Tbilisi

It was a lovely day in Tbilisi, the Eastern Orthodox Christian capital of the country of Georgia. No matter where one went, near or far, churches and monasteries abounded. One church in particular was the main church of the monastery of St. Nino in Bodbe, built in the 9th century. Saint Nino was the female evangelist who preached Christianity to the Georgian people. She was responsible for the conversion of many Georgians to the Christian faith, or, the 'Christianization of Iberia', at the beginning of the fourth century. Since her death around the year 340, her tombstone has lay inside the monastery in front of this church.

Another legendary figure in Georgian history, lest we forget, Niko Pirosmanashvili. He became a world famous Georgian painter, but only after his death in 1918. This poor guy's life was very sad and lonely. His parents were farmers who died when he was around 8 years old and left him with his 2 older sisters to take care of him. His education was self taught, among these was the ability to paint, which he did much of on oilcloth. He was alone for most of his life, grew up poor, never married or had children and died from liver failure and malnutrition. The location of his tombstone is unknown because it was not even registered, but he was buried in the Nino cemetery. He would only posthumously gain worldwide recognition for his work after 1918.

Below, found in the Georgian National Museum, 'The Janitor' which he painted in 1909 using oil on cardboard.

Another interesting thing I found about Georgia and their cuisine in particular, is the way they make their bread. This is a bakery. But not just any bakery, a Georgian bakery is actually a large clay oven, called a tone. She kneads the flatbread into a long slender piece and then bends right over the hot coals, patting it down perfectly in place, piece by piece on the sides. After letting it sit for a while, I don't know quite how she knows when it's finished but she does, and she brings it out with a poker. Voila. All the bread you need for a day.

And last but not least, the wine. You cannot forget the wine especially if you are Georgian. Georgia is home to one of the oldest wine regions in the world, with a wine tradition spanning over 8,000 years. Wine is a large part of Georgia's national identity, and yet the more popular wine countries around the world are in western Europe, with very little known about Georgian wine. We visited a winery in the better known wine region of Kakheti, and learned about the ancient method of wine making using clay jars called Kvevri jars as part of the fermentation process.

Well, yet another good weekend, perfectly executed.

Goodbye, or მშვიდობით in Georgian.

Bailey Sue