Here’s a brighter version of a fisherman along Mtkvari River.  This one was taken on the same morning near Old Tbilisi but at a later time when the sun has risen a bit higher behind me.  King Gorgasali’s statue stands on the right over an old bridge atop a brighter, lighter colored cliff.  The soft reflections and the fading intensity of color from the front to the back were what I wanted to capture in this scene.

On another note, I may need to adjust my posting schedule back to once every 2 days to allow me more time to focus on a project I’m working on.  I still have a few more photo sets about Georgia lined up for the coming days to be followed by a new series on another exotic place. Will just make sure that one gets posted every other day. Stay tuned.

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Weekend Tour

It was autumn when I first visited Georgia in 2010. Trees everywhere were bursting with colors but it was frequently cloudy and there was rain from time to time.  After  working for 2 weeks in Tbilisi, I got an opportunity to travel to the countryside one weekend and my first choice for a region to visit was Kakheti. I read somewhere that Georgia has the longest history of winemaking in the Caucasus region and it was in Kakheti where that history was made. I also knew that Kakheti is home to other historical sites and is the most visited province in Georgia. Fortunately, my office colleagues and another friend agreed to accompany me in the trip and we set out for Kakheti one early Sunday morning.  As usual, I traveled light with only my rain gear and my camera.

Foggy Countryside

A winding road towards Gombori

A sleepy roadside village

There are two routes going to Telavi, the capital town of Kakheti, but Natia, our lovely lady friend who was doing the driving, suggested that we pass through the more scenic Gombori Mountain Range, the Georgian section of the Greater Caucasus mountains, where the road was also better.

There was nothing much too see along the road for almost an hour from Tbilisi until we turned to an apparently newly-built road and the scenery got a bit more exciting. The landscape became hillier and the scenery more rural but visibility also became poorer as we began to enter a heavy fog. I also started to worry that my camera may not be able to capture much of the passing countryside scenes.

But still I was excited as we drove through the foggy countryside.  There were sleepy highland villages, some herders and their cattle, cold-stricken leafless trees, and some occasional fortresses or whatever was left of them.  We were hurrying to spend enough time at Tsinandali and Sighnaghi, two of the most popular places in Kakheti, so I just had to capture photos of the passing scenes whenever I can as we traveled.

Above the Clouds

The sky gradually brightened as we slowly zigzagged uphill towards to the higher portions of the Gombori Mountains.  We were amazed that it was sunny on the mountaintops and, when we looked back, only then did we realize that we’ve been driving under a low cloud all along.

The view was so breathtaking that we had to stop several times along the zigzag road, posing by the roadside, taking photos of the sea of clouds blanketing the lowlands, or just enjoying the mountain breeze under the smiling sun.

The only problem with the clouds was that they obstructed our view of the lowlands. The Caucasus Mountains separate Georgia from Russia and the Gombori Range is its lower portion on the Georgian side.  The mountain range serves as a watershed, separating the Alazani and Iori river valleys, and create the inner (Shida) and outer (Gare) regions of Kakheti.  Thus there are two mountain ranges, two rivers and two valleys which influence and dominate the characteristics and potential for agricultural production in Kakheti. But none of these rivers or valleys were visible even at the highest point of the road so we just savored the thought that we were standing above the clouds. And when we had our fill, we slowly proceeded through a forest of deciduous trees getting ready for winter and then slowly descended from the sunny portion and entered a cloudy valley once again.

-oOo-

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“Fishing is not always about the catch – it’s about the solitude, the quiet, the exercise of preparing the lure/bait, throwing it into the water and waiting. Thinking occurs, problems are solved, heart rate and blood pressure normalize – calm sets in. Until there is a tug on the other end…”

- Comment by excellent blogger, T Hollis, on another photo in this set, By the River Mtkvari 2.

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The Silent Observer

Despite the slight rain, I got engrossed with photographing a roadside scene near the Jvari Monastery in Mtskheta while my Georgian hosts, Becka and his family, waited in the car.  It was only when I was about to return to the car when I realized that Becka’s younger boy has been watching me all the while and didn’t seem to mind even when I started taking this photo.  Later at the restaurant, he struck another ‘deep-in-thought’ pose while we were waiting for our food (see “Holy Khinkali!”).

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Khinkali served with barbecue and bread in Kutaisi

Okay, I’m not really into food photography and I haven’t been as adventurous when it came to exploring Georgian cuisine when I was in Tbilisi. The only restaurants I have explored alone (when I was not in the mood to ransack my hotel mini-bar or scrimp on whatever food the nearby grocery stores can offer) were those along Abashidze Street where most of the food offered were not traditionally Georgian.  I so lacked the enthusiasm to explore about food that the staff at a small place called coffee.ge, the closest to my hotel, have started to call me by my first name because it’s the only place I frequented.

Khinkali in 'watercolor'

The Supra

Steaming Khinkali in 'watercolor'

Adjarian kachapuri in 'watercolor'

I was obviously out of place when it came to food because Georgians love food — and wine (with emphasis) and this was best observed during a supra, an important part of Georgian culture. I have only heard of the supra, which is said to always feature a huge assortment of dishes accompanied by large amounts of wine.   It is said that “When God was distributing portions of the world to all the people of the Earth, the Georgians were having a party and doing some serious drinking. As a result, they arrived late and were told by God that all the land had been distributed. When they replied that they were late only because they had been lifting their glasses in praise of Him, God was pleased, and gave the Georgians that part of Earth He had been reserving for Himself.” (The Legend)

Imeretian khachapuri, cheese and vegetable salad in 'watercolor'

But what I found most intriguing was the role of the tamada, a sort of a toastmaster nominated by the host to stage-manage the supra. The tamada must be a man of humour with ability for improvisation and a philosopher’s wisdom (tough job!). The tamada makes sure that toasts follow a strict never violated order so anybody who wants to say something must have the tamada’s consent otherwise the person who gave an unacknowledged comment will find himself in an awkward position.  The toasts include quotations and aphorisms from the works of poets and writers and as the party progresses, the supra gets accompanied by table songs and music and dance competitions.

And so I also missed the supra totally but my Georgian friends would not allow me to leave without at least having a good taste of traditional Georgian cuisine. I have had several opportunities to try them in my travels to Batumi and Kutaisi but, on my last day, my Georgian friend, Becka, who was to drive me to the airport, made sure that I have had a memorable experience on Georgian food.

My flight was scheduled for late in the afternoon and I managed to free myself in the morning so we first visited Georgia’s old capital, Mtskheta. Becka with his wife and two boys picked me up from my hotel at around 11:00 am. After visiting important places and taking photos mainly of the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery, the boys were obviously famished so we headed to a roadside restaurant just outside of Mtsketa.

A Cozy Place in Mtskheta

Best in Town: Wooden stools and tables create a warm ambiance inside the Mtskheta khinkali restaurant

Nameless: A place in Mtskheta where the best khinkali can be found

It was a neat and simple but cozy restaurant and it was apparently very popular. Most of the Georgians I talked to knew the place but, strangely, nobody was able to give me the exact name. I was told that this restaurant existed even before more popular restaurants in Tbilisi found their niche. People from Tbilisi used to drive out to this place especially on Sundays to enjoy the food with their family. It was almost 1:00 o’clock when we entered and only a few tables were occupied but, in a matter of minutes, the place was packed with diners. It was raining and the weather was quite cold but, according to Becka, in summer when the weather is warmer, even the tables and kiosks outside of the building get full. Becka did all the ordering of food while I and the boys patiently waited with excitement.

Starters

Lobiani: Seasoned kidney bean sauce and cottage cheese

First came the lobiani, circular bread served with seasoned kidney bean sauce and cottage cheese together with a vegetable salad. Becka showed me how to break the bread and dip it into the bean sauce but warned me not to eat too much because more food was coming.

Then came some sort of a spring roll (I didn’t catch the Georgian name) as a sort of appetizer. Both dishes were very tasty but I heeded Becka’s warning not to take too much.

The Kachapuri

Adjarian Kachapuri in Batumi: Boat-shaped with crispy crust

Most Popular: Imeretian khachapuri in Mtskheta

Then the khachapuri came. The khachapuri is a filled bread dish similar to the Turkish peynirli (pide). There are several varieties of kachapuri and we got the most popular variety, Imeruli khachapuri or Imeretian khachapuri, which is basically bread stuffed with cheese. When served whole, it is circular and looks like a pizza but only with cheese stuffed in it.

Other regions have their own versions of the kachapuri. The Mingrelian kachapuri has more cheese added on top. The Adjarian (Acharuli/Adjaruli) khachapuri, which I got to try in Batumi, has a unique shape and texture. The dough is formed into an open boat shape and the hot pie crust is topped with a raw egg and a pat of butter. Amiko, another Georgian friend, and I spent a good amount of time searching for the place in Batumi where they traditionally prepared the Adjarian kachapuri in a firewood oven.

I was quite surprised by the big difference between the common kachapuri which has soft, tender dough and the Adjarian kachapuri with its thin, crunchy crust but the common factor is the cheese, the quality of which almost defines the tastiness of the kachapuri.

The Khinkali

A tray of steaming khinkali

My boy host patiently waiting for the khinkali

Becka’s boys were apparently as excited as I was and they almost clapped their hands when the khinkali finally came.

The khinkali is a sort of strongly peppered mutton dumplings, similar to the Mongolian budz. Pork, mutton or spits aubergines, depending on the season, is stuffed with fat of tail and tomatoes and steamed inside a thin dough wrapping. The “dumpling” is bag-shaped almost the size of a tennis ball and I was told that a medium-built Georgian can consume as many as 10 of these dumplings in one sitting. The technique in eating khinkali is by consuming it while it was hot and by making sure that the “juice” inside the dumpling, which carries its succulent taste, is not spilled. To the amusement of Becka’s boys, I tried hard not to look awkward biting small holes into one of the corners of the dumpling and trying to sip the contents while it was hot. By the time I finished my first khinkali, they have consumed three. But the khinkhali was really good and I congratulated myself after the meal for having consumed 4 of the dumplings for the first time.

Finishers

Pork barbecue for the finale

When it came to food, Georgians like the dining table to be always excessively full and find it perfectly acceptable if a lot of food was still left on the table after the meal. So, to top it all, a final serving of pork barbecue was served. It was a tender and tasty meat cooked well-done and topped with onions. It was also very good and, being more familiar to my palate, I ate 3 more slices but I finally refused when Becka asked if I wanted some dessert.

My Supra

Generous Hosts: Becka and his family enjoying the meal

Looking back, I would say that the meal was a huge feast and was as good as a supra to me. There was no wine involved but Becka deftly presided over the whole affair like a seasoned tamada with myself and his lovely family as his willing ward. And, in the end, they succeeded in giving me, an unadventurous tourist when it comes to food, an unforgettable  food adventure and a lasting appreciation of Georgian cuisine.

But it doesn’t mean I won’t go for a real supra next time.

Khinkali and barbecue in 'watercolor'

‘Epilogue’: Can’t help but think of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” while processing the photos in this set, perhaps because many of them involved bread and the real last supper according to the Bible involved the breaking of bread. So I played with the photos and applied the watercolor effect in some of them and included those ones I liked in this post (those marked in ‘watercolor’). I must admit, I still love painting.

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• By the River Mtkvari 2 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)

"Morning Glory"

I wanted to emphasize both the bright morning sunlight and the colorful bank of Mtkvari River in this photo so I composed it in such a way that one side is glary (somewhat overexposed) and then details gradually become clearer as the eyes shift to the right side of the frame.    The silhouette of hanging branches and leaves on top help give depth to the bright scene.  I didn’t use a filter (I never do) but my aging SLR  had thankfully captured the moment the way I wanted it to come out.

The lone fisherman was the first of about half a dozen I caught and photographed on the same morning in less than a kilometer stretch of the riverbank along the Old Tbilisi section of the Georgian capital.  I find it strange that that none of them was able to show me a catch.

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"Fishing and Wishing"

This photo is part of a set of photos of the fishermen I chanced upon one early morning along the banks of Mtkvari River near the Old Tbilisi section of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.  At first glance I thought that the two guys in the photo worked together but, upon closer look, I realized that the angler was by himself and the other was a just passerby who decided to stop and ponder on something along the riverbank.

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Mtskheta as viewed from a window of Jvari Monastery on a cloudy day

 Two Rivers

Confluence: Mtskheta lies along the banks of both Aragvi and Kura rivers

Refurbished: The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is surrounded by the newly-renovated buildings of Mtskheta

Also along the banks of Mtkvari (Kura) River, at the point where it is joined by the Aragvi river, is the scenic medieval town of Mtskheta.  Located just 20 kilometres (about a half-hour drive) north of Georgia’s present capital of Tbilisi; Mtskheta is one of the oldest cities of the country and was capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia from 3rd century BC to 5th century AD. It was only later, during the rule of King Dachi I Ujarmeli, in accordance to the will of his father, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali, when the Georgian capital was moved  from Mtskheta to the more easily defensible Tbilisi.

Mtskheta was  the main site of early Christian activities in Georgia and was the place where Christianity was proclaimed the state religion of the country in 337 AD, making them second only to Armenia in this regard. In the 6th century, the Jvari Monastery was built on top of a hill overlooking the rivers and Mtskheta and, in the 11th century, the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral was built in the middle of the old capital.  Both of these religious structures  are amongst the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture and were among the “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” as declared by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1994. The city continued to serve as the coronation and burial place for most kings of Georgia until the end of the kingdom in the 19th century and it still remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church to this day.

Hilltop: The Jvari Monastery as viewed from Mtskheta

Riverside: Mtskheta as viewed from across the river with the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral dominating the skyline

The grand 11th Century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral

A Must-See

Old and New: A newly-renovated building beside the walls of Svetitskhoveli with a view of the Jvari Monastery at the background

On-going construction near Svetitskhoveli's bell tower

I was not surprised that Becka, a Georgian friend who drove for me between hotel and work and around Tbilisi during my visits, insisted that I see Mtskheta before I finally leave for home.  I have visited various other places in Georgia such as Kakheti, Batumi and Emireti but have never been to Mtskheta, which happens to be the closest to Tbilisi and one of the most historically significant.  The other thing that Becka declared he didn’t want to happen was to allow me to leave the country without having enjoyed traditional Georgian dishes especially the khinkali. In fact he and other Georgian friends were shocked to learn that I have never tasted the khinkali after two visits to Georgia.  And so Becka made it his personal mission to feed me khinkali before I flew out of the country. He also wanted to make sure that I had enough experience and photos to write about it later.  It also happens that the best khinkali place can be found in Mtskheta.

Wet marble pavements reflect the 'new' buildings

And so, on the day of my last departure from Tbilisi, we agreed to do a quick tour of Mtskheta just a few hours before my flight.  In a perpetual gesture of Georgian hospitality, he brought along his wife and two young boys to enjoy the view and share a huge Georgian lunch with me.  The older boy, Becka junior, also has some fondness for photography and, with his tiny point and shoot camera in hand, he tailed me around as I tried to catch the best angles of buildings and sceneries.  It was a rainy day so Becka junior also doubled as my umbrella assistant from time to time.

An empty street in the 'old' section of the city

An 'old town' coffee shop

A small alley lined by wooden fences

A Tour under the Rain

A view of Jvari from another angle

The Jvari Monastery as viewed from the newly-renovated section of the city

First we went up to the 6^th century Jvari Monastery which sat on top of a hill providing a magnificent view of Mtskheta and the Kura and Aragvi rivers.  The hills surrounding the monastery, dotted by cherry blossoms and some cattle grazing on the green slopes, gave a beautiful rustic feel of the Georgian countryside.  I regretted that the sun was out that day but the rain and cloudiness provided some dramatic effects to the photos as well.

Before lunchtime, we moved down to the main city of Mtskheta where the 11^th century   Svetitskhoveli Cathedral dominated the landscape.  The city has been going through a facelift so the surroundings were a combination of on-going construction, newly refurbished buildings, and untouched centuries-old structures.  Thus, while I felt like I was in a studio set-up of a cowboy movie in some newly renovated sections of the city; I also felt the strong historical vein running though the older, un-renovated sections, and I can almost visualize  the Christian noblemen and citizens of Iberia worshiping in the cathedral or pacing on the cobblestones along the old buildings of the city.

The front wall and bell tower of Svetitskhoveli

"Old Taverna"

Feast before Flight

My Side of the Table

When it was time for lunch, we drove to a roadside restaurant which, according to my Georgian hosts, remains the most popular in the region.  There, I got treated to a feast of authentic khinkali and other traditional Georgian dishes so good that I felt like I ate a whole month’s meal .  The family later brought me to the airport fully satisfied that they have accomplished their final mission with me. Thanks to my hosts and the warm Georgian hospitality, I left with a stomach full of Georgian food, a camera full of photos, and mind full of  memories to write about.

The 'new' section with the cloudy mountains at the background

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He shook his head when I approached him along the bank of Mtkvari River and asked if he spoke English, so I gestured that I wanted to take his picture to which he nodded.  What I was more interested in was the symmetry created by the Peace Bridge‘s reflection on the water as well as the converging diagonal angles of the ledge and his fishing rod.  What came out was a less than perfect symmetry but nevertheless the rod and the ledge somehow contributed to the interesting combination of lines and shapes in the photo.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Prominent Landmark: The Narikala Fortress towers on a hill above Tbilisi

The Country

The Presidential Palace glows in morning sunlight over Mtkvari River and the Old Tbilisi section of the capital

Symbol of Georgia: The statue of Saint George at Freedom Square

Georgia’s location in the Caucasus region is somewhat like a link between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.  To its west is the Black Sea and its neighbours includes Russia to the north; Turkey and Armenia to the south; and Azerbaijan to the east.

According to scholars, Georgia’s history can be traced back to the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia. Georgia was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity in the 4th century. It reached the peak of its political and economic strength during the reign of King David and Queen Tamar in the 11th and 12th centuries; was annexed by the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century; gained a brief period of independence; was annexed by the Soviet Red Army in 1921; then was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922 until the breakup of the Soviet Union and Georgia’s declaration of independence in 1991.

Some notable historians claim that Georgians are so called Georgian because they especially revere Saint George who appears in most national symbols. A statue of Saint George dominates the Freedom Square and in January 2004 the country adopted the five-cross flag, featuring the Saint George’s Cross. It has been argued that the flag was used in Georgia from the 5th century throughout the Middle Ages. Present day Georgia is a democratic semi-presidential republic.

A City of Warm Springs

Mother of Georgia: Wine for friends; Sword for the enemies

Sulfur Baths: The dome-shaped structures house the sulfur baths in Narikala district

A bath house with an ornate facade

It was a crisp 14 degrees Celsius – a good shift from the 32 degrees of the tropics – when I got out of the terminal at Tblisi International Airport.   As we drove on the George W. Bush Avenue towards the city, I can already sense the richness of Georgian history and, within the next few days, immediately felt warmth from the friendliness and hospitality Georgian people are known for.

Incidentally, Tblisi also literally means “warm spring”.  According to legend, the present-day territory of Tbilisi was once covered by forests and King Vakhtang I Gorgasali went hunting in these woods with a falcon. The King’s falcon was trying to catch a pheasant during the hunt when both birds fell into a nearby hot spring. King Vakhtang became so impressed when both birds got cooked in the hot springs that he decided to cut down the forest and build a city on the location. The name ‘Tbili’ or ‘Tbilisi’ (‘warm location’) was therefore given to the city because of the area’s numerous sulphuric hot springs that came out of the ground.

At present, several establishments offer sulphur baths in the ancient Bath district several hundred metres from the Metekhi Church. The dome-shaped brick structures with sulphuric steam oozing out from dome-tips are unmistakeable. I entered one of these baths with some Georgian friends one night but was I was not ready to take a dip in a sulphuric pool yet.  Maybe next time.

Freedom Square and Saint George Statue at night

Rustaveli Avenue at night

Center of Georgian Culture and Religion

The former necropolis at Mtatsminda is now a leisure park

Tbilisi has often been a point of contention between various rival powers and empires because of its strategic location at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, along the historic Silk Road routes. The history of the city can be seen by its architecture, where the “Haussmannized“ Rustaveli Avenue and downtown are blended with the narrower streets of the medieval Narikala district. The city is also emerging as an important transit route for global energy and trade projects and a significant industrial, social and cultural centre in the Caucasus.

Haussmannized: The Rustaveli Avenue

Tbilisi Theather: Harry Potter appears before a busy street

A uniquely designed wedding place (now a private property) catches attention in another part of the city

It is easy to daydream about being a king or a prince, a queen or a princess in Georgia where medieval castles, churches and monasteries seem to compete for attention in the Georgian landscape.  The 4^th century Narikala fortress, towers on a hill above Tbilisi.  Standing along its wall could immediately give a sense of the power that its occupants once held. Almost the whole of Tbilisi can be viewed from this fortress, especially its most dominant landmarks including the Metekhi where a statue of King Vakhtang I Gorgasali stands guard over a bridge beside a beautifully placed church.  The imposing Tbilisi Sameba Cathedral, the largest religious building in Georgia and the Caucasus, is very visible from this vantage point together with the presidential palace across the river.  On the other side of town, the statue of Saint George on a horse in the middle of Freedom Square is also visible as it is poised to gallop towards Rustaveli Avenue, the primary and busiest street in Tbilisi.  The Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain); a necropolis where some of the most prominent writers, artists, scholars, and national heroes of Georgia are buried; stand adjacent to the fortress. The modern structures of a leisure park on the mountain are now providing contrast to the medieval structures of the Narikala.

The abundance of churches, many of them ancient, is another characteristic Georgia is famous for (my series on medieval Georgian churches and monasteries here). This is also consistent with Tbilisi’s reputation for religious tolerance. In the city’s Old Town, a mosque, synagogue, and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches can all be found within less than 500 metres from each other.

Georgians are also well-known for their friendliness and hospitality and I personally experienced this during my 2 visits.  But closely watching over Tbilisi on one edge of the Narikala is the ‘Mother of Georgia’, a colossal statue of a lady holding a sword on one hand and a bowl of wine on the other.  The wine symbolizes Georgia’s hospitality towards those who come as friends while the sword symbolizes the country’s readiness to quell those who come as enemies.

A River Runs Through It

The statue of King Gorgasali guards an old bridge over Mtkvari. A modern footbridge can be seen in the distance.

A hotel's terrace hangs over Mtkvari

A church conspicuously stood on a hill near Narikala

A small church in Old Tbilisi

The scenic Mtkvari River cuts across Tblisi, adding more colour to its already picturesque landscape.  I struggled for more than a week to capture its scenery as I passed by its banks to and from work but my driver, who seemed to be always preoccupied with getting me to my destination quickly, seldom gave me a chance to snap a good photo.  So one sunny morning I decided to take a cab to the Old Tbilisi area and walked the rest of the way to the office.  It was still very early but there were already some activities by the riverbank; people wanting to catch the bus early to work, retirees walking their dog, men with their fishing gear hoping to try their luck in the river, and individuals wanting a morning relaxation by the riverbank.

I greatly savoured the scenic riverside view together with the fresh morning breeze.  The Presidential Palace exuded refreshed power under the morning sun. The Metekhi church and King Gorgasali’s statue gloriously remained impressive in real life as they were in pictures.  The old bridges, joined by an ultra modern pedestrian walkway, magnificently cast their reflections on the calm waters. The traditional balconies, a distinct architectural feature I greatly enjoyed (My series on Georgian balconies here), insatiably viewed the river from above the cliffs.  The decision to walk along the banks was more than worth the effort.  It was a treasure trove of lovely pictures as I expected.

City of Lights

Night time scene at the Freedom Square

Two Symbols: The Presidential Palace (foreground) and the Sameba Cathedral (background) symbolize Georgia's young independence and old religious values

Two Churches: The Sameba Cathedral (background), biggest in the region; and the ancient Metekhi (foreground), one of the oldest

Two Modern Structures: The Peace Bridge (foreground) and the Presidential Palace (background)

All the significant landmarks of Tbilisi remain visible and become even grander at night when the lights are turned on. The Presidential Palace dazzles with its white lights, the Sameba Cathedral and all other smaller churches look heavenly as gold and yellow lights bounce from their walls and arches.  The Narikala fortress glows and dominates the night lights of the city below.  Even the banks and cliffs of Mtkvari River throw dreamy reflections into the water with blue lights flooding their surface while the Peace Bridge seems to breathe in luminous blue.  At the town centre, The Saint George Statue at Freedom Square gets propped by a cone of white lights and Rustaveli Avenue gets covered by a canopy of yellow and green lights at night.  On Mtatsminda, the neon lights of the leisure park throw delirious swirls of red, green, yellow and blue as if wanting to hypnotize the whole city.  And the old traditional balconies of Tbilisi come alive; their intricate details get emphasized as shades of various colours illuminate their corners.

I felt transported to another dimension as I gazed through my lens and took photos (with some difficulty without a tripod for the camera) while Georgian friends, Amiko and Natia, who drove and guided me around the city (after a daytime tour to Kakheti — another story) led the tour and answered all my endless questions about Georgia and Tbilisi.

Winds of Change

The facade of McDonald's was adjusted to blend with the surrounding buildings

In a busy section of Tblisi stands a McDonalds, a subtle symbol of Western influence, but the design of its building, while it tries to blend with the surrounding architecture, totally changes my mental image of a yellow-dominated McDonald’s facade.   Such contrasts are not uncommon in Tblisi.  The medieval Narikala fortress, for example, is paired by a modern leisure park at the Mtatsminda Mountain while both have important historical value. On Mtkvari River, the ultra modern design of the pedestrian bridge delicately connects two of the oldest sections of the city.   These stark contrasts can be discomforting to some Georgians but I found them symbolic of Georgia’s struggle to preserve its treasured past and, at the same time, embrace the conveniences of the future.  The trick is in striking the balance between the two and, in my opinion, Tblisi has done well in this aspect. So far.

A morning street scene in Tbilisi

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• Mirrored 1 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
• Mirrored 2 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
• Mirrored 3 (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
• The Metekhi Church in Tbilisi (travellingartist.wordpress.com)
• The Balcony by Charles Baudelaire (travellingartist.wordpress.com)