Georgia: Tbilisi and Surroundings

Just a little life sign! Since July 1st I am in Georgia now. I arrived at Tbilisi Airport (or Tbilisi, as the Georgians say) at half past four in the morning and was picked up by the owner of my accommodation. I was able to check into my room immediately and took a nap. During my first walk in the city, I got the impression that Tbilisi has extreme contrasts between old buildings and hypermodern ones.

Yesterday, I spent the whole day exploring the hilly old town and went hiking in the hills on the outskirts of the city in the evening. The view was very impressive.

Although I have by far not seen the entire city yet (I will be here again in a few days), today I decided to take an organized trip with a bus and an English-speaking guide to several highlights in the vicinity. Our first stop was the former Georgian capital Mtskheta with its Jvari Church, located in a spectacular position outside the city walls, and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, protected by castle walls. Both belong to the UNESCO World Heritage. From the hill where the Jvari Church is located, you can see the confluence of the two rivers Aragvi and Mtkvari. Note the different colors! The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is protected by castle walls and decorated with frescoes inside. Afterwards, we went to Gori, the birthplace of Joseph Stalin. There I was able to visit the Stalin Museum. It mainly consists of pictures and photos from the life of the dictator and personal belongings. His death mask is exhibited here and his railway carriage is in front of the museum. Not a word about Stalin's victims! No trace of critical examination! The largest square in Gori is still called 'Stalin Square' and his statue had to be secretly removed from there by the police at night in 2010, because protests by the population of Gori were feared. Our third stop was the almost 3000-year-old cave city of Uplistsikhe. Despite several earthquakes, much is still preserved here and it's fun to explore the caves.

That's all for my first impressions! I'll be back!