The next morning, we took a more thorough walking tour of the city, albeit we revisited some of the spots I’d visited the day before. Certainly, the breakfast was similar, as was the clock tower, but this time I had the benefit of a guide to interpret and elucidate.

Yes, again with pix of the tourist items for sale. Yes, that’s a dog’s tail. And please enjoy the pix inspired by the Bridge of Peace…

More from the walking tour. Is this wrong: taking a picture with the begger to whom you’ve just donated 5 Lari?

As you’ve come to learn, I find it impossible to choose one souvenir, so I take pix of all of them! I like the maximalism of those images! These were in a kind of curving tourist tunnel. The rest of the batch concludes our walking tour at the sulfur baths, a mosque, and another corner of the old town…

After our walking tour, two of my fellow travelers and I took the gondola across the river up the Mother of Georgia who looks down over Tbilisi (and seen previously here). We walked around a bit before parting ways to explore the city on our own…

I got my museum nerd on and went to three – two art, one history. The first, the National (Tbilisi) Art Gallery, was the easiest, smallest collection, heavily featuring one artist…

The second one, the Georgian National Museum, was more than a history museum as it spanned ancient fossils to recent revolutions – natural history, cultural history, political history, etc. This first batch focuses on the old stuff…

This second batch from the Georgian National Museum features more cultural artifacts, old photographs, and politial history, particularly the last disturbing image of dead people in the street…

Next, I went to a beautiful building (first photo in two previous batches) with a magnificant interior, the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. Not all the art was sensational, but had it been I would not have been able to make it through the many rooms on several floors before closing time. Here’s what I thought was the good stuff, including the spectacular glass stairs in the center of the building…

More from the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts. This batch features two sculptors who were particularly outstanding, along with some collage/montage/assemblage and nice paintings…

Again, the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts…

Finally, exhausted from aesthetic athletics, I shuffled through the park back to our hotel, picking up a couple gifties on the way…

I had an adequate dinner and folded up early since we had an early departure the next morning…

Tbilisi is the capital and largest city of Georgia, located on the banks of the Kura River. This first batch is from the road into town and the approach to our hotel…

Arriving mid-day, we dropped off our luggage and went for an orientation walk around town. We crossed the river, but didn’t go far. This batch shows some of the neighborhood, a view of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, but mostly captures some interesting examples of the vendors’ wares at the Dry Bridge Flea Market…

Eventually, we went back to the hotel to check in, then I took off on my own and hiked up to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to check out the tallest church in all of Georgia. This batch shows some of the route, including the interesting architecture of the city administration building. Having been to a few orthodox churchs by now, it was quite similar, only more grand.

Next, I walked back down to the Kura River and crossed into the Tbilisi’s Old City. Here are the government building again, some local culture, local sculptures, and another church…

Views around Tbilisi’s Old City…

Some of the group met for dinner, then went back to the hotel, and here are some views from the top…

More Tbilisi tomorrow…?!

After breakfast, we followed the Tergi River further up into the mountains (closer to Russia) heading to Stepantsminda formerly known as Kazbegi, our destination being the Gergeti Trinity Church.

While the clouds dimmed the light, they blanketed the mountains making our journey – especially the hike – cooler, and did not unleash the rains, which seem to come in the night, pelting down now as I write.

We stopped for awhile at the Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument to hear about the symbolism and take a bunch of pictures. Wild flowers and grazing animals will be a theme in this post. (see also)

After a beautiful drive, we stopped in Stepantsminda and started our hike up to the church. It was a wonderful loop trail, first up through the village and the forest, then down through the alpine meadows back to the village – and lunch…

The road to the Gergeti Trinity Church has only been there about six years, but the parking lots were packed and the construction renovation projects were in full swing…

Inside the Gergeti Trinity Church it was beautifully dark, and the art, religious iconography, drew one in close…

After some moments of contemplation, we eventually headed back down, taking in the breathtaking scenery and walking carefully. Near the bottom of the trail was a majestic watchtower, of which there are many…

Back in the village, we walked the old streets past various old buildings to the restaurant, after which we drove to a series of four gondolas which took us over another pass to the ski resort, close to our guesthouse.

For 35 Lari, we took the series of four gondolas over the pass to the Gudauri Ski Resort. Highlights included vast mountains, cool streams, sheep herds, etc. Here are some stills, AND a shot shared on our WhatsApp group of some fellow travelers also enjoying the gondola…

And here are some time lapse video clips of the gondola rides…

After two nights in Gudauri, and another wonderful breakfast, we headed out to Tbilisi. On the way we stopped at the Ananuri Fortress Complex. This batch shows some tourist souvenir options and shots of/from the road…

The Ananuri Fortress Complex has a long history as the place evolved from watch tower to fortress, and including a church. This last batch shows various views inside & ou,t and is included here as we passed this place along the way two days before…

Stay tuned for Tbilisi…

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…

How about I stop!

Only to start again…

Actually, this post takes us from Azerbaijan to Georgia – an interesting international border crossing!

And for the curious, find out the difference between the Caucasus region and the Caucasus Mountains (home of Europe’s highest peak, Mt. Elbrus).

We had two nights in Sheki, so it’s featured prominently. The morning after our first night, we went to the Palace of the Sheki Khans. Photography is not allowed inside, but you can see some of the many ornamental paintings and stained glass windows here.

The palace is within the Sheki Fortress, and the neighborhood features several artisanal workshops. This batch is about the ceramics studio (and some paintings). Inspiring tiles & sculptures…

Next, we went to a woodworking shop where four generations of the same family makes intricate stained glass windows by carefully cutting wood to fit it all together without glue or nails. This batch starts with a Lada and some tea and includes some family photos…

Next, we went to

Again we were driven by a fleet of four taxis to the village of Kish to see the famous Albanian Church (now a museum) and have lunch. I got to ride with the boss of the whole operation – Ilhame – who deftly navigated the cobblestone streets driving an old stick shift Lada and makiing numerous business calls on her Android. There, we had a little tour from an enthusiastic local who gushed with information. Interestingly, there were several exposed digs of crypts and the graveyard.

Lunch was an amazing cultural experience. Can’t remember the name of the tandoor-like dish topped with lamb ass fat, seasoned with saffron and sumac.

More significantly, our host, my taxi driver, and the doyenne of the whole operation (restaurant, guesthouse, and fleet of 15 taxis), had secured a grant from USAID to support the old women of Kish. Check out the plaque and accompanying signage. Great experience!

Aaaand, the Issam Hotel has a wonderful indoor pool! But it’s used by the kids of the town during the day, so I wasn’t able to get in my laps until nighttime. Nonetheless, it was excellent…

Just four pix from a last evening walk in Sheki – dog friends, blurry shots of ladies socializing in the street, and a little tea shop that served beer near our hotel…

Next day, on the way out of town, we stopped by the local market (not just for farmers!)…

Bought a couple of shirts, so took a couple of selfies! And, can you find the goat’s head, the nice bread guy, and the auto parts store…?

Next on the itinerary: crossing the border into Georgia. It seemed there was more attention to departures than arrivals, but, except for a long uphill walk and a jaunt across the no-mans-land bridge, it went smoothly. (We look close to Russia, eh?)

I had to document my favorite Azerbaijani bills, and capture the Georgian quote in the money changers office. BTW, the Georgian language is not related to any other language family and has three different alphabets. Aaand, the currency is the Lari (how cool is that?)…

For lunch, we stopped at a winery and dined on nice, huge veranda. Afterwards, we had a brief tour of the wine-making process. Georgian wine is unique and ubiquitous. Most houses have little vineyards around them…

The last stop on our way to our hotel was the 16 the century Gremi Church of the Archangels. (Different stuff offered by vendors there in the parking lot.) Inside, we got to witness a baptism, but couldn’t stay for the wedding that happened next. However, I did get in some trouble for being late to the bus, having gone through the museum and up into the tower for the incredible view. The history and vistas are vast! Who is not going to do and see everything? Not I…! (Note the precious shots of religious indoctrination…)

We arrived at our hotel and soon after took a walk around the town of Telavi. Only one other fellow traveler and I went to explore the fortress, palace, and museum. More than a little art – some of it quite unique. Afterwards, a couple of us had some dinner in town before retiring.

Wow! Did you really just check out that whole post? Thank you!

Today, we are off to Gudauri…

After four nights in Baku – during which one gets to know the neighborhood a little by going back to the same store and seeing the same people in the park and getting a feel for the rhythm of life – we piled into our lil’ bus and drove west through the arid hills to the Juma Mosque of Shamakhi, the oldest site for a mosque in Azerbaijan (tho’ its been rebuilt)…

We drove on to a nice place for lunch, with views and a pond, then the rural village of Lahij, where we checked into Rustan’s country guesthouse…

Shortly after being assigned our rooms, we went for a walk through the cobblestone streets of the village. Among other things for sale, there were lots of options for flavored teas & animal skins…

Lahij is known for it’s artisan metal crafts and we spent some time in one workshop, eventually visiting the family home and exiting through the gift shop…

A story: Just above there’s a picture on the wall that depicts various world leaders around 1918. It was found by the family hidden under a mirror, seemingly protected from the destruction by Soviet thought police.

We continued our walk through Lahij taking in some views and local color. Near the end of this batch, note the cemetery and the gas pipes that are ubiquitous…

Back at the guesthouse, we did a little work with some yogurt before having a lovely dinner…

The next morning, having eaten our yogurt, we departed for the city of Sheki. Along the way, we stopped to check out a somewhat precarious foot bridge across a valley. Amazingly, I was the only one in our group of 12 to pay the 2 manat to walk it to the other side. Met some nice folks, took in the view, and ambled across to continue our journey – during which we encountered some cows…

Thanks to fellow traveler Niall, I have these pix of me crossing the bridge…

Our next stop on our way to Sheki was to a Nij village, a settlement of the Udi people who are the direct descendants of ancient Caucasian Albanians. We visited a charming family museum that Orhan Pamuk would have approved of…

A little further on our journey to Sheki was an Albanian church with an interesting photo gallery and impressive Azerbaijani sycamores…

Since it was getting near lunch time, we stopped for some tea and snacks.

Eventually, we made it to Sheki, checked into our hotel, then went out to explore the neighborhood. Met a cool guy who operates a little tea house/pub near our hotel.

After that, we went to an entertaining wine tasting before another great dinner…

Time to rest, post, and get ready for what comes next…

Resting is good, so are restaurants. Going out to one is all I really did on day one of our tour. But if you make it to the bottom of this post you’ll get an idea of the expanse of time, and why I should rest again…

The first full day of our Caucasus Highlights tour started with a trip out of town to Qobustan to speculate about some petroglyphs, mud volcanos, and the related museums. Our local guide, Kerim, has a certain dramatic flair that lends some gravitas to his commentary.

Nonetheless, there is much speculation about how & when the petroglyphs were made, and what they mean!

Ages ago – neolithic, paleolithic, etc. (4000-12000) primitive humanoids carved these rocks. However, much more recently archaeologists carved some numbers (29, etc.) to memorialize their work in discovering and deciphering them…

More of the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape…

Nearby is a museum that attempts to explain further the petroglyphs of Azerbaijan. More here…!

Not far from the petroglyphs are the Mud Volcanos of Azerbaijan. The most in the world, these are related to the nearby oil fields which explain much about flaming Azerbaijan.

Unlike Yellowstone and other similar spots, apparently they’re not hot…?!

And, there was an accompanying museum as well, this one with an impressive collection of animal skeletons and other natural history displays. I particularly enjoyed the formaldehyde jars and the insecta arrays all found within the austere (brutalist?) newish architecture…

On the way back to Baku for our guided walk in the Old City, we stopped at the beach. I’d already been to some of the sites Kerim took us to two days earlier, but it was great to have him explain some nooks & crannies I hadn’t known about, and learn the stories that go with the place. Unfortunately, my fellow tourists wilted in the sweltering heat, the learning lagged, and several went back to the hotel…

Kerim concluded, Neal (from London) & I found a nice spot for some cold refreshment, and then I soldiered on to two more museums! The first a one room collection of miniature books…!

Next, I went to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. It was great, and I was able to take my time…

Note the musical instruments near the end of this batch.

More of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs…

(Allow me to add this lil’ something about the Architecture of Azerbaijan since I’ve taken more than a couple photos juxtaposing the old and the new.)

Yet more of the Palace of the Shirvanshahs…

After the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, I took a circuitous way back to the hotel discovering more routes through the labyrinth that is the Old City of Baku…

Like many old cities of the old world, there are an abundance of cats, most napping. Before I went to take my nap, I had to take some pix of this lil’ friend…

Let’s take the end from friend and bring this epochryphal post to a close. More tomorrow.

Və diqqətinizə görə təşəkkür edirəm!

Ev tapşırığınız Azərbaycan haqqında 10 səhifəlik essedir.

Uğurlar…

Days, weeks, months can go by at home, me living the normal, taking things for granted, perhaps not always paying attention to particulars, etc. Suddenly, I’m elsewhere, noticing everything, taking it all in, paying assiduous attention to a new normal. Creating a long post in less than 24 hours…

Baku, the capital of Azerbajian, may not be on the radar of many westerners, but it should be! My long flight from SFO thru Frankfurt brought me here at midnight, but even then, the airport, the taxi, the ride to my hotel (pic out the back window), was impressive…

The next morning, having barely slept (fully jet lagged), I headed out, in spite of the heat, to explore Baku. First, I made my way to the nearby Old Town, shuffling by a few noteworthy buildings, sculptures, and photoworthy moments…

Along the way, I slipped into Taze Bey Bath, a fascinatingly designed hamami (spa, massage, bath house). A most definitely compelling cabinet of curiosities, and I wasn’t allowed to photograph several other rooms! Not sure about the actual business – usually done with your eyes closed, but all the visuals inside and out were fun!

The Maiden Tower may be the most famous single building in the Old Town. Near there, I was being pitched by a tour company guy when I saw “that photo spot” (juxtaposes the Flame Towers with the Juma Mosque) so I took two. And there’s more…

Eventually, I made it down to the Caspian Sea, in spite of the crazy sweltering sun exposure. Did just a bit of Baku Boulevard, then dipped into the Four Seasons for some water and AC. Weak from the heat, I refreshed with a salad etc. then went back to the hotel for a nap. Here are some snapits…

Somewhat revived, I went out again, this time to see Nizami Street, the popular pedestrian zone full of restaurants, shops, street vendors, and the occasional busker. The photo of the building with the impressive facade is the Ministry of Internal Affairs, well guarded by armed soldiers, and just as I took that pic, a Dickensian/Marxian character told me not to! So I just took that one – among others…

My afternoon stroll was probably twice as far as my earlier one. Again, here’s a random collection of architure, sculpture, and moving miscellany. I walked the sun down, catching some reflections and compelling lighting. I had a light dinner, took in a fair amount of people watching, then back to the hotel for some restless sleep.

My plans for Monday were thwarted by sheer exhaustion. I worried about not conquering my jet lag, but surrendered to my fatigue and slept most of the day. I eventually freshened up for our welcome meeting at 6:00, but the tour guide’s plane was delayed. Had a nice dinner with my new group of 12 fellow travelers, and went back to bed…

Coincidentally, both Charlie and Veronica graduated from UC Santa Cruz on the same day in June! (There are multiple commencement ceremonies on campus during the long graduation weekend.) Both were in Oakes College, but otherwise have had different experiences. Nancy & Rosa were there, along with Justin and a couple of very proud parents! Enjoyed the big screens…

Afterwards, we had a nice celebratory picnic at the UCSC Arboretum! This batch shows the van that Justin & Veronica are driving to Alaska this summer. They came by the next day for final farewells, and they’re off…

I helped Charlie do the final move out of the room he’d been renting in a big house near Bonnie Doon. This batch also includes bike riding, his hair before getting it cut, neighbor Dennis’ house for sale, and some unfinished art projects…

As anticipated, the Crockett’s (Josh, Adrienne, Sophie & Isaac) came and stayed with us for a few days as part of their summer trip. In addition to hanging out and going to the pool, we hunted minnows at the pond, went to the beach at San Gregorio, went down memory lane in Pescadero, and had a nice dinner at Costa Noa…

Also as anticipated, the CLHG put on the annual 4th of July Picnic. Mike served up some beer, Sergio et al. served up some jams, and here’s Corinne, as Lady Liberty & a Mom.

Of course, the games are the fun part, but check out Karen’s big bubbles! Congrats to all winners of various races, balloon stomps, egg & water balloon tosses, and the tug of war.

This batch ends with Bob & Linda Meehan quading home…

It wouldn’t be randomvail.com without some random pix of art stuff here & thereabouts. This batch ends with two of this years’ offerings: Frank Oppenheimer and Sultan Qaboos…

Neighbor George & I took another hike, this one to the top of Mindego Hill which looks out on our lil’ town.

Adding a few random shots left over as I start a new one. A tree at Costa Noa, old art items, Bobs cannon, my garage…

As I post this, I’m off on my next adventure to the Caucasus: Azerbajian, Georgia, and Armenia…

Stay tuned!

I’ve been gone for more of 2025 than I’ve been home. From the Middle East, to Indonesia & the Cook Islands, to Austria-Hungary and the former Yugoslavia, which included six Intrepid tours and more explorations on the front & back ends, I was ready to unpack my suitcase!

Correspondingly, in spite of a lot of trips, we’ve not missed a La Honda summer since moving here. So it was time to get back into the homestyle groove. This random batch starts with my last flight, ML’s quiche, a long-awaited bike ride, and GPS proof…!

The only-three-years-old Portola Valley Palooza is the new summer kickoff – a week before the La Honda Fair, and practice for our locals since I reckoned half the bands are from LH, ie. the Squirrels of Wisdom and Zanzibar, here first.

One of my new favorite local artists is Paul Loughridge who puts together objets trouvés into interesting sculptures. And, in addition to cute kids and the Zanzibar horn section, is Bundy Browne (with Guitar Gypsy), who will appear again at the LH Fair.

His Mom was worried about messing up his voice fronting a punk rock band, so amazingly, our son Charlie turned to singing in an opera instead! Thanks to the guidance and encouragement of particular music professors, he played Antonio in the Marriage of Figaro at UCSC. We went to two of the four performances, and on one night a whole crew of his La Honda homies were in the front row. Another night Nancy & Jered came and we went for dinner afterwards at Chocolat. Some pix…

A random collection, again! Found this dogtag in our backyard (gopher contribution?), a huge cage on the side of the road, Todd Wright’s cool renovation, dead squirrel, crazy art thing, Liz Chapman’s garden, Dave Meyrovich playing Lit Night, a trip to downtown Redwood City (San Mateo County Planning & Building), and four views of the new paint job on our old house…

The La Honda Fair. Starts with Bundy on the porch Friday night (here with Birdie), then Skalonda, some fair booths (focusing on friend & photographer Chuck Clark), and some distinctive locals. Amazingly, new friends Mike & Sarah (with whom I explored the Cook Islands earlier this year) came all the way from Oakland to groove to our hippie beat, and Gary Gates closing the show – of course…

Our two UCSC graduates, test driving their commencement gear. Flowers, in our yard and beyond. And a walk in the woods with my neighbor George…

Thanks for checkin’ my pix, and especially.for reading this sentence!