Impressions of Tbilisi. Our first impressions of Tbilisi

From August 31 to September 13 I was in Georgia. I visited many towns and places - Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Kumistavi, Gergeti, Batumi, Gelati, Sarpi, Borjomi, Aspindza, Akhaltsikhe, Vardzia, Anauri, Khertvisi, Stepantsminda, Mtskheta and Sarp (Turkey)

What did I really like? Of course, these are mountains. And in particular - the mountains in the vicinity of the Georgian military road (this is the road connecting Russia and Georgia). The beauty there is amazing! I saw Kazbek, its peak in the snow. I liked the city of Tbilisi. I would not want to live there (more on this below), but the city is beautiful, unusual buildings, hilly terrain and therefore many beautiful views. I liked the medieval city in the rock of Vardzia. I liked the remake in Akhaltsikhe - Rabat Fortress. Liked the food. I liked the wine, lemonades and mineral water. I liked all the changes that Saakashvili brought to Georgia (I'll tell you below). I liked the cave of Prometheus in the vicinity of Kutaisi. I liked the Zhinvali reservoir (pictured). I liked the waterfall in Tbilisi.

What didn't you like?

Beggars and beggars. In Tbilisi, every 40 meters, there are grannies and other beggars, asking (sometimes for quite a long time and persistently), gypsies, including children, are walking around, babbling about "give me some bread," all in Russian. But when talking with the gypsies, I realized that they do not understand what they are being told, they have a broken record. You sit in a cafe - they come up and beg. The owners of the cafe chase them, but it's useless. In the vicinity of the old city, I stumbled 3 times on a gypsy peasant, rolling a child in a stroller around these streets and loudly asking for bread. In the evening, aunts with outstretched hands stand at the exit from supermarkets. It's all terrible. I have not seen anything like this in any other country.

Lack of pedestrian infrastructure. Sidewalks are occupied by anything but pedestrians. Cars, goods from neighboring shops stand on them, and owners of stalls and their friends sit on stools and chairs in large numbers. It's impossible to pass. I saw bike paths only in Batumi, but in Tbilisi the use of bicycles is impossible due to a strong elevation difference. The few underground passages are tagged and always smell like urine.

Terrible rule enforcement traffic. Arriving in Moscow, I breathed a sigh of relief! On a traffic-free zebra, NOBODY will yield to you there! Crossing the street is very dangerous. And the drivers violate all the existing prohibitions (we often rode cars there) - the belt is not fastened, if they see a patrol ahead, they casually throw on the belt but then immediately remove it. They talk on the phone, although they assured us that it was for this that the heaviest fines were taken. They cross a continuous dividing line, drive at a speed of 110 on a mountain serpentine, dangerously overtake and even drink while driving (I saw it myself).

Smoking in a cafe. You can smoke in the cafe. We chose establishments with open street verandas - it's easier there. Europe has not yet reached Georgia in this regard.)

Where was I?

The capital and the most normal city. Of course with the shortcomings that I described above. Nice. In the center, you can say European, but you’ll step back a little - there’s not even asphalt on the roads and the yards are terrible. Many temples, various monuments, cafes. But there are very few supermarkets. A minibus ride costs 50 tetri (14 rubles). On the metro - the same amount, but you also need to buy a card on which this money is put for 2 lari (56 rubles). The same card is valid for the cable car. Top very beautiful view. On the funicular, this card does not work, there is another system from the Mtatsminda park, and you can go to all the rides there. In the park itself there is a Ferris wheel installed on the very edge of the mountain, the views are superb.

There are a huge number of taxis in Tbilisi! Incredible! A taxi is a car of any color with checkers on top. Basically, these are old Mercedes, right-hand drive cars often come across. I talked to people, found out - cars are bought in Japan or the USA, they go in a container by sea to Poti, they go through customs clearance and all together it comes out from 3 to 5 thousand dollars! Our square Zhiguli saw but rarely. In the countryside, I often saw Zila trucks with such a recognizable front.

I lived in Tbilisi in the Vake district, which for some reason is considered prestigious, although I didn’t see anything so special there. Not far from Vake there is a zoo, which was recently flooded and which was going to be opened on September 13 - the day of my departure.

Graffiti in Tbilisi is represented mainly by stencils (the main author is Dr.Love) and kereks from Lamb. There are almost no murals. Many buildings are zagged. In the park, Vake found the work of the French, whose work he later saw in Batumi. These are all traces of the 2013 festival.

I visited many places in Tbilisi, it was interesting to walk around it, unlike Batumi. Most of all I liked the waterfall near the sulfur baths! And you would not guess that such a place can be in the city center. A narrowing high gorge and a waterfall at the end.

From Tbilisi we traveled by car along Georgian military road towards Russia. Beauty is extraordinary. The Zhinvali reservoir is very beautiful, and closer to the north there are awesome mountains. On the way we stopped at different places, including on the high point this road (2395m). We landed in Stepantsminda (until 2007 - Kazbegi), transferred to an SUV and climbed the mountain, where the Gergeti temple is located, along the most terrible road. From there you can see Kazbek. There is unreal beauty! This is probably my favorite place in all of Georgia.

We also went from Tbilisi to Borjomi (some kind of Karlovy Vary), ancient city in the rocks - Vardzia (super, worth a visit, you can climb some passages there, it’s very dumb) and in Akhaltsikhe, where under Saakashvili the Rabat Fortress was restored almost from scratch - an excellent tourist attraction where you can climb absolutely all supposedly ancient towers and do long photo shoots, because there are very few people there.

I didn't like the city. A typical resort town with stalls, shawarma and beach entertainment. That's not mine. I frankly missed it there. Only the remaining graffiti from the 2013 street art festival, when French writers arrived in Batumi, were pleasing. Also, the city is enlivened by various glass high-rise buildings built during the time of Saakashvili. Without them, it would be absolutely terrible. There are very few supermarkets. I liked the long (2.5 km) cable car, the views from the top are very good.

One day I got on a bus, paid 80 tetri (23 rubles), drove to the town of Sarpi (14 km) and crossed the Turkish border. On the other side the town is called Sarp. There is nothing but a couple of cafes. You can't even buy a magnet. The nearest city of Trabzon is still more than two hours away. I walked half a kilometer along the highway along the Black Sea, looked at the heaps of uncleaned garbage left by truckers and stomped back to Georgia. There are crowds of locals at the border checkpoint with some papers instead of passports. There are few Russian citizens. Before that, I had not been to Turkey and was not even going to, but once the opportunity presented itself, I received a stamp in my passport. This is my 17th country. I'm not going to Turkey anymore.)

Kutaisi. Was passing through, the city seemed terrible. Cows roam among high-rise buildings. But near Kutaisi there is the village of Kumistavi, where Saakashvili opened the Prometheus Cave in 2011. This is a cool place, I walked 1.5 kilometers underground, then we were taken a couple of hundred meters underground in a boat (we were given helmets and life jackets). I'm not spoiled by such spectacles and I liked it.) It's a pity you can't take pictures with a flash there, but it's a bit dark without a flash. I was already in Georgia (now it is the territory of Abkhazia) in a cave - in New Athos 35 years ago, it also made an impression.

Tried the following Georgian dishes:
- Khachapuri. Sold wherever possible. Most of all I liked Imeretinsky - just a tortilla with cheese. And there is also Adjarian - an egg is also added there.
- Chakhokhbili. Small chicken pieces in sauce. Delicious.
- Shashlik. You don't chew.
- Kebab. Discovered kebab in pita bread. But not everywhere it is edible. I found a cafe where it is very tasty and went there three times.)
- Churchkhela. Sweetness on a string of grape juice. You can have a snack.
- Kharcho. I haven't tried it, but others liked it. This is soup.
- Khinkali. Did not like! In a large dumpling bag, tasteless meat and something like soup.

I also tasted wine in Georgia. Almost every evening we bought a bottle (five of us went, so it was not enough for everyone) Here is my rating:
1. Saperavi (homemade, red, dry) - super!
2. Alazani Valley (red, semi-sweet) - very good!
3. Khvanchkara (red, semi-sweet) - very good!
4. Saperavi (red, dry) - very good!
5. Kindzmarauli (red, semi-sweet) - so-so
6. Twishi (white, semi-sweet) sucks
Well, I tried the local vodka - Chacha - a rare crap. The taste of grapes.

I also tried various mineral water, which is sold in Georgia in huge quantities! And Borjomi is not the best (in my opinion). The most delicious is Nabeghlavi. This is something like Narzan or Arkhyz. Another similar one is Mitarbi. I drank this water in huge quantities, because it was hot. There is also Likani, but this is a complete copy of Borjomi, because their sources are nearby. A liter of Nabehlavi costs in the supermarket from 90 tetri to 1 lari (28 rubles). IN tourist places it can cost more than 1.5 lari.

Loved the local lemonades! Especially Natakhtari and Zandukeli. Lots of flavors, delicious. Today I saw Natakhtari for sale in Moscow.

Interesting observations:

Flags of Georgia and the European Union hang on state institutions (Adjarian flag is added in Batumi)

Almost everyone knows Russian. True, in 2 weeks I found two people who do not know Russian.) There are inscriptions in Russian everywhere. Even on the Georgian-Turkish border, 4 languages ​​are used - Georgian, Turkish, English and Russian. So after visiting Minsk, Tbilisi is the most Russian-speaking city.) Tel Aviv is probably in third place.)

I spoke with several Georgians. Everyone warmly remembers Mikheil Saakashvili, like under him they built this, did that, but now they do nothing. They praise him for the non-corrupt police (we were all warned to bribe the police), for the fantastic simplification of bureaucratic procedures. Many interesting objects appeared under Saakashvili. For example, in Tbilisi it is a whole Rike park with graceful glass buildings, the Bridge of Peace and the Reagan monument.) And also this year the lari has fallen sharply, now they give 2.37 lari per dollar, and six months ago - 1.7.

People treat Russian tourists very well, they don’t talk about politics, they are friendly. In some cafes there are Ukrainian flags.

In general, I went well, in some places it was beautiful, but often it was boring and uninteresting (for example, in Batumi). I will post photos gradually.

Georgians are our enemies! Enemies of Russia. When I told one of my compatriots that I was in Georgia, in 90% of cases I was warned: “Well, you are there, be careful, more attentive!”.

All these people had something in common - they had never been to Georgia.

About national propaganda
The fact that Georgians are completely hostile to Russians is all a lie and a provocation of the first and other television channels. What can we say about any icteric press. Sometimes on TV it is shown that the hair stands on end. And out of indignation.

I remember that Pocahontas and I were in Syria, either in Tartus, or in Latakia. One evening we went to an Internet cafe to check our mail, read the news... How surprised we were when both Russian and Western news agencies were telling and showing with might and main that right now everything was blowing up outside our window, bullets were whistling around and gloomy guys with disheveled fords and furious eyes run around shouting "Allahu akbar!". I wonder why we didn't notice this while walking around that small town? For some reason, those very bearded guys were smiling, polite and very pleasant comrades. Since then, I have not been surprised at the amount of misinformation that is thrown out on Russians by television with newspapers. It's a shame that a lot of people believe this.

By the way, I recently saw on the first channel something like evening news, where some presenter confidently told something about politics, that everything was bad outside the homeland and that there were only enemies around. Goebbels would envy his rhetoric and logic, manner of presentation!

Sorry, got distracted. Georgia.

about the country
Georgia is good.

Actually, we got into the country almost by accident - we had to make a kind of "visa run" from Turkey. We wanted to stop by Batumi, eat khinkali with khachapuri and return to Turkey in a couple of days. Then somehow I liked it, we stayed for a week. Then we began to understand that we couldn’t just leave and went to Tbilisi. Once in the capital, we finally realized that we would stay here, it was too emotional and somehow comfortable. I felt literally at home, I did not want to leave at all.

About people
When I remember any country, then most often some beautiful and not very places come up before my eyes, sometimes food, and sometimes something else. So, the main value of Georgia, what I will always remember first of all, is people. The people are wonderful, helpful, polite and always positive. Surely there are those who really do not like Russians, but we did not manage to meet such people in a month. During this time, we managed to get to know many, visit the Georgian feast (Lasha, Milena, hello to you!), Chat about politics with random passers-by and think more than once that you can stay here for a couple of years.

About food and drink
By the way, about the kitchen. The main thing worth trying is Adjarian khachapuri, khinkali and, of course, wine! And everything is possible at once. There are many other delicious things that are unlikely to be found anywhere else, but these are a must-try.

In pictures

Bicycle on a balcony somewhere in Batumi

Grandfather with his grandson at a demonstration in Gonio

Georgian flatbread, 80 tetri (Tbilisi). I often run here in the morning.

Real Georgian! against the backdrop of Pocahontas ;-)

Spying on a woman in the stairwell.

In the center of Tbilisi.

An Orthodox church, of which there are a lot in Georgia.

Beauty salon in Rustaveli, Tbilisi.

Road to Kazbegi (Stepantsminda).

Fairy-tale landscape with the participation of Kazbek.

Trinity Church in Gergeti

Cheshire cat smile

Tbilisi, near the city center.

In love with Batumi, one of the attractions.

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Comments (23)

Yuri 09.11.2014

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Sheboldasik Yuri 09.11.2014

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Armen Sheboldasik 03.02.2017

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Sheboldasik Dmitry 12/24/2014

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Andrey 10.08.2015

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Andriusiks Andrey 10.08.2015

Tbilisi is beautiful cozy city. Even in the fierce winter, right on New Year it was nice to be here. The capital of Georgia does not seem very big, but more than a million people live here. At the same time, you can easily walk around the city center, thus covering most of the sights.

Like any old European city, in the middle of Tbilisi, a river flows, called the Kura. During the reign of Saakashvili (2004 - 2013), many modern facilities were built along it, which changed the face of the city. In general, in Tbilisi there is a feeling that everything is divided into two parts - and now it is not clear when they will finish it ...

For example, here is the Palace of the President of Georgia. The building was completed in 2009 by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi. The glass palace in the classical style rises above the left bank of the Kura, and is brightly illuminated at night. Many criticized "Misha" that he built this luxurious building for himself.

They say that during the last presidential elections in 2013, one of the pre-election promises of Saakashvili's opponents was in no case to live in this pretentious palace in case of victory.

Misha lost the election, and the new president immediately started building a "more modest" residence. In the meantime, temporarily of course, he nevertheless drove into this glass temple on the banks of the river. As you know, nothing is as permanent as everything is temporary. The new housing has been ready for a long time, but the president is in no hurry to move out of Misha's palace. He probably really liked the view from there.

Directly under the slope on which the Presidential Palace stands, directly on the banks of the Kura, today there is a modern Rike park. IN Soviet time there was a huge asphalt wasteland. sdze , who grew up in these parts, told me that teenagers came to this wasteland to take driving lessons, there was expanse for bad drivers. Under Misha, this place was dug up, they made a large modern park, with a bunch of different public infrastructure. Playgrounds, benches, art objects, greenery. In summer, fountains work here and there is even a climbing wall!

The most central object near Rike Park is the glass Peace Bridge. The people call it the Laying, it is pedestrian, and leads directly to Old city. There is not a single person in Tbilisi who would be indifferent to the bridge - they either love it or hate it. A circle of European stars is stuck on its roof. In general, this symbolism is often found in the city, reflecting the aspiration of Georgians to Europe. Many believe that joining the European Union is only a matter of time.

The bridge is very beautifully illuminated at night. Invisible LEDs are mounted in its railings, which light up and go out in vertical stripes, with different frequencies. It turns out a kind of live barcode.

Another prominent innovation in Rike Park is the modern building of the Theater and Exhibition Hall, designed by another Italian, Massimiliano Fuksas. From a distance, it looks like a huge reflex binoculars (for example, in the title photo for the post).

Unfortunately, this is one of those things that did not have time to finish under Misha. In 2013, it was completed from the outside, but nothing was done to it inside. Now it has been completely empty for more than two years.

Broken panels appear. I hope it was by chance that the cane fell, and not the hooligans did it. It's a shame that such an unusual building is falling into disrepair. A few more years, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to do something with it.

By the way, Rike Park begins just next to this church. The last thing they did here under Misha was to launch the cable car up to the fortress on Narikala hill.

The ticket costs like any public transport- one lar (40 cents) in each direction. (I really need more electronic card buy, it costs an additional two lari, but you can take one for everyone.)

The cable car carries passengers right over the roofs of the old city.

Arrive right on time old fortress. She is of course very beautiful.

And in general, from above there is a beautiful view of the entire central Tbilisi. This is where I took the cover photo for this post. And here, Mother Georgia stands nearby - a healthy statue personifying the Georgian Motherland. However, under the USSR, they liked to put big aunts everywhere in order to develop local patriotism.

Mother Georgia was erected under Khrushchev, in 1958, when Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary (the city was founded in the 450s of our era).

In that part of the old city, where Misha managed to fix everything, many different jokes were built for tourists. For example, a sculpture of a man at the station of the old horse-drawn carriage. The figure is made in a purely Georgian style: the man is comically tall, thin, big-nosed and with a mustache.

Nearby and the horse itself is worth. She is not going to go anywhere, they sell coffee here now.

Just like in Istanbul, near the Galata tower, there is also Lavazza cafe in the old tram. ().

There are many places in Tbilisi where they sell coffee, but I never had a chance to drink a good one.

Let's take a look at how people live in non-tourist areas. Here is a street vendor for the locals. This is a grocery store.

And here they sell kvass. Bring back your socks.

Street parking. It looks like he's been here for a long time though. It looks like an American car.

But someone decided not to clean up their sale of read books for the night, and then it snowed at night.

I wonder if the books got spoiled because of this, or in the morning it will be possible to just brush off the snowball? ..

There are many high cliffs along the Kura, the city rises to the steep banks in steps. In winter, gigantic forests of icicles appear in such places. Or rather, succulent. Very nice, but probably not safe.

What will happen in the spring when they start to fall off? How does the city deal with it?

Georgians smoke everywhere. All bars and cafes. In all restaurants and cars. With pregnant women. Even in airport terminals. I have not been in such a smoking country for a long time.

The famous sulfur baths are located in the heart of the old city. There is a legend that the whole city got its name precisely from the hot springs on top of which these baths are located - the word "tbili" in Georgian means "warm". These baths are distinguished by characteristic domed brick roofs.

Here in one place there are several separate baths. They were built at different times, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. At the dawn of the Soviet era, the government took over the management of the baths.

Unfortunately, for the second time I did not manage to take a steam bath in them. But you can walk from above, on the roofs.

You can even look into some pipes from the top of the domes. From there you can see down into the pools inside the baths.

In the evening, people come to bathe, from the tops of the domes, steam comes out, which catches the evening light from the street. And in the background is a beautifully illuminated fortress and a church on Narikala Hill.

Excavate ancient buildings right behind the baths. Here, between the fortified banks, a stream flows.

If you walk along the stream upstream, you will find yourself in a beautiful gorge. At the top, on top of the sheer walls, there are houses (there is just a mosque there).

And at the very end of the gorge there is a waterfall. Great, two minutes walk from the center of the old town is such a beauty.

A wonderful place, it is very pleasant to walk here in the evening.

Have you noticed how beautiful the lights are here? They give off a warm yellow light. At first glance, it may seem that cleverly curved incandescent elements work, but this is not so. It's just that a light bulb from above illuminates the entire lantern so that it glows with this orange.

These are probably the most beautiful lanterns I have ever seen.

Most of the tourists seen in Tbilisi spoke Russian. Some bands had very bright and prominent blue and yellow Ukrainian ribbons. They were probably worried that they would not be mistaken for Russians, obviously expecting that Russians were not treated very well here. Actually in Tbilisi Russian tourists love and are always welcome.

Moreover, one episode happened to us, which showed me that the Russian culture from Tbilili has not disappeared anywhere. It was in a karaoke bar where my friends and I came on the last evening. A little, I confess, we were worried that we would order Russian-language songs, and they would look askance at us. And at first, it seemed like, in addition to our table, everyone asked for English-language pop music, then something Georgian.

But the evening continued, other tables gradually began to connect, who "Let them run awkwardly ..." will order, who is Timati, who is Meladze. Tonya and I stood on the street, went out to get some fresh air, when the first chords of the song "Grass near the House" came from the hall. And then one of the managers of the establishment rushed past us from the kitchen. He was never a thin fellow, and I was very surprised at his agility. Running past us, he exclaimed:

"Waime! That's my favorite song!"

From the time when my father served in the army here, and to this day, when I was lucky enough to visit these parts, inminethe heart has already conceived love for this picturesque country and respect for this Great people.

So, friends, I invite you to travel with me around the city of Tbilisi. This The largest city Georgia, which is a "capital city", is located between Europe and Asia on the banks of the Mtkvari (Kura) River.

Bertrand Gossart

#blogcut#

According to legend, back in the 5th century, a pheasant shot during a hunt by King Vakhtang Gorgasali was boiled in a hot spring. The medical properties of the springs and their strategic location were the reason for the foundation of the city on those lands with beautiful name Tbilisi (translated as “warm spring”).

However, even without knowing the legend, I could assume that the city was named that way in connection with the unusually warm and friendly reception of guests by local residents.

On the way to the hotel, the taxi driver told me and my companion about the best establishments where you can taste Georgian khinkali, about the main attractions, and even took us along a longer route so that we could see more without charging us an additional fee.

Philipp Chistyakov

Streets of Old Tbilisi

Remembering the enthusiastic stories of my father and fellow travelers, we first of all went to the promenade along Old Tbilisi. The monuments of the Old City enveloped us with the breath of antiquity. Like a parallel world, surprisingly harmoniously, modern infrastructure coexisted.

Dilapidated two-story buildings replaced glittering avenues. But even this did not create any imbalance, as if it could not be otherwise. The aromas of fresh bread in tandem with the barely perceptible smell of smoke gave us new sensations, quivering emotions.

Dan N

Clock tower of Rezo Gabriadze and Anchiskhati

Then we found ourselves in the land of fairy tales, seeing Rezo Gabriadze's watch. The amazing asymmetry of this building is perfectly combined with the nearby Byzantine masterpiece, the unique Anchiskhati Basilica of the 5th century.

At the top of the tower, on a small balcony, and also at its foot, from time to time, a whole theatrical performance of mechanical puppets takes place. Seeing this, every spectator passing by will smile ...

The skewness of the tower and the supporting channel are nothing more than a creative idea. The tower is stable and durable. But until we were told, we doubted it.

Rezo Gabriadze, who is the director of many films, including the famous "Mimino" and "Do not Cry", is an artist, writer, theater director, puppeteer. It was he who founded the first puppet theater in the capital in 1981. And it is located just opposite the Clock Tower. When watching the performance, my companion's eyes burned with the same spark as those of a six-year-old girl sitting next to her. Therefore, I was touched by two actions at once: on stage and the reaction in the hall.

Roland Shainidze

Peace Bridge

So imperceptibly, the sunset took away the colors of the daytime city from us, but suggested that the time of romantics had come.

The magic of the Bridge of Peace lies in the fact that at night, when passing through this 156-meter tunnel, you are under the glass reinforced on the frame. It magically reacts to our movements. Very symbolic and beautiful, in the darkness of the Bridge of Peace, it illuminated our path. You can get to the bridge both from the side of Irakli II Street and Rike Park, and from the embankments of the boulevards.

Despite the fact that fatigue was very pleasant and expected, it was necessary to gain strength for the second day of acquaintance with the old Tbilisi.

Khuroshvili Ilya

Mtatsminda

In the morning the route was easily determined. locals We are always happy to suggest what else we need to see and experience. And if necessary, they can personally show the way, accompanying the walk with an unobtrusive and pleasant conversation.

So, we are in the amusement park on Mount Mtatsminda. And you can get to the mountain through cable car That in itself is already a small adventure. Especially for a coward like my love. Leaving the cabin, we admired the panorama of Tbilisi at our feet.

On the slope of the mountain is the Church of St. David. Since 1929, the Mtatsminda pantheon has existed around the church, where prominent people of Georgia are buried.

maykal

After regular hiking it was simply necessary to visit the famous Georgian baths, famous for their unusually relaxing and tonic effect.

“In my childhood I have never seen anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths,” Pushkin wrote in his memoirs. It is this quote that is engraved on an old tablet at the entrance to the kingdom of sulfur springs.

We were offered a variety of types of massages - a more sophisticated and expensive peeling massage with honey or coffee; or classic, however, in no way inferior to the first.

Naturally, my friend chose the first option, while I chose the second. Our delight was boundless, the feeling of being reborn into the world.

Then we drank some tea and went for a walk, planning to finally visit the holy of holies for any gourmet - a restaurant with national cuisine.

Robyn Lee

Alani Restaurant

Walking not far from the central district of Abanotubani, where the bath complex is located, we found this cozy place. Quite hungry, we ordered hearty khinkali with mushrooms.

While we were deciding on the type of wine, a kind waitress brought us a decanter of red homemade wine, which the gentlemen at the next table decided to treat us to.

At first glance, this may seem strange to people of a different mentality. In Georgia, it is in the order of things to bring a 5-6-liter eggplant with homemade wine to a restaurant and simply ask the waiter to pour it for your company and at the request of guests, exclusively as a treat.

Georgians are very generous and sincere people. Such gestures come from a pure heart, so there is no thought to refuse. “A guest is a messenger of God,” says a popular proverb. Especially when it comes to wine, even Omar Khayyam would learn a lot from any Georgian.

As a result, based on the amount of food on the table, our modest dinner turned into a small royal feast. Those who like to arrange a holiday for the stomach will also be very pleased with portions of dishes.

The atmosphere of unbridled fun was fueled by live music and the singing of all those present. We returned home in the morning...

dhammika meekotuwe

I didn’t want to think that this is the last day, I’m not afraid to say this paradise vacation. But this day had just begun, the rays of the sun woke us up, bursting into our sleepy abode through the curtain that was not tightly covering the window.

We headed for the Narikala fortress, where the spirit of different eras lives. The first mention of it was recorded already in the IV century. The fortress acquired a close to the modern look of the Tbilisi citadel in the 17th-18th centuries, but the earthquake of 1827 caused irreparable damage to it.

In the 1990s, the church of St. Nicholas, located on the territory of the fortress in the XII century. You can get to it by riding the funicular. From the height of the fortress, a magnificent view of Tbilisi opens up. In particular, to the aforementioned Bridge of Peace, the Kura River, parks and areas of the city

No wonder I ended the story in this fortress. After all, it was here that I said those main words to that mysterious girl who shared with me the joy of being in a city that will always be warm, despite the rain and frost.

By no means pretending to the greatness of the poets and writers who dedicated hundreds of lines to Tbilisi, in my modest notebook, as a keepsake, I wrote down a small quatrain, but from a great feeling and a pure heart:

In Kuru, I will throw out a handful of coins

Thirty coins to the bottom of the ancient river

What a pity that I see you so rarely

I would return thirty times, no less ...

Let's start with the fact that I ended up in Tbilisi by chance and, unfortunately, not for long. However, even a couple of days in the capital of Georgia was amazing - after all, this is our first joint trip with Valieva. So we tried to cram as much as possible into this short period of time. And it looks like we succeeded.

I arrived late at night, so the first thing we did was go to sleep. We lived in apartments near the city center. There were hard-to-open gates and a green light in the bedroom, like in the Slytherin common room.

In the morning, barely opening our eyes, we immediately went for a walk.

The first thing that catches your eye in the city center is the abundance of Russian text. Almost everyone here speaks Russian - and to say that this is discouraging is to say nothing. Yes, this is a former Soviet republic, but in comparison with the same Azerbaijan, the difference is colossal. The second thing that not only catches your eye - but downright knocks you down - a huge amount of wine: in shops, restaurants and wine bars.

This is the first trip for which I did not prepare, so we explored the charming old streets and wide avenues at random. IN tourist center there are a lot of souvenir shops, carpet shops and restaurants of Georgian cuisine - which is not too surprising. Boutique hotels, hostels and residential buildings of the old city lurk in the alleys.

The walls are a separate attraction:

Real beauty can be found in the alleys: it's like a million in Vladivostok, like the vintage city of Porto in Portugal ... Charmingly dilapidated houses, artfully crumbling jokes and doors, each of which you want to photograph.

A separate attraction is the balconies: from mesmerizing patterns of forged lattices to tall structures with wooden carvings.

And doors, of course. If I had a couple more days in Tbilisi, the whole film would be literally filled with them.

And a few more lanes:

Quite quickly, we came to Rustaveli Avenue, the main artery of the city, where most of the significant buildings of the city are located: the Parliament, the National Gallery, theaters and cinemas, shops, hotels…

Near the Rustaveli cinema and several theaters there is a local analogue of the "walk of fame". Movies here, by the way, are shown in Russian and Georgian.

On the avenue is also located the temple of Kashveti or the Kashveti Cathedral of St. George. despite the seeming "old age" it was built in the 20th century. However, even he perfectly demonstrates the peculiarity of all Georgian churches: they are compact, concise and obscenely similar to each other. This unity has its own charm - the “sameness” of the churches makes them together a unique feature of Georgia.

Freedom Square is another attraction that you will meet on the way. Its main feature is that it does not feel like a square at all. If it were not for the monumental monument of Freedom with St. George killing the dragon, then it could even be mistaken for a transport ring.

A couple of times we went down into the underground passages - everything is expected here: good old Chinese stalls with Chinese goods. If you think about it and remember how far the Celestial Empire is from here, then such a scale is really terrifying :/

On the other side of the avenue there are bookstores, souvenirs and paintings by street artists:

In general, when walking around the city, you always pay attention to the details: there are so many of them that you don’t want to waste time cramming them into the frame. Here are the details of buildings in different architectural styles(surprisingly often found in art deco), and paintings, and moments from street life, and just some little things that catch the eye and never let go. It is very easy to fall in love with Tbilisi at first sight.