Our first 24 hours in Tbilisi were a bit of a blur, so returning at the end of our trip we were determined to experience the famous sulphur baths in the Abanotubani district. The warm springs which erupt from the Mtvari river were discovered when Vakhtang Gorgonsali’s falcon dropped to earth right at the site … More Tbilisi, ‘warm place’ – site of very hot springs
Mount Shkhara, Ushba and Tetnuldi are the highest mountains in the Svaneti Region of the Caucasus Range. Mt Shkhara towers over the remote villages of Ushguli at 5058m. Mt Ushba and Mt Tetnuldi, so the legend goes, were lovers whose families would not agree on their marriage, so Tetnuldi turned into a mountain whose snow … More Mounts Shkhara, Ushba and Tetnuldi in Svaneti
If you think these names are unpronounceable, you are right. Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe, however are important for their ancient monasteries and their unique heritage. In our 12 day tour of Georgia we visited 15 monasteries or churches and most involved climbing up steep hills or steps. The reward was always the view and learning more … More Monasteries, Mtskheta and Uplistsikhe
The Georgian Military Highway is the only route whereby Georgians and Russians can visit each other’s countries. Early 19th century paintings show Russian military personnel travelling by horseback up a narrow track through the towering Tergi gorge. During the 20th century, German prisoners rebuilt the road and a cemetery is dedicated to them at the … More The Georgian Military Highway over the Great Caucasus to Kazbegi
In Georgia, wine making is so intricately bound to religion that the grape vine is the symbol of the Virgin Mary and the grape, fruit of the vine, Jesus Christ. Archeologists date grape seeds back to the 5th millennium BC. In the mountainous Svaneti region, the fertility goddess Lani was replaced with the Virgin Mary … More Georgia – 8000 years of continuous wine making tradition
On our third day, we set off from Tbilisi to the south eastern border of Georgia with Azerbaijan. Eka informed us we would be driving through the green desert to the sacred monastery of Davit Gareja. Davit Gareja was an Assyrian escetic who came to Georgia to spread Christianity in the 6th century. He made … More Georgia, cradle of European Christianity
Our journey began at the Brisbane domestic Virgin Airlines check-in. Just escaping a downpour, we scurried inside with our minimalist luggage and fronted up to the ‘International passengers’ sign, hoping our luggage would be booked right through to our final destination-Tbilisi. ‘Tbilisi?’ Said the gorgeous airline attendant, behind the counter ‘Where’s that?’ Even prompting with … More Why would anyone go to Tbilisi?
Accio! Lumos! and Ascensio! Our imaginary wands raised and lit, we ascended into the bluster of Cyclone Oma, teetered slightly and then winged our way down to Melbourne for the gala opening of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This was to be a very special weekend. Our wonderful daughter, she of the techno-savvy fame … More Harry Potter and the Loved Child
Cumquat Marmalade at Tét – Chúc Mùng Năm Mới Yesterday I made my first 2019 batch of cumquat marmalade. Our cumquat tree is the one citrus tree in our garden which does really well. It must get the perfect combination of light and moisture and every February it becomes laden with fruit. Thus begins the annual … More Cumquat Marmalade at Tét – Chúc Mùng Năm Mới
Our last chance to experience the Aurora Borealis was in Sinettä and Rovaniemi. In Sinettä just a few kilometres from the Arctic Circle, we had the wonderful experience of sleeping under the stars. Well, potentially under the stars. As we lay in our glass igloo and inspected our Aurora app, the forecast suggested a good … More Glass igloos, bread making and berry picking in Sinettä
