Road to Batumi

On our drive to Batumi, we drove through many towns. This area is what is called Sweet Bread Hill. All these people have shacks set up where they make Nazuki-a sweet cinnamon bread with raisins. It is a poor source of income, but it may provide them a few dollars a day. The shacks are big enough to hold the special cooking kilns to bake the bread in. Then they sit out and hope a car will stop to buy the bread.

All these buildings are shacks for baking and selling the bread.

Khachapuri. Such tasty food!

Kazbegi

Shauri hired a driver and Sopi stayed with Cora while James was a work. Shauri and I were driven up to Stepantsminda, a small town at the base of Mount Kazbegi. We stopped at this strange wall for a bit of a break. We were fully in the Greater Caucasus Mountains and I was in love.

This is the "jeep" (a.k.a. a Russian Lada) that drove us up the crazy mountain road. Our driver knew the jeep driver and recommended him to us. It was a great ride up the mountain.

Our driver to the right of the car with the driver of the jeep ready to go.

This is the Gergeti Trinity Church and the reason to drive up the crazy road.

Turkish Baths & Gondola

The kiddo likes my iPad!

Turkish Baths in Tbilisi

As you walk around the baths, there is a path that lets you walk to a waterfall in the midst of the city.

We walked from the baths to the gondola (aerial cable car) that would take us up to Narikala, the fortress overlooking Tbilisi.

After a lovely day of sightseeing, J took me to a restaurant where we watched a group of women perform on traditional instruments with traditional folk music. There was also traditional dance as well!

It was a great day with a wonderful dinner and entertainment to finish it.

Mtskheta & Wanderings

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral built in the 4th Century

Traditional Georgian clothing of the Caucaus regions

Cora really did like riding on my shoulders

Saint Giorgi slaying the dragon. 

Living quarters near downtown/old town Tbilisi

I walked around and visited the National History Museum and National Art Museum. Both were interesting, but did not allow photography. I learned a lot about Colchis gold and the history of Iberia (both became part of the Republic of Georgia, or Kartli). I further discovered that Georgia has a rich archeological contribution in the form of the earliest human remains outside of Africa. They have also found homo sapien skulls that show clear signs of old age (worn down teeth). As for the art, I especially enjoyed Levan Tsutskiridze, Revaz Tarkham-Mouravi, Niko Pirosmani, and Iakob Nikoladze. There were a few others, but I could not find the pieces on-line that I liked.

I believe this was a government office of Georgia

This was one of the few vaccinated stray dogs. See the tag? 

Apparently some Georgian likes Bob Marley?