Telavi to Gudauri

We only spent one night in Telavi before heading into the mountains.

Before breakfast I explored the cemetery across the street from our hotel. Note, in addition to many an untended grave, the famous Georgian wine, our little hotel, breakfast, and a Soviet radio…

After departing, we immediately stopped to check out the market place in Telavi, just as we had done in Sheki. Of note: the women vendors, booze in jars, poor fish, spicy pickles, pigs’ heads, and so much more…

Next, we went to Tsinandali Park to tour the museum and estate of Aleksandre Chavchavadze. The first pix in this batch show the estate and the family geneology. The manor house is now a museum through which we were guided, and I managed some surreptitious photography.

A takeaway story: the lovely lady in the portrait was a daughter, known as the black wideo (or was it something else…?) who was widowed at 17, then never remarried until her early death at 45. Random miscellany involves coin wishes, art, exhibits, and other observations…

We took a second tour of the winery which features a historical exhibit and huge collection of old wines. Just adjacent is a Radisson Hotel, but we only glimpsed some fancy bits. This batch ends with our Georgian bus/van. Looks great, not much leg room…

Next, we went to Alaverdi Monastery, which features an ancient cathedral dating back to the 11th century buit by Kvirike III of Kakheti. Afterwards, we had lunch at an adjacent restaurant before driving on into the mountains…

Before getting to our guesthouse in Gudauri, we stopped at a very international roadside rest overlooking a huge reservoir that serves the capital city of Tbilisi. There were some fun tourists – like us, orthodox Muslims and Jews, and a variety of ethnicities taking in the view, perusing souvenir stands, and getting some snacks.

There are some blurry, out-the-window-of-the-bus shots showing the countryside, including a Chinese tunnel project. Our accommodation is funky, cozy guesthouse near a ski resort. I took a short walk, taking in some maps, flowers, frolicking children, and wall adornments…