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With a quarter of Georgia’s population, Tbilisi brims with history and has a pretty setting on hillsides either side of the Mtkvari River.
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View of the city from Nariqala Fortress that dates back to the 4th century, when it was a Persian citadel.
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Tbilisi’s proximity to lucrative east-west trade routes often made the city a point of contention between various rival empires throughout history – the Arabs, then the Mongols followed by Timur in the 1300s, and then the Persians in the 1540s and of course the Russians.
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Freedom Square
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Wandering in the old town of Tbilisi is a very pleasurable experience.
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Upstairs is Pur Pur, a quaint restaurant with charming and elegant decor.
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One vendor called these Georgian snickers – solidified grape juice and nut snacks.
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Another church.
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Funky clock tower of Tbilisi’s puppet theatre.
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The Georgian capital
| 13 imagesGeorgia is a beautiful country steeped in history and I have thoroughly enjoyed my short stay here. The capital, Tbilisi, is a charming city and a great place to explore on foot at a leisurely pace. It’s a great place to base yourself, and to enjoy good food, wines, and to take in a show or two.
I can definitely see myself coming back here, perhaps to do a multi-day trek, or simply spend more time in the mountains, and maybe even see another church or two!
Today marks the end of this leg of my trip. Rita and I travelled together for six weeks, covering Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia and it’s been good fun not to mention educational. She is a great travel companion and I am very thankful for her company and all the translation she has done! Without Russian, things definitely would have been a lot more challenging. So, thank you, Rita!
Rita returns to Riga today while I will be heading to Spain, predominantly to spend time with Liza, my dear friend from college days in her new adopted hometown of Solsona near Barcelona. I look forward to many good yarns, red wines, suckling pigs and interesting stories.
A Fish Called Wander 
I just hope you did not leave without having Khachapuri and some of Georgia’s famed food and great wine.
Nice snaps of the Old Town.
It was really nice trip. Thank you, Chris, for being my travel companion and for your patience with me during my first steps in hiking.
Thank you! And hope you’re back in the swim of things in Riga. 🙂