
It was our last evening and we returned to Kneina for dinner with special Georgian cheesy mash called Tashmijabi and bbq mushrooms for Chris and creamy garlic chicken and grilled veg for me.
Off Travelling Together 