Our flight is not until this evening which is lucky as there are a couple of things left on the list!
Slightly off the beaten track, The Art Palace is a C19th gothic century mansion adorned with hand-painted frescoes and ornate fireplaces and paintings collected by the original owner.
There is also theatre, opera and ballet memorabillia including these very modernist looking set designs by Petra Ostskheli.
We have been so impressed with the bus network, how frequently the buses run and how easy it is to follow the route on google maps and get off at the right place, in this case beside the Peace Bridge for a boat trip. We’ve seen youngsters trying to entice visitors to the water since we arrived. Not only does it give a different perspective but it’s warm today and the boats have shade!
Afterwards we made our way to the Tbilisi History Museum which does what it says on the tin, explores the city’s rich cultural heritage and historical evolution and included a selection of old photos of the city. It is fitting it should be housed in an old caravanserai which has a history echoing the city. Built in the C17th as part of the Sioni Cathedral, the building has endured numerous sieges, fires, and reconstructions and is now largely a shopping mall.
It also contains a wine museum and we had a tour which explained how the grapes were crushed underfoot in hollowed out logs, everything was then poured into the clay pots which were sunk in the ground and left for several months to ferment.
Finally the wine was siphoned off for drinking. We’ve tried wine made like this and all I can say is I’m pleased they now also embrace the classic method using stainless steel vats!
As we walked back through the centre of the old town for the last time, we reflected on the mix of old and new in the city, and how you’ll never quite know what’s round the next corner. Here’s a mixed bunch of images that haven’t quite fitted the narrative, but deserve a space …
Cafe Leila, which has become one of our favourite people watching spots, was perfect for a late lunch before returning to the apartment and picking up our luggage for the trip home.
As we sat over a selection of the vegetarian dishes Georgia does so well, we reflected on how well we have eaten since we’ve been here with every meal freshly cooked and really tasty. Everyone is friendly and welcoming and the weather has been perfect. Our choice to be city based combined with a few day trips has paid off and the pace has suited us really well, so this might be useful for future trip planning. We are also pleased we got here early, after all direct flights only started last year, and we’re sure it will be popular once word gets round.
I’d like to end with this chap, right in the heart of the old town. He is an enlarged replica of a C7th BC Colchian figurine and represents the tamada or toastmaster holding his drinking horn, a symbol of the welcoming hospitality of Georgia.
And this is us signing off and saying thank you … Madloba Tbilisi … it’s been great!
Off Travelling Together 