Dream to Travel from NCM

Tag: #caucasusmountains

To the Caucasus mountains and back—Gudauri and Kazbegi. It was so cold!

November 5th, 2024

Our meeting spot. Avlarbia Square and metro station

Zhinvali Reservoir—two pictures above. Zhinvali Reservoir is an artificial lake located on the river Aragvi, about 70 kilometers/40 miles from Tbilisi on Georgian Military Road. The reservoir plays a crucial role in the supply of water for Tbilisi.

Traveling further along the Georgian Military Road, which connects Tbilisi and Kazbegi, you come across the Ananuri fortress, nestled in the heart of Georgia.

If you’re a fan of history and culture, then you definitely shouldn’t miss visiting this fortress. This beautiful and captivating site is a gem of Georgian architecture located in a very beautiful gorge of the river Aragvi, that will leave you awestruck. It is still possible to see the Church of the Savior with its ancient frescos. I also captured goats crossing the road but, I couldn’t get my phone ready soon enough to catch the shepherd—cars screeching to a halt, dogs barking like crazy. Hey, goat crossing.

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The parts the Caucasus mountain range in Russia are known as the North Caucasus and the countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, are referred to collectively as the South Caucasus.

Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus, located in Georgia, just south of the border with Russia. We were really close to Russia; kinda scary to think about.

Gergeti Trinity Church is a popular name for Holy Trinity Church near the village of Stepantsminda. The church is at an elevation of 2,170 metres (7,120 ft), under Mount Kazbek. I could hardly breath when I reached the church.

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Gudauri is a ski resort located on the south-facing plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in Georgia. The resort is situated in the Kazbegi Municipality, also along the Georgian Military Road at an elevation of 2,200 meters above sea level and just below Mount Kazbegi.

Russian Georgian Friendship Monument (sounds like an oxymoron) is near the city of Gudauri. The view is breathtaking. A lot of opportunities to take pictures. A stopover place between Tbilisi and Kazbegi. It was cold today and VERY windy.

The Russian Georgia Friendship Monument serves as a historical marker, reflecting a complex past and the cultural ties between Georgia and Russia. While the relations between the two countries have experienced significant challenges, the monument remains a point of interest for those seeking to understand the region’s history and appreciate its natural beauty. The monument 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.

PS The Georgian Military Road also known as Mtskheta–Stepantsminda-Larsi (Georgia–Russia border) is a road of international importance within the Georgian road network and runs from Mtskheta to the border with Russia near Stepantsminda, 139 kilometres/86 miles. After crossing the Georgian-Russian border the highway continues as A161 to Vladikavkaz, the capital of Russia’s North Ossetia federal republic
The Kakheti region—Sighnaghi for us. And getting there,

October 29th, 2023

Nearly three-quarters of Georgia’s wine grapes are grown in the Kakheti region, including Sighnaghi, Telavi, and Tsinandali. Though there are many types of wine to try throughout the region, Rkatsiteli, a white grape, is the most celebrated — known for its granny smith apple taste and subtle spice. The main city of Kakheti is Telavi, facing the mighty Tsiv-Gombori Range, and the city itself boasts a history that features some of the region’s most important sites. First settled in the Paleolithic era, Sighnaghi holds the distinction of being one of Georgia’s smallest and most picturesque towns, complete with cobblestone streets and an outlook over the Alazani Valley.

Cow crossing. And the sign warned us. : )

First glimpse of Sighnaghi. It is only about 90 minutes from Tbilisi.

Sighnaghi is the city of love. The heart proves it.
And there is a wedding house where you can get married any day of the week, anytime of the day.

Almost there.

We made it.
Just about the first thing we saw, this WWII memorial. Approximately 300,000 Georgians lost their lives in WWII.

Stretching our legs. Lots of hills!

We’re still walking . . .

Lunch, we ate at Pheasant’s Tears. Georgian salad, wild mushroom dish, bread and amber, Rkatsiteli wine. The wild mushroom dish was delicious! I’ll be raving about the mushrooms for years. (For those who know and appreciate my love for mushrooms, think the Four Seasons and Suraya.) At Pheasant’s Tears they adapt the menu to what the forests, rivers and meadows are currently offering. Mike and I watched an Anthony Bourdain segment from this restaurant when we found out Georgia was his next assignment. Who knew at the time that we would be able to eat here too. Anthony gave it a thumbs up and it didn’t disappoint.

All of the wines at Pheasant’s Tears are fermented and aged in qvevri, a unique Georgian vessel used to ferment and store wine. This method of fermenting wine dates back to 6000 BC. Qvevriare clay vessels lined with beeswax are completely buried under the ground where the temperature stays even throughout the year, allowing the wines to ferment in the natural coolness of the earth.

Qvevri.

Wine tasting this evening.

Wine tasting with Giorgi. Home made wine and chacha. The pours were very generous.

Here is what I learned. The most well known white wine grape in Georgia is rkatsiteli, which produces a crisp, amber wine. The most famous red wine grape is Saperavi, a dark-skinned grape and one of the world’s few with a red interior. In Georgia, at least in Sighnaghi, wine is white or black. Even the amber rkatsiteli is called a white wine. Red wines are black.

In Georgia, wine is both an economic asset and source of identity and national pride. You find it everywhere: in designer glassware or homespun pitchers at formal affairs, in plastic water bottles! and always at casual gatherings. You even find it being sold by street vendors. I can vouch for this.

Sighnaghi overlooks Alazani Valley and faces the Caucasus mountains. It is these mountains (I think I got this correct) that help to create a tropical(ish) climate in the eastern part of the country, Kakheti, where most commercial wine production takes place. The extent of my Georgian wine knowledge. All of the wine—at least that we had, is very good.

Evening view from our little balcony. I was finishing my wine from the generous wine tasting pours.

PS wild dogs everywhere. And up all night!

Tomorrow, a couple of wineries.
Last day in Ireland. Home tomorrow. Georgia on my mind.

April 8th, 2023

On this trip, I have officially travelled by: plane, train, bus, boat, bike, taxi and Uber.

Last morning in Spiddal–taken out our front door. It was cloudy, but no rain and 48 degrees. Not too bad overall.

Seaside resort of Salthill, Galway. This traditional holiday spot overlooking Galway Bay is close to the shops,
pubs and clubs. If you want easy access to beaches and savor the vibrant and energetic atmosphere of the
City of the Tribes this is the place.

Is Salthill Beach the Jones Beach of Ireland? You vote.

Tomorrow morning, 7AM, bus to Dublin airport.

Parting drink with Mike before we depart. : (

Ok, now for my bad news. Mike’s assignment for next year is Georgia–the country, not the U.S. state. Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus Mountains extending into Europe; Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both.

Poland lost its funding. Too westernized. Darn! : (

Mike will be located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Anyone up for Paris, Istanbul and Tbilisi in
late September/early October?? Might be one of my last overseas trips.

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