Georgia, Day Twenty

Monasteries 

We are winding down the trip now, going back full circle to our starting point. We left our Telavi hotel this morning. 

Dining room

I

Stone work everywhere. 

That is the breakfast buffet in the picture: always every meal with cucumbers and tomatoes, plus breads, sausage, cheese, jam, and French toast. And tap water, tea and coffee. 

Entrance to the dining room from courtyard- or to courtyard from dining room 

Icons in the hall

Courtyard 

A grapevine in a tiny pot, but it is producing grapes

Then driving on….

Nearby were a pair of monasteries, the Shuamta, the old one and nearby the new one.

The old one was very old, decrepit, and mostly empty, but with the lovely textures of old things.

The entrance gate. A street dog, with a piece of bread. 

This is actually a cluster of three churches. No idea why.

As always, scarves await the improperly dressed.

Inside the first 

Particle board and cloth, but with the light from behind, it glowed

Old and weathered and aged

And, always, George

These icons come in every range of quality, but this embossing is well-done

A nearby stone path that wanted exploring

It simply led to this small shrine in a patch of sunshine in the woods.

Then we went to the new monastery, which turned out to be nicest we have seen, and it forbade photos. 

Besides wonderful figures and Biblical scenes, it had borders of beautiful scroll work. It had also been heavily damaged, so the art was patchy with just whitewash over areas, but still quite marvelous. 

It had a little shop from which we left with more handmade soaps and such. We have to fly soon, so have to watch luggage weight.

From the outside, where we were instructed by a sign to ring and wait for a Sister to escort us to see the church. 

A view through the gate

Inside the gate

Outside along the wall

In the Icon niche

From there we drove around and down the mountains, with a look-out stop….

(I mentioned before something about arbitrary spelling ….) There was ramshackle hut on the other side of the road, presumably where you could get coffee, right under a big cell phone tower). And an old man was selling honey from a small stand. All along that road were large colonies of bee houses, and stands with honey.

Eventually we arrived back in Tbilisi and our first hotel, the Brim. 

Funky decor

And a new and very special wine is available here. Production started in 2020 after years of trial. Made in Georgia, with black grapes. The color is entirely real. The taste is sweet and smooth. 

And somebody’s (not my) dinner, black pasta from octopus ink, with shrimp.