weathered stone carving resembles Georgian flag
Here is some detail of the carvings on Manglisi Sioni, a 6th-7th century cathedral in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia restored in 1002.
This week’s photo challenge is Textures
Another weekend, another trip…we were with Adrenalin Hiking Club again. But there wasn’t to be much hiking. We went to the Algeti National Park, 60 km South West of Tbilisi, where a number of hiking clubs were celebrating the beginning of the hiking season. Our transport was a mix of Ford Transit Minibus over the roads, then a Mitsubishi Delica for the off road part.
Mitsubishi Delica…ideal for transporting a lot of people off road
We made a brief stop en route for those who wished to pick daisies, before heading to the campsite.
in the daisy field
camping
I hadn’t camped since my first honeymoon in Norway, way back in 1992. This would be interesting. The clouds, when we arrived looked grey and ominous. As the tents went up the rain started to come down slowly at first, then more heavily. The campsite felt a bit like a music festival, plenty of mud and a bass beat could be heard in the background but the only live music I saw was from singing and acoustic guitars.
The first task was to fetch wood, a reminder of my scouting days, where one of the prime duties at camp was “wood and water”,
The Algeti National Park stretches over the woody southern slopes of the eastern Trialeti range. There was plenty of wood mostly Caucasian Spruce and Nordmann Fir. The rain did look pretty on the pine leaves.
raindrops on pine leaves
Club Adrenalin trips are known for impressive supras and group photos. Three new members were welcomed to Club Adrenalin: Natali, Mariam and my wife, Khato. The new members were given badges and a T Shirt and had their photo taken with other members.
Adrenalin Members in club T Shirts
Khato with Adrenalin flag, T Shirt and badge
The rain didn’t deter the fire makers. The fire was essential for the requisite Mtsvadi (Sashlik). The smell of woodsmoke reminded me very much of Scout Camps a few decades ago.
The rain got heavier, the thunder rumbled, the lightning flashed. We went to bed. The tent walls were damp, a lot of our stuff got wet. In the morning the sun shone and we hung out our wet stuff to dry.
strange fruit
More feasting this time including grilled mushrooms with sulguni cheese.
There wasn’t much hiking but I did wander about having a look in the forest and at the views.
in the forest
a bee seeking nectar and pollen
We left for Tbilisi, early in the afternoon in our trusted Delica.
off road view through the Delica windscreen
This week’s challenge is Order
fresh fruit
On a market stall in Georgia the fruit is presented nicely in an orderly fashion.
Georgia, my adopted country, has a rich religious heritage. Georgia was the second country to adopt Christianity as the official religion, after Armenia. Religion is important for the majority of the population, despite Stalin and the communists attempts to eradicate religious practices in the Soviet years.
For more interpretations of the theme, click the link: Heritage
We assemble at 8am by Marjanshvili Metro, a group of 29 of us with Hiking Club Adrenalin, too big for one minibus, so we will ride out in an additional vehicle, a seven seater Honda Stream. On the map Dashbashi Canyon doesn’t look too far but the roads are twisty and uneven.
Banners unfurled
It will be a long day. First stop along the route is Manglisi Sioni, an important Georgian architectural monument and one of the oldest Christian centres in Georgia. The first church was built in the 4th Century, today’s cathedral dates back to the seventh century, renovated in 1002.
Arriving around 11am, there was a church service being celebrated but in Georgian churches it is not unusual for people to amble in and out of the church during a service.
Next stop on the journey was Lake Tsalka.
Lake Tsalka
Near Tsalka lake we visited “Fathers Region a Monastery of Three Priests” with its trout and holy water.
A second lake, Paravani Lake is located 2,073 m (6,801 ft) above sea level and has a surface area of 37.5 km2.
Near to the lake was the Convent of St Nino in Phoka village with a small shop selling artisanal cheese, jam and liquor.
Finally at 6pm we reached our main destination, Dashbashi Canyon. A canyon carved in the volcanic rock by the river Ktsia.
Dashbashi Canyon
We descended to the river where we gaped at the waterfall and had some fun splashing about in the river.
waterfall
No Georgian excursion is complete without a supra (Georgian feast). Having climbed out of the canyon, we gathered around a fire, where Georgian Mtsvadi (Sashlik) was grilled and consumed.
We got home at 1.45 am!
here we are atop
For other interpretations of this week’s theme: Atop
This might become an annual trip, last year we visited Bakuriani (A Trip to Bakuriani ) and this year too.
Bakuriani 2017akuriani
Bakuriani is one of three Georgian ski resorts (the others are Gudauri and Mestia). We left Tbilisi on Friday morning with some of Khato’s colleagues and 3 children, in a Mitsubishi Delica dependably driven by Dato. I don’t ski, but I can still enjoy the snowy landscape of Bakuriani.
We took Ana, our granddaughter; Bakuriani has a park with numerous activities, Ana liked being flung into the air on an aero-bungy maxi trampoline thingy…
Ana in the air
Bakuriani has three ski lifts, last year we went up to the first level, this year we went to the top for the inevitable photo opportunity.
Group photo
at the top
Back in Bakuriani, Ana had a lot of fun descending a small slope on a snow sled.
We had fun walking in the snow, breathing the fresh mountain air and taking lots of wintry photos.
On the return to Tbilisi on Sunday, we made a detour to visit Zedazeni Monastery, located on the Zedazeni mountain in the hills of Saguramo overlooking Tbilisi. The monastery dates back to the 6th century.
Zedazeni Monastery
It was a pleasant break, a chance to see some snowy vistas and have some rest, away from the daily hustle and bustle.
“Sopelshi” (in the village) is a word I hear a lot. Many of the residents of Tbilisi have a village in the country, where they rest and have their roots. My wife’s mother came from a small village near Gori and some of her relatives are still there. In early autumn there is an abundance of fruit: tomatoes, apples, plums, pumpkins, grapes etc… ready for picking. We are driven out of Tbilisi by Khato’s brother for a day in the village.
Aunt Gulo’s yard, a hen wandering about
In the village even lunch is a feast.
lunch
Married to Khato, I am now part of a big Georgian family
Georgian tomato fields; the tomatoes might not look as attractive as the intensively farmed Turkish tomatoes in the supermarkets, but the taste is far superior.
In the evening we have a supra with barbecue. Eating a lot of local produce, washed down with homemade wine from local grapes and the inevitable Georgian toasts to everyone and everything.
After the supra we head back to Tbilisi, just over an hour away.
sunset in the village
This week’s challenge is Quest.
I’m on an alphabetic quest around Georgia.
Travelling in Georgia: A,B, C.
A is for Abudelauri Lake (Blue)
A quest through deep snow at Bakuriani
the splendid Prometheus Cave near Kutaisi
D next…maybe Dmanisi…
I like looking for natural frames to surround the subjects.
Here the leaves in the foreground provide a natural frame for the gardener.
Gardener Barakoni
Church Gate with Doves
Khato in the frame (Uplitsikhe)
Heart-like frame for the sky
jim holroyd 365 