We leave the beautiful Caucasus Mountains today (quite early to miss the traffic) and move down the country towards Tblisi. It was cold this morning (4deg). Bread (which is very good in Georgia) and the best strawberry jam with big chunks of strawberry made by the mother here, for breakfast.
Again the views from the ‘Military Highway’ (you can guess which military) are spectacular. Our first stop is the the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument, also known as the Treaty of Georgievsk Monument,It was erected in 1983 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk signed in 1783 between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Georgia (basically the beginning of Russian colonization).
It is an impressive structure – a large, circular stone and concrete featuring seven towering concrete columns. It has a tile mural that spans the entire inner circumference, depicting scenes from Georgian and Russian history.
Then off we go down the mountain and come across shepherds moving a flock of sheep (and some goats). Much to our horror (Kiwis and Aussies) the traffic doesn’t stop for them, but ploughs through them narrowly missing them. Many of the sheep are hobbling. I look this up and it is foot rot which is endemic in the region and highly contagious. The source blamed it on the withdrawal of the Russian veterinary services across the Caucuses.
We actually arrive at our lunch (another family food and wine tourism spot) at lunchtime. This is a very slick operation. We are when the wine cellar in which much of their wine is made in the Qvevri style – an 8,000-year-old traditional Georgian method where wine is fermented and aged in large, egg-shaped earthenware vessels buried completely or partially underground, relying on natural earth temperatures and extended skin contact to create distinct amber (orange) and red wines. About 50% of the vessel is filled with whole grapes and the other 50% with grape juice. For some reason there is a German family connection as you can see by the beer steins on the walls of the tasting room.
This family has been in the winemaking business for five generations. Great lunch – the tomatoes here taste like those from our gardens at home.
Then on to another f….g church and then a f…ing monastery. What I do think is funny is that whole marketplaces grow up around them – the connection between religion and capitalism is strong.
Into Tblisi- have been looking forward to this. I am having a day off tomorrow to get my haircut and wander around at my own pace, rather than the gallop I try and keep up with
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