While I'd admit, the wine played a large part in what drew me to travel to Georgia and it certainly did not disappoint, it was the people I met and experiences I had in a place only a few months ago I knew little about that blew me away.
It’s taken me months to write about my time in Georgia, for all the “life” reasons that you can come up with. And now, as I am on the plane beginning my next journey when I should be sleeping, I feel compelled to write. Maybe it’s because I’m finally in a place where I can take a break from life once again….to reflect on the journey’s I’ve taken since this pandemic took over our lives. And finally tell the stories….of my time in Georgia.
"I was alone with a suitcase and a reservation. And days to live however I choose.” - Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasure of Solitude.
I recently read a book called “Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities and the Pleasure of Solitude“ hoping it would inspire me to get back to writing and ended up with pages of quotes of things that rang so true to me as I tried to grapple with why I love travel, particularly solo travel so much. What I’ve learned about myself and who I’ve met and so many of those quotes resonated with my experiences in Georgia.
In the few short months before I decided to go, researched, and planned my trip, I met a few people in my life here at home who had either lived or visited Georgia. Each one assured me I would love Georgia, the food, the people, the culture and of course, the wine. The bar was set high and to say it exceeded it is an understatement.
Sunday, June 20th, 2021
I arrived in Tbilisi just before 6am after a 10-hour layover in Istanbul. I quickly found my driver and we made our way to my cute hotel nested in the steep hills of Old Town Tbilisi. The streets were void of cars or people which probably wasn’t that unusual for a Sunday morning but the city was coming out of its nightly curfew, one of the remaining COVID related restrictions at that time.
The Amante Narikala, my hotel for my first day and night had given me a room to accommodate my early arrival to rest up for a few hours before starting my day of exploration. That rest was much needed because as I later learned the hill climbing back up to my hotel was no joke in heat I was about to endure!
The first thing I was not expecting in Tbilisi was how incredibly hot it was. I habitually check the weather at my destination before I travel so I can pack accordingly but clearly the 80-85 Farenheit degree temps I was expecting were taken over by what the several locals told me was an "August-like" heat wave with temps 98 to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. So, while this might have slowed me down just a little; I rode the wave of just being so darn happy I was traveling again and hit the streets of Tbilisi to explore.
As I made my way towards the Old Town and Mtkvari River, I was greeted by many local tour operators wanting to book day trips, walking tours, boat trips, etc. While I had pre-booked everything prior to arriving, it did give me the sense that the local tourism industry was desperately working to get back on it's feet after such a tumultuous year and a half. One local tour guide walked in step with me across the bridge providing a little history of the city and a few of the sites that were in view from the bridge. I promised I‘d find her later in the week when I returned to Tbilisi for a more proper tour, and her reply was, ”Just enjoy your time here. Enjoy Georgia. We're glad you're here.”
As I made my way to Europe Square (which is really a circle), I pulled out my phone to get some pictures and had just begun to get a sense of how beautiful Tbilisi is. Just down the river a bit was the very modern Bridge of Peace and in Rike Park next to the square was a large hot air balloon that I later watched go up in the air from my balcony of my hotel in the hills that evening after dark. The park also includes an entrance to the aerial tramway that takes you up to the Mother of Georgia monument and Botanical Gardens above my hotel.
Realizing that I was hungry, I made my way back across the river on the hunt for a place to eat and of course, partake in my first glass of authentic Georgian wine (yes, it was all about the wine, just a little). The first restaurant I stumbled upon was a German one, aptly named Stelzenhaus. Yes, go figure, this lover of German food finds a German restaurant in Georgia. But, in my defense I was starving, loved the look of their open air patio, and had the place all to myself. I also knew I was going to get my fill of authentic Georgian cuisine in the days ahead (which I did). At least while I was enjoying my German food, I educated myself on how to eat Khinkali, a traditional Georgian dish I'd try later in the week. See, justification for getting my German food fix, right? And I did pair it with my first authentic glass of Georgian wine made in qvevri. More about that in my next post.
After enjoying a much needed and filling lunch; I set off to wander around Old Town Tbilisi. As you've read before, one of my absolute favorite things to when I arrive in a new city is explore by foot. And I love quaint Old Town's full of character. Tbilisi certainly did not disappoint in that regard as the streets were adorable and lined with plenty of restaurants and as I quickly noticed, many wine shops, wine bars or restaurants advertising their wine! I might have been in heaven! Ok, I was.
As I continued on, despite the heat I was determined to find the picturesque Gabriadze Theatre I’d seen in many pictures of all over social media. My trek led me past the “Hotel Opinion” and down another street full of cute restaurants, bars, and quaint hotels. While quiet and void of many people (likely due to the extreme heat), I made note to make my way back here when I returned to Tbilisi later in the week. Sadly, I never did but it's on the list for the return visit!
At long last, ok...that's a bit dramatic as it really wasn't that long of a walk, it just felt like it in the heat; I came upon the Gabriadze Theatre. The architecture was unique and stood out amongst the more traditional Georgian buildings surrounding it. Designed by noted artist, writer and director, Rezo Gabriadze, the theatre features marionette performances of a large variety. While I did not take in a show on this visit; it's most certainly on my list for my next trip to Tbilisi.
After getting my obligatory photos of the theatre I began to make my way back along the river towards the Peace Bridge and ultimately over to Rike Park so I could ride the tramway to the hills above my hotel.
As I made my way through the park, I purchased a ticket for the cable car and settled in for a ride to the top. I took in amazing views of the city and streets I’d covered thus far. I disembarked at the top and realizing there was little to no shade and feeling the heat and jet lag overtaking my initial rush of adrenaline as I explored a new place, I grabbed a fresh bottle of water and walked the short distance to the Mother of Georgia Statue to admire the view. While the statue itself is a sight to be seen; it was the views of this charming city of Tbilisi from above that were breath-taking. Small and relatively compact, it was a city with charm, character, color and of course, wine. One that I quickly felt comfortable wandering around alone. By this point I was in need of a break so I hiked down the hill to my hotel to check into my room and rest up for a bit before setting out again later to explore at bit more.
After some time to recharge, I found myself out wandering the very steep hills above Old Town near my hotel. The art on the eclectic buildings was colorful and the stray cats wandering around abundant. I grabbed a light dinner and made my way back to my hotel to enjoy the view from my balcony while enjoying another glass of Georgian wine. My first day although VERY hot was a success and there was so much more (wine) to come.
To be continued.
"When I say I want to travel, I don't mean I want to stay at fancy resorts or buy keychains from souvenir shops. When I say I want to travel, I mean I want to explore another place and become part of it..." - Unknown
Comments