In Georgia!

Georgia.
What do we know about this country before the trip? Read something, we heard something. Tbilisi, Saakashvili, Borjomi, khachapuri, kebabs, the Black Sea, the mountains. In general, some fragmentary and general information. We saw a couple of photo travel to this country. Photos like, the country attracted by its attractions and natural views. Somewhere deep in the brain moved the idea of ​​a possible visit to Georgia. Maybe, someday, probably not soon.

And then suddenly the boss's office, where my husband, going for another country, and his wife was allowed to go on vacation for a couple of weeks. I have also been the case, but for a week to escape turned out well. It was a Thursday. On Sunday morning we were flying to Tbilisi.

Flight with a connection in Almaty and the morning we met in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

Total 54 pictures.





Through the Internet we have found an apartment house in the center of Tbilisi, half a kilometer from the residence of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.



The apartment windows overlook the embankment of the Kura River. From the window I could see the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi) - the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. For information: Georgia - it is a Christian country.



Georgia, as a whole, the country is not rich. This is seen as roads, houses, for road vehicles. And the locals, when they learned that the rent we pay $ 50 a day, said that it is expensive. But then, unfortunately, we did not have much to choose, because the whole trip was organized almost 2 days.

Some areas of Tbilisi look like this:



Although, by the way, is now the capital of Georgia is being reconstructed center and it is possible that after a couple of years there will be quite a nothing.

But there are licked and ennobled place. That is the central square of the city - Liberty Square. In the square there are bodies of the city administration Tbilisi, as well as Bank of Georgia and the hotel "Marriott". The dominant areas - Freedom Monument Tsereteli - a monument depicting St. George slaying the dragon. In the leftmost part of the photo you can see a hillside statue of "Mother Georgia".



This statue is located on a hilltop Sololaki and has 20 meters in height. Female figure holding in her left hand a cup of wine to welcome those who have come as a friend, and in his right hand a sword for those who came as an enemy. Photography is not entirely successful, side view.



Tbilisi, and Georgia as a whole, a lot of churches. Here's a chapel stood in the courtyard of a block of flats, where we lived. True it is now abandoned and is not functioning.



Many Georgians are very devout people. A taxi driver is taking us around the city, was baptized in the church of each counter. But the Georgians go disgusting: do not follow the rules, do not allow pedestrians, speed exceeded. By the way, Georgia expensive gasoline, at the time of our trip in the summer of 2012, he was worth about 2.2 lari (about 1.5 dollars) per liter.



But back to the church. Inside the church are often bednovato decoration. We've learned that the churches are painted inside, many icons, brilliant candlesticks and other attributes. And here is pretty spartan furnishings. Or so well what all the tinsel? Here is the Anchiskhati - Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, built in the VI century.



Well, no one famous churches in Tbilisi. Come on. This turret is installed near the puppet theater. This theater is very popular in the city, and not only among children and teenagers, but also among adults. It looks interesting.



Even in Georgia, like any balconies. They are almost all homes. In older homes are by design. A modern socket tenants erect their own improvised someone in that much.



From time to time here and there, there are wine cellar. In one of them, we bought a few bottles of wine home. Packed in a box stuffed inside newspapers, scraps of foam and the like. At the airport, pasted up and down box warning labels. To be honest, I had little hope that even with these precautions, the wine will reach the baggage intact. But my joy knew no bounds when the wine flew with us safe and sound.



One evening we went out for an evening stroll after a sultry day. In the center of Tbilisi is very beautiful night. Across the river spilled over the footbridge World. Narikala Fortress and the church as if hanging in the air, so effectively they are illuminated against the dark hills.



From one coast to the other chickens on the fortress Narikala stretched lift. The route passes over the almost completely restored old town center.



Tbilisi at our feet. At the center of the picture - the Freedom Square with the monument of St. George. Broad Street, coming from the column - Shota Rustaveli Avenue, one of the central streets of Tbilisi.



And it ruins of Narikala, which is located on a hill Mtsatminda. Date of commencement of construction of the fortress is not precisely known, it is expected to 4-5 century. Unfortunately, in 1827, a strong earthquake fortress was partially destroyed and since then and remains in the same state.



Since we went with my daughter, of course, we could not ignore the children's entertainment. On a hill near the TV tower on the highest point of the city, it is a very interesting and high quality made children's park Mtatsminda.



In the park itself free admission, rides cost 3-5 lari (2-3.5 US dollars). At the checkout you need to buy a plastic card to put money on it and pay for the rides have a card. In addition to various carousels, trains, roller coasters, there is a mini-water park, which is especially liked the daughter. So I attracted to what we have been to this park almost every day.



In the same park there is such a fun building :)



We also visited the Tbilisi Zoo. Not to say that delighted with him - animal welfare is poor. But in general, an interesting zoo, presented a lot of different animals and birds.

In the heat of 30 degrees, these comrades still basking under an infrared lamp :)



Mixed in a bunch zebra, goats ...



Do not you think I'm gorgeous?



The zoo also has a variety of attractions for children: trampoline, carousel, shooting, pony rides, and other circuit.

Laying next turn.



At 20 kilometers from Tbilisi is the capital of the ancient Georgia - Mtskheta town. Now the population of Mtskheta is about 8,000 people. Mtskheta is located at the confluence of two Georgian rivers - the Kura and Aragvi. Nature here, as well, and almost all of Georgia just fine. Blue sky, mountains, green meadows in conjunction with the monuments of the past create an unforgettable impression.



In Georgia, we met periodically crosses with curved ends down by a horizontal crossbar. It was interesting, why do that? Later found the information that there is a legend about the Christian educator Georgia Saint Nina. When she came to Georgia, it brought with it a cross made from vine. The vine is dried up and bent. Since then, Georgia's possible to see both versions of the cross - the classic Orthodox, and "woven from the vine."



Mtskheta on a hill stands the church and the monastery Jvari. According to legend, this place has established a cross from the vine St. Nina. The name "Jvari" translated from Georgian as "cross».

Now the monastery is located in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

About Djvari wrote in his poem "The Novice" the poet Lermontov:

Where, plums, noisy,
Embraced, like two sisters,
The jet Aragvi and Kura,
There was a monastery.



Just in Mtskheta is one of the main Georgian Orthodox churches - Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. It was built in the XI century on the site of the first Christian church in Georgia of the Twelve Apostles, which was built in the IV century.



Church walled with towers and battlements. Well, around, of course, the wonderful nature.



So it grows dark, and we decided to embark on the return journey. Walking along one of the streets, we noticed in the courtyard of a private house of a local resident, a man 60 years old. Try to find out from him where the bus stop, which will be able to return to Tbilisi. As a result, the conversation turned to the political track, a discussion of the rulers and the realities of the lives of ordinary citizens. At the end of the conversation, he went into the garden to a neighbor, it plucked plums and treated us. The question is not whether such action against a neighbor, said that they have here and communism is still a large part of the harvest is lost, because it grows a lot of fruit and still not be able to collect. Thank you for plums!

In the picture, though not a plum, but since it is free to grow pomegranates on the street.



The next day we had planned a trip to the seaside city of Batumi. I bought tickets online at www.railway.ge, that was convenient and very easy. The site, in addition to Georgia, has a version in Russian and in English. Tickets cost about $ 40 left on a 3-person round trip. It is about 400 kilometers in one direction.

By lunchtime we had to vacate the apartment, so packed up and taken things in a locker at the train station. And they themselves went to Tbilisi in the evening to study further.

All the days of our stay in Georgia was hot. Children bathe in the fountain.



Doggie too nakupalis and now shivering with cold, poor fellow.



We had lunch in the cafe, walked through the lovely streets of the restored.



Then sent their foot in the Avlabari district - the oldest district of Tbilisi. Here is the residence of the President Saakashvili and Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the cathedral which I mentioned at the beginning of the report. We had to overcome a steep climb. The balconies were laid out to dry mattresses and every couple of dozen meters away stood the police in dress uniform. Avlabar presidential residence a few hundred meters.



But so little houses look for residence of the President of Georgia. 100 meters from the residence. You see the dome with the flag? It works there the president. This little houses 100 meters away from the workplace of the president. Tbilisi - a city of contrasts.



And these houses on the hill of St. Elijah is Holy Trinity Cathedral - Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. It's a remake, the cathedral was consecrated in 2004. Its height is 105.5 meters with a cross that, according to sources, puts the cathedral on the third place on the height of all the Orthodox churches in the world.



The area of ​​the cathedral is very big, a lot of stairs, lights, chapels. Around the temple still green, trees, everything is neat and tidy.



Before the train, we decided to go to the famous Tbilisi sulfur baths. They are located on the other bank of the Kura from the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity near Abanotubani. Samih several baths. Are they look like squat buildings, often located mostly underground. On the roof of each bath on some semicircular domes with windows to illuminate the bath rooms. Built on the site of the bath sulfur springs, whose temperature reaches 37 degrees. Name of Tbilisi just emerged from these sources - the word "tbili" (or obsolete "Tfila") means "warm».

Baths spoke positively about Pushkin: "he has never met me, neither Russia nor Turkey is nothing luxurious Tiflis baths.»

Warm up, showered. The water at first whiff, but quickly get used to and enjoy. I recommend.



After the bath the night train took us to the city of Batumi on the Black Sea. The apartment we were there, too, found on the Internet. Thanks to the wonderful Georgian Akaki, who keeps his company on the delivery of apartments. He offered us a delivery service from the station and the train station. Railway station in Batumi is not in the city and in the village, a suburb of Makhinjauri. So service was very helpful. We stayed not in the city center and close to the edge, but only 50 meters from the sea.

This is the view from our window.



Well, it is something for which we came to this resort town - the sea and the sun! It turned out that the beach in Batumi, do not sand, and covered with pebbles. Go into the water on the rocks quite unpleasant. But this trouble is easy to go through, when around clean water, the bright sun and the sea of ​​pleasure!



Not far from the place of our stay was a restaurant. Cool idea :)



In Batumi, we visited the aquarium. It exists since 1966. This room, which was built in the center of a large indoor pool with porthole windows, and the perimeter of the hall several tens of small aquariums. Each different type of floating aquarium fish, turtles, and even has a sturgeon.



In the courtyard, outdoor swimming pool, enjoying life, handsome, Japanese carp.



Near the aquarium there is a building of the dolphinarium. Several times a day they show the performance of dolphins. We visited one of them. The dolphinarium is also noteworthy that the pool itself for submissions under the open sky. You sit in the open air, surrounded by a park, and mountains in the distance.



Thanks to the dolphins and their trainers for a wonderful time!



One of the walks in Batumi, we suddenly saw a building of great beauty. It turned out that it is the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin. The cathedral was built in 1902, destroyed in 1937 and rebuilt in its present form in 1989. The building is in the Gothic style and it was somewhat surprising to see such architecture in Georgia.



On the waterfront of Batumi, at the beginning of the Primorsky Boulevard, the newly built tower of alphabet. In the double helix around the tower marked the 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet. Tower height of 130 meters, and if the guidebooks do not lie, the ball at the top is a revolving restaurant. There is also a lighthouse and a Ferris wheel from which and made this picture.



Batumi, in addition to everything else, and seaport. Here carry both cargo and passengers. Blue building on the photo on the right - a passenger terminal.



These are the wonderful sunsets can be seen here on the Black Sea.



On the last day of our stay in Georgia we visited Batumi Archaeological Museum. The ticket costs 2 GEL, children free. The exposure is small, but still interesting to see.



Farewell sunset in Batumi.



Again the night train we arrived to Tbilisi, and in the last day trip to Georgia, it was decided to visit the town of Sighnaghi, Kakheti region that. Distance from Tbilisi 110 kilometers to the east. Sighnaghi mostly restored and has become a sort of tourist attraction.



The town is located on a hill ...



... And below stretched Alazani Valley. On the hill you can see a thin line of fortified walls Sighnaghi. Total perimeter settled 28 watchtowers.



That ended our trip to Georgia.

Quite unexpectedly, we found ourselves in this pleasant and welcoming country. I think many people have a negative opinion about Georgia, but do not confuse the official policy of the state and ordinary citizens. The people there are welcoming and friendly. Always willing to help, prompt. Only once in a bakery, we are faced with the seller, which is spoken and understood in Russian, but refused to talk to us. I repeat, this was the only time in the entire trip.

The nature here is very beautiful - the mountains, green valleys, the sea.

If ever the opportunity arises, we will be happy to come to this country again.

Posted in [mergetime] 1370923268 [/ mergetime]
I finished. Waiting for legitimate criticism.
And according to tradition: not much kick :)



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