Spent last night in Bakuriani, a family ski resort near the mineral water producing town Borjomi. Lots of newish hotels spoiling the view. Stopped at a service station to buy snacks for lunch, and then at Mtskheta, the ancient capital, with two famous churches.
The Cathedral of the Life-Giving Pillar commemorates the Christianisation of Georgia in the 4th century, but has even older Christian links, built over the burial place of Sidonia, (according to tradition) the sister of a Georgian Jew present at the crucifixion, who was buried clutching the seamless robe for which the soldiers cast lots. A copy of the distinctive cross of St Nino stands outside. Anna told us many legends about the conversion, after saying that the real reason was probably political.
The other church, Jvari, has an amazing hilltop location on the site where St Nino set her cross.
It overlooks the confluence of two rivers, a green one (on the right) and a brown one.
Unlike the cathedral, it has no frescoes; but the icon of St George shows him vanquishing not a dragon but the Emperor Diocletian.
We arrived back at the Tbilisi Inn at about 2:40. I had a long rest, beginning to read a novel about Queen Tamar, to avoid much of the afternoon heat. I went out at 5:20, crossed the Peace Bridge and found firstly a postbox and secondly a Roman Catholic church where Mass was about to begin. The first hymn was the Taizé chant Bless the Lord, my soul, sung in English and Georgian, and the gospel and sermon were also bilingual. I meant to come here on Saturday but was too tired after my walk, so delighted to have a second chance. Walked up to Prospero’s Books and back through various underpasses – some with small shops, some with street art (aka graffiti), and one crossing the river underneath a road bridge.
Supper was a mixture of kasha, bought by mistake, kefir, and chopped fresh apricots, washed down with peach juice. More of the same tomorrow, when our communal meal will be lunch at a winery.
emeritablog: life after work 