Category Archives: Caucasus

Here are some books I had on my Kindle: The Man in the Panther’s Skin, Shota Rustaveli.  Medieval classic, supposedly dedicated to Queen Tamar. Bread and Ashes: a Walk through the Mountains of Georgia, Tony Anderson. Didn’t get very far with this one. The Lion Queen, Christopher Nicole. Historical novel about Queen Tamar, told throughContinue reading “Caucasian Reading List”

Our last full day. We headed east to Signagi for a leisurely stroll around the upper part of the town, being advised not to go down to the old town because of the steep climb back in the heat.  I bought a birthday present for Colette. The trip notes don’t say where we stopped forContinue reading “Georgian Wine Tour”

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 GeorgiaContinue reading “Back to Tbilisi”

We started at Bargeti Cathedral. For centuries, it was a ruin, without a dome, and with grass growing between the walls, but still used for worship. It was declared a UNESCO world heritage site, but after various restorations, this status is threatened because less than 70% is original. The photo shows old and new stones.Continue reading “David the Builder”

Returned most of the way to Tbilisi on the Military Highway before branching off onto a road linking the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea. Anna had been told that the Stalin Museum was crowded, so we went first to Uplistsikhe cave town. The sandstone hill contained some 700 cave dwellings, of which only aboutContinue reading “Stalin and the Cave Dwellers”

On the way north, we stopped at Ananouri, where a church service was in progress.  The bishop – at least, I suppose he was a bishop because he was wearing something that looked like a mitre – blessed the congregation with a set of lit candles in each hand, three in one, two in theContinue reading “Georgian Military Highway”

Breakfast on the pleasant fifth floor terrace overlooking the capital of Georgia. I could have had soup or spaghetti Bolognese, but settled for cheese, tomato, cucumber, biscuits and a sweet made of grape juice and walnut. Our morning walking tour of the city included a waterfall by the bathhouses, two of the thirteen former caravanseraiContinue reading “A day in Tbilisi”

Awoke from an empty tangled duvet cover to a power cut, so no WiFi. Haghpat is a monastery where many a swallow finds a nest for her young. (Psalm 84).  Good acoustics, too, with the domed roof. On this 20th anniversary of my priesting, I sang a ninefold Kyrie in the Scriptorium, where clay jarsContinue reading “Last Monasteries in Armenia”

Our first stop was next to the restaurant where we are last night, to climb 182 steps to a monastic complex on what used to be an island in Lake Sevan before the Soviets lowered the water level. The older and smaller of the two surviving churches is also the more attractive externally. The largerContinue reading “Hagartsin – a worshipping church”

Took the cable car from “Wings of Tatev” to the monastery, home to a medieval university with 1000 monks and students. The monastery grounds contain an “oscillating pillar” which may date back to about 900 AD.  By adjusting the angle of the pillar, monks were able to align the marker stones around it to variousContinue reading “Tatev to Sevan”