GeorgiaTrip2006

2006-09-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Anchiskhati Basilica, Sioni Cathedral and Old Bakery

One distinct advantage of hosting foreigners in your own country is that you get to re-discover and discover (which was often the case with me) historical sights and cultural monuments with the same enthusiasm and anxiety as they do. Just across the street from Rezo Gabriadze's cafe is the oldest church in Tbilisi - the Anchiskhati Basilica of St Mary (on the left, view of main entrance). This church was built in V century and its name, which in literal translation means "The Icon of Anchi," is derived from the famous icon made by XII century Georgian goldsmith Beka Opizari. Those accustomed to the lavish and opulent interiors of the Catholic churches adorned with lots of golden fixtures and statues will be shocked by how dark and ascetic the interior of Anchiskhati is. In fact, if this is the first Georgian Orthodox church you have ever entered, it offers a very good preview of what to expect in others. Yet it is precisely in this fragrant darkness permeated with the scent of burning candles and mirr, where I felt the weight of centuries that this structure must have endured. There are no pews in Georgian churches. Only long and narrow wooden benches line the walls here and there for old folks, who are too tired to stand during the services. Anyone, who visits Georgia almost instantly notices that the ancient heart of the Georgian Orthodox Christianity continues to beat loud, as people (regardless of age and sex) cross themselves anytime they pass by a church even as right afterwards they delve into the hustle of everyday existence. Sioni Cathedral of Dormition (on the right, rear view), which was built on the verge of VI and VII centuries and since then continuously destroyed by Muslim invaders and continuously rebuilt by Georgians, was the main church of the Georgian Orthodox Church and hence the seat of the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II until the new Holy Trinity Cathedral was consecrated for this purpose in 2004 (see my previous blog entry below). As the Department of Tourism and Resorts of the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia informs us, the Sioni Cathedral holds the most precious relic of the Georgian Orthodox Church - the cross of St. Nino, who was the cousin of St. George and who introduced Christianity to Georgians in 337 AD. After visiting the churches a stroll along the right embankment of the Mtkvari River, which divides Tbilisi into two parts, reveals the beautiful skyline of the old Tbilisi with the jagged ruins of the Narikala Fortress visible in the distance and the quaint balconies, as you can see from the picture below.
Right next to the Sioni Cathedral, on the corner of the Sioni Street in the basement of the building that houses the Tbilisi Theological Academy and Seminary there is an old bakery. The stone staircase leads you down into entrails of the bakery laid out in dark bricks (see picture below), where the smell of fresh bread baked in the traditional clay ovens (Tone) is out of this world (especially if you're hungry), and one Shotis Puri (the famous Georgian flat bread) costs an equivalent of 50 cents.

2006-08-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Avlabar, Balconies of Old Tbilisi and Rezo Gabriadze's Cafe

After visiting the new church, as we were making our way through the winding cobble stone streets of the Armenian-populated Tbilisi district called Avlabar, Erin snapped this photo of the old Soviet-era advertisement for Georgian wine featuring a rotund Georgian man consuming a copious amount of wine with a special drinking horn.

Small stalls with fresh fruits and vegetables littered the street. Here's one in which the owner suggestively arranged tomatoes and cucumbers in a provocative composition. I hasten to add that such behavior is not unusual for Tbilisians, who are fond of rowdy jokes that might frighten some foreign guests with particularly conservative tastes.

The balconies in the old part of town are distinguished by beautiful hand-carved wood decorations.
In fact, because these balconies are so distinict, they've come to symbolize the old Tbilisi. Here's one typical example:

Weakened by the intense heat we decided to seek refuge at this small and very cute café owned by Rezo Gabriadze, the director of the world-famous puppet theater. Cafe Ar Daidardo ("Don't Grieve," which is the title of the very popular Soviet-era movie by the famous Georgian filmmaker Giorgi Danelia) is wedged at the corner of the 13 Shavteli Street in the heart of the old Tbilisi.
On the left: entrance to the cafe. Its absolutely unique interior design (see on the right below) is a product of Mr. Gabriadze's creative genius, as it incorporates props used in Mr. Gabriadze's puppet theater productions in such a spirited manner that just to sit there and sip an afternoon drink is a simple delight. The place is popular among foreigners and the proximity of the nearby luxury hotel Ambassador also contributes to the steady stream of diverse clientele. When you visit this joint, you'll get a chance to see why, in the words of Mr. Gabriadze, "Georgia is not Asia and it's not Europe. It is part of a Mediterranean culture that begins in Gibraltar and ends in my cafe."

2006-08-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Three days in Tbilisi

Upon arrival we stayed in Tbilisi briefly before departing to the Black Sea coast. On the right: the view from the balcony of our apartment in Tbilisi. Our family's apartment is located in the new part of the city that was built in the Soviet era. Hence, the characteristic blocky style of architecture. The Tbilisi municipal government recently developed a plan to level most of these residential buildings and to build instead houses that will combine modern architerctural designs and traditional styles that are featured in the old part of town. The capital greeted us with very sunny and hot days and blue skies. I must add here that the summer is one of my favorite seasons in Georgia, because, unlike in Washington, DC, the heat there is very dry and as long as you are in a shadow, it is very bearable.
On the right: this is one of the infinite versions of Georgian breakfast. If you click and zoom in on the picture, you'll see small captions explaining what's laid out on the table. One thing that's missing is either a cup of black tea or Turkish coffee. The latter is offered in a very small cup, but it is highly concentrated and sweet. The fortune telling with coffee grounds stems from this drink.
On the first day I decided to take Erin to the newly built Catherdal of Holy Trinity. This imposing church occupies a commanding position overlooking the central part of Tbilisi. It is supposed to be the second largest church in Europe. Built a year ago entirely on private donations and by the funds of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral is still a work in progress. Some construction on the outer perimeter wall and the interior was under way when we visited on a scorching hot summer day. On the left: the magnificent Holy Trinity Cathedral, the central church of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

2006-08-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the map of our travel in the Land of the Golden Fleece

2006-07-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

As the anxiety of the impending departure grew, we exhibited different approaches to preparing for a long trip. Erin packed well ahead of time, while I did it in the morning on the departure day because of the last-minute assignment at work (Murphy's law), which kept me busy most of the day on Saturday. In any case, on Sunday we took off without any delays. Airport in Vienna, Austria proved to be a tiny and dinky hole or at least that was the impression that we got after spending there almost entire day before our flight to Tbilisi. On the left: killing time at the Vienna Airport. I suppose because the flights to Georgia are not that frequent, the Austrian Airlines allow themselves to torture the passengers with massive layovers. Erin heroically stuck around with me in the waiting area, which was more of a torture chamber than a lounging area. She could have gone out into the city to check out Klimt and sip beer in the downtown Vienna, as Americans do not nned visas to enter the EU, unlike the Georgian citizens such as myself. On the bright side, we became familiar with all the nooks and crannies of the airport, spotted a Georgian opposition politician, who was flying with us, and in general familiarized ourselves with the dizzying variety of languages that one can overhear in the waiting area of an international airport (starting from Chechen and ending with Chinese). On the right: much to my surprise the only graffity that we discovered at the airport was written in Georgian (it is actually first and last name of a certain Sandro Koroglishvili).
Finally we set sail in the evening, as planned. The plane turned out to be quite comfortable and perhaps by mistake we found ourselves in the section that offered more leg room than we expected. The flight from Vienna to Tbilisi took only about 3 hours. Finally, the plane circled and arrived. We went through the passport control, where I promptly translated for Erin and then...I welcomed her in my country. Outside the eager crowd of people waited for those who arrived. Immediately I spotted my mother and in the wee hours of the Monday morning I introduced her to Erin.

2006-07-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Before the Departure: Georgian-Brazilian Duo at the Malay Straits restaurant (by the way, very good family-owned dining establishment) in Adams Morgan