The prettiest town in Georgia

---

Our visit to a fairy tale town

Sighnaghi is the most beautiful town I have seen in all my travels, including Netherlands, Turkey, Romania, Spain and Italy. One of the few medieval towns that still has all its' city walls, Sighnahi is perched on a hill overlooking a vast valley, with the lofty, snow covered Caucasian mountains opposite. The entire town was recently redone by the Georgian government in an effort to boost tourism. Apparently this cost something like 1% of the GNP for an entire year. May I say it was worth the investment? While tourism is sharply down this year, due to the impact of last year's war with Russia, I think this town will attract visitors for a long time to come. Picturesc is an understatement. The air is clean, the views are stunning, the water clear, the food fresh and tasty, plus there is lots to see and do. Sighnaghi is located in the east of Georgia in a region called Kakheti, famous for its' wine.

We started out by visiting Irakli's aunt Tina. Irakli's paternal grandfather bought a home here in the 1920's and Tina still lives there. (The home itself was built in the mid-19th century by a wealthy trader who perished during the time of the Bolsheviks). The director of a famous college of music here, Tina is a force of nature. She knows EVERYONE and of course, everyone knows her. Ilya's parents also live here, as does his sister Nana (the Deputy Director of the school) and her family. Ilya often drives out from Tbilisi on the weekend to tend his beloved vineyard. It's a joyous family affair for us to visit there.

Recently, a wonderful museum has opened, right in town, and we were fortunate enough to catch an exhibit of Picasso's drawings. Not what one would expect in such a seemingly remote region. However, the curator (who Tina knows, of course) was happy to give me a private tour (in English) and I was amazed at the quality of the exhibits. I especially enjoyed the bronze age drinking bowls, a replica of Georgia's famous 'golden lion' and displays of the National Costume. The museum also has a display of the work of an American artist who lives in the town, and you can see the stunning mountain views from the museum cafe terrace. A 'not to be missed' sight. Also not-to-be-missed are the interesting booths of souvenir vendors in the square, featuring locally produced fabric items: Scarves, purses, shoes, socks and booties, all made from felted wool and very artistic. Then, back to Tina's house for a mini-supra to build up strength for the next round of sight-seeing. This supra featured three of the most famous national dishes of Georgia: Satsivi, a stew of fish or chicken in a sauce made of ground walnuts, so fine and rich it is like cream; Khachapuri, pan fried dough stuffed with cheese and churchkhela, a thick paste of boiled down grape juice studded with walnuts. Churchkhela is often made in a style resembling a candle, with the nuts strung on a string and then dipped into the grape juice until the coating builds up. Churchkhela were originally developed to be food source for Georgian warriors in ancient times. They last a long time and are a healthy fast food source for any adventure!

The next day, after stuffing our pockets with churchkhela, we hiked to Bodbe Convent. Turns out the provisions weren't necessary as we passed several old men selling delicious pastry for about 1 lari (60 cents) for two. Of course I had to try the local delicacies and it was good the hike was invigorating after all the input of calories! About a mile outside town, this convent is the final resting place of Georgia's beloved Saint Nino. Credited with bringing Christianity to Georgia in about the 4th century, Nino was a cousin of St. George, who is the patron saint of Georgia. The convent is a popular attraction in Orthodox Georgia, and the grounds were crowded with many visitors, most of whom had come for the day from Tbilisi. The convent also has its' own spring (of course) and the grounds are immaculate due to the ongoing efforts of the diligent nuns. In fact, EVERY convent I visited in Georgia was immaculate, in contrast to some of the monasteries. Guess the monks just aren't as clean as the nuns, sorry guys.

Irakli's brother Achi conveniently met us at the convent, with Nana's daughter Irene (Ilya's neice) in tow. A recent graduate of Tbilisi State University with a degree in Economics, she will be helping our charity partners develop their budgets and business plans. Incredible how when you need someone with a specific skill set in Georgia, they either turn out to be related to you or one of your relatives knows someone with these skill sets! We all piled into Achi's car for a quick ride back to town. Next, we decided to enjoy another one of the town's not-to-be-missed adventures: Riding the yellow tourist bus. You clamber on board in the main square, then hope enough other tourists climb aboard quickly for a fast and furious ride around town. Hitting the major sights (almost hitting some of them literally) this bus is a hair raising experience. After this adrenaline rush, we decided to opt for the slower method: Horse & buggy carriage. The carriage looked like an original from the 1800's and so did the driver. We discovered each transportation modality has it's drawbacks. While certainly more sedate, the lack of springs or suspension on this conveyance as it traveled over the rough cobblestones made my back glad the ride was short. Of course, having eaten vast quantities of excellent Georgian food during numerous supras, my posterior padding was more than up to the task.

---