We walked all over today. The weather is still good. It is noticeably cooler than my previous two weeks and getting darker earlier, but still nice. I didn’t realize I could walk from my neighborhood, Vake, to Mike’s neighborhood. 🤦♀️ It is a good walk—about four miles and along lots of nice streets. I have been taking Bolt—Eastern Europe’s version of Uber.
I’m in Vake. Mike is in Vera. Old Town is in Mtatsminda. The Peace Bridge connects Old Town over the Kura (Mtkvari) River to Rike Park at the edge of the Avlabari neighborhood. Rike Park is on the left bank of the river.We left my apartment thinking we would go to a museum or two. All the museums are closed on Mondays so, we continued walking. We walked to Old Town and across the Peace Bridge heading towards the Holy Trinity Cathedral, also known as Sameba Cathedral, one of the most iconic landmarks of Tbilisi. The church looks old, however, is fairly new. It was completed in 2004. You can see it on the hill in this picture.I told Mike that I might have to rest halfway up these steps. I think I scared him. ; )Change of plans again. We decided to take the cable car to see the Mother of Georgia up-close-and-personal. This is a different and bigger cable car than the one in my neighborhood that takes you to Turtle Lake.On the way up.
Mother of Georgia is also known as Kartlis Deda. I wrote about her briefly during my first visit to Tbilisi. You can’t get a picture of her from the front when you are up here—she is perched on the edge of a huge hill.
The statue was erected on the top of Sololaki hill next to the Narikala Fortress in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. Prominent Georgian sculptor Elguja Amashukeli designed the twenty-meter (65 feet) aluminum figure of a woman in Georgian national dress. Mother of Georgia symbolizes the Georgian national character: in her left hand she holds a bowl of wine to greet those who come as friends, and in her right hand is a sword for those who come as enemies.
Mike and I come as friends.The way down.
Dinner at Kiwi Cafe. The cooking instructor from Istanbul recommended this place and we happened to be in the neighborhood. Everything delicious!
Dream to Travel from NCM 