GEORGIA and ARMENIA

Saturday October 8th 2016

Leaving our hotel in one of the newest districts of Tbilisi

we met our guide, Katy (the nearest I can get to her Georgian name!) and boarded the bus for the Ethnological Museum. Unfortunately today was election day and they had decided to close all public buildings, so not a very auspicious start! After this , however, all went smoothly and we were taken to a nearby lake where we had superb views of the city, and a stroll around before boarding the minibus for our tour of the old Soviet area.

 

Katy kept us well informed about the history of Tbilisi as we drove past the ranks of uninspiring  concrete apartment blocks and the rather more interesting ministries, university and other public buildings on our way to Freedom Square and thence to the Old Town .

 

The main road through the Old  Town is Kota Abkhazi which winds down from Freedom Square. Leading from this is a string of narrow, traffic free streets which formed the hub of the Old  Town in mediaeval times. One of the most well known structures in the old town is the clock tower built by puppeteer Reza Gabriadze during the renovation of his theatre in 2011.

 

 

Around the base are tiles made by Gabriadze, and at the top twice a day a door opens on a scene depicting the continuity of life. On the hour an angel pops out of a door and strikes the bell outside with a hammer.

 

 

From here we wandered through the streets admiring the lovely old houses with their ornate balconies and the oldest church in Tbilisi, the Anchiskhati Basilica, built in the 6th century. We were lucky enough to witness a wedding in the church, one of the many brides we were to see in various beauty spots throughout the day.

 

 

 

We then we crossed the Peace Bridge

 

 

 

to the cable car up to the Narikala Fortress which dominates this part of the city. From here we had a  fantastic view of the city

and we learned more about its history before following the path down the hill to the Abanotubani, Tbilisi's famous sulphur baths. The domes, which are the roofs of underground bathhouses, rise from the ground behind a small park. On the way to the Botanical Gardens this waterfall is just seconds away from the bustle of the city.

After a break for refreshments we made our way back to the hotel and dinner in the newest part of the city.

 

It was a brilliant start to our trip and our guide was amazing, full of interesting information and showing us forgotten corners of the city.