A Short Visit to Tblisi

I wonder why the country of Georgia next door to Azerbaijan feels so different? It simply could be that I was a tourist there for only 3 days, or it could have been the wonderful white wine. But I would definitely like to visit again - maybe even travel to Stalin's birthplace out of curiosity.

PCV Elaine and I trudged over cobblestone streets to churches in old Tblisi that are being restored and to several national museums. She planned the route and I memorized the requisite Georgian phrases for "Please" and "Thank you." We will forever laugh over her appropriating breakfast food from some Russian-speaking hotel guests at the common table one morning.

Not only did we visit several Eastern Orthodox churches, but we also came upon a synagogue that others said had never been shut during the soviet occupation. It did not need the refurbishing that was going on in the Christian churches. All were well-lit and appeared to be well-used. There were also many religious stores thru out the old city.

Three exhibits at the National Gallery were impressive: pre-Christian artifacts including jewelry from 300 B.C, the Soviet Occupation and Resistance with horrendous firing-squad photos, and hundreds of photos of Georgia taken between 1890 and 1900. No wonder this visit was memorable.

And the wine. We never had a disappointing glass. Okay, so we hadn't had wine since Christmas.

The most impressive sight is the new Peace Bridge visited by thousands on the warm summer night we were there. Lots of families enjoying the evening breeze, dancing fountain, and music.

The biggest snafu in our brief visit was the cloud-burst we endured walking across the border as we returned to Azerbaijan. We both got drenched in the 5 minutes it took to go from one checkpoint to the other.