Blogs from Eastern Georgia, Georgia, Asia - page 2

The other day I had a friend ask me about how we decided where to stay when we were traveling internationally. My friend wondered how we found the places and knew the hotels would meet whatever standards we may have for that moment or that experience. I have booked international hotels hundreds of times, but when she asked this question I sort of stumbled over my response. How do I explain something that I have not really thought about, but rather just done? Sometimes you do lots of research. Sometimes you ask seasoned friends. Sometimes you call in the local experts. Sometimes you concede that where you lay your head that night is not much of a big detail. And sometimes you simply take a leap of faith and hope for the best. However, all the ... read more

We started our exploration of Georgian wine country by spending the day in Sighnaghi. It seems to be an obligatory stop for anyone visiting Georgia’s wine country and it had been labeled ‘The City of Love,” so why not. The ancient walled city sits high on a ridge with incredible views across the Alazani Valley and the Caucasus Mountains. With its high walls and towers, Sighnaghi used to be a trading center on the Silk Road. I find this quite ironic since we couldn’t even find one cute boutique for shopping. Like many old cities, Sighnaghi offers a quaint little city center, cobblestone streets and winding alleys. As we continued to find a proper generalized label for how to describe Georgia, this little village sitting upon the mountain ridges added another complication. Many might describe Sighnaghi ... read more

When you think of wine and it’s origins, I am willing to bet my bank account that your first thought is not of The Republic of Georgia. Don’t be embarrassed, Georgia was certainly not my first thought if I had to name where wine began, but now that I have been there, tasted it and witnessed the wine making process, I am an enlightened wine drinker. Or at least I am a wine drinker. I know what you are thinking right now. “Just how much wine were you drinking when you wrote this?” It’s a fair point. I get it. I was skeptical when I first read about Georgia being the birthplace of wine. This country that is smaller than the state of West Virginia, has seven different climate zones, 49 different soil types and over ... read more

I desperately needed a three day weekend away and after looking at various options, I decided on Georgia. While researching, however, I thought I would need at least a week to explore everything. Initially, I wanted to visit the caves, either Vardzia or David Gareja Cave Monastery. But, so many people recommended the Georgian wines, that I figured a wine-cation was what I really needed. So I decided that I would stay in wine country two days and the last day in Tbilisi. The country does not look that big, and on the map, I was hoping to stop off at a few places, but the ride to Ikalto was over a rugged mountain pass on two lane roads. It took almost two hours to get there from the airport. I think I may need a ... read more

Geo: 41.9195, 45.4708TIME CHECK: 0615 Georian Time. Yes we're in Georgia!......we crossed over the border yesterday at 1208hrs after much stamping of passports and going through a huge "check point Charlie" type affair with observation towers in the distance. Strangely enough, a group of locals strolled through on an outside adjacent footpath carrying a whole load of watermelons.....The sun has just come up.......crickets are chirruping...... traditionally dressed women are sweeping the streets around a baroque Neo classic Russian style square whilst groups of "tough" looking dogs woof and wander the streets!!!"GROUP NEWS"......We have at last had some minor tension! Nothing serious but one of the couples husbands........is "boring the pants" off everyone....he is a nice old boy but totally away with to fairies. He will quietly come up t... read more