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1. Jvari monastery

2. View down to the old capital Mtskheta from Jvari monastery

3. & 4 Svetitskhoveli Cathedral surrounds.

5. & 6. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral artifacts

7. Supposedly a gift of a part of the cross Jesus was nailed to

8. Cross of Georgia with bent timber from the olive tree

9. Surrounding hills

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Georgia Day 3

We met up with our guide for the day Sergio who despite the Italian sounding name was a local. He in fact ethnically was Armenian but had been born in Georgia.

His English was pretty good and we set off from our hotel for the 30/40 minute drive to Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia. First stop was the Jvari church on a hilltop overlooking the town. A lovely looking building, pretty bare inside but with a stunning view over the town and the surrounding rivers and hills.

It was a hot day around 30 certainly that in the sun. Next stop was down to the town which was really small and a bit of a tourist town (though a pleasant one). We strolled past a range of little stalls selling tourist bric a brac, plus food and a wine store where we sampled a local wine and some Chacha the local spirit (firewater). Sergio was proving a good guide telling us as much as he could about the locale and generally guiding us along well.

Our goal was the star attraction of the town the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral. Built in the 11th century it is a beautiful building inside and out and pretty large. Christ’s robe is said to be buried under the nave. After looking round the inside, guided by Sergio, we walked the circumference outside and a tranquil setting it was. Also quirkily stumbled on some topiaried olive trees in the grounds which were a first for me as they are usually a tad unkempt.

Back through the town and we set off for Stalin’s birthplace Gori to look at the museum built to commemorate him. We also saw the house he was born in. The tour of the museum by a resident guide was fascinating and fairly detailed. As we looked at various pictures of Stalin from boyhood, to activist and then leader and many stops in between our guide described various key moments in his life and the impact that had on him (including a violent father). There was a lot of ruthlessness to achieve end goals. Many acquaintances, political foes and friends were eliminated let alone those who needed to be made an example of, in his opinion. On the other hand our guide advised he could take credit for things such as improved health systems which were pretty appalling in Russia prior to his rule. We didn’t walk away though thinking he was “a good bloke”.

Our guide was straightforward and a touch whimsical in his delivery. It was very interesting and we learned a lot more than we previously knew about Uncle Joe and his associates.

On we ploughed. Next stop was the Uplistsikhe Cave City. It was a cave town unearthed in 1956 and dating back to the 10th century BC. It included a whole complex of streets, temples, tunnels, wine stores, defensive walls etc - now that was the spiel. In fact it was a bit of a barren area with caves which were dilapidated and seemingly large if shaped holes in the rock-face. We trundled up and down across an uneven surface under a pretty warm sun for 30/40 mins but it was a tad uninspiring as each cave seemed to resemble the next apart from some size differential. This was an area where a guide was essential to bring things to life but that would have needed to be a specialist local guide which did not seem to be on offer. Also Sergio even if he knew a bit more than us was not keen on venturing out into the scorching sun. Probably the one disappointment of the day.

Time to head back to Tbilisi and Sergio offered to go the “village route” rather than the freeway which we gladly accepted. Always good to go through laneways and narrower streets and see how the locals live.

That night dinner was at Balcony 12 restaurant in Tbilisi. Sitting outside in a garden area with a crooner at the mike. Liz able to enjoy a nice rose wine. Very relaxed and a pleasant wind down to the day.

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GEORGIA

1. The old and the new. Our fabulous hotel Bazzar Hotel on the left

2. - 4. Pet grooming shop

5. Statues Georgia loves statues. They’re everywhere

6. Church through the locked gates

7. My trout at Bamba restaurant

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GEORGIA

1. Wacky tree

2. Tbilisi architecture

3. A piece of the Berlin Wall gifted to Tbilisi

4. & 5. Views of Tbilisi

6. Mother of Georgia

7. Bridge of Peace

8.. lunchtime snack

9. & 10. Lovely simple shopping complex of special shops in an environmentally sensitive building. Lots of plant and moss growing on wall panels.

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Georgia Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel is much vaunted and it proved to live up to the spiel. All sorts of offerings from local fare such as cheese pastries, salads, local cheese and salami to porridge, pancakes, crepes, smoked salmon, croissants and lots more. I was to try a number of these offerings over the next few days while Liz was a big fan of the porridge (which varied in consistency and quality it must be said) as well as fruit and more decadently the chocolate croissants.

One goal for the day was to book a tour somewhere so we decided to head across the river via the very contemporary looking Bridge of Peace in search of a tour agency that had some good recommendations on line. The bridge was built in 2010 not commemorating anything in particular but as a link between the old city and the new and a symbol of harmony and fwd looking by the people of Tbilisi.

A pretty warm day late 20s at least and we wandered through town towards it. Close to home we have a flower market. Pleasant to walk past with a huge splash of colour and some very nice scents from the flowers. Also the usual stray dog or two hanging about, Apparently there was a central de-sexing and vaccination program in recent times so most dogs have tags in their ears. Almost everywhere you went there would be a large Labrador looking dog fast asleep in a corner or in the street. They looked well fed and presumably the heat of summer encouraged them to sleep though many looked quite old. Coats were a tad on the rough side but obviously they were cared for generally and certainly didn’t bother anyone.

Anyway our search for the tour agency proved fruitless though we did enjoy walking up the narrow back streets on the other side of town and duly found a tour guide (Sergio) basically operating out of a small office but doing his spruiking in the street. We obviously liked his approach and booked a tour for the next day to Mtskheta, Gori (Stalin’s birthplace) and Uplistsikhe. It would be just the two of us and cost around $180 for the day. More than we would like but the attraction of the private tour was persuasive.

Anyway next stop was to catch the cable car which started nearby to the Narikala Fortress. Essentially at the top of a nearby peak. Pretty cheap and a fast ride perhaps 5/6 minutes. Fantastic views of the city from the top and also a statue the Karelia Deda known as the Mother of Georgia. Built in 1958 the year that Tbilisi celebrated its 1500th anniversary. The statue holds a bowl of wine in her left hand to greet those who come as friends and a sword in her right hand for those who come as enemies.

We wandered around, enjoyed the scenery and tried to visit some very ornate gardens up there which included a French Parterre section, Japanese garden etc. Unfortunately they were closed or rather closed early afternoon possibly because it was Sunday. Anyway a bit of a shame so we headed back down via the cable car.

Back across the Bridge of Peace where a guy had two peacocks you could have your photo taken with (not that we did) but typical tourist claptrap and on into the restaurant zone. Stopped at a small place for cheese and bread and a beer and coffee and just chilled for a while sitting at a table by the laneway doing a bit of people watching. Very pleasant. Headed back to the hotel to chill a bit.

That night went to a cracker of a restaurant - Bamba. Liz had trout, which was excellent and I had a meat casserole with a local version of mashed potato mixed with cheese. This left the potato a green colour and felt a bit like eating spearmint gum - so not the best but you have to try these things - a Georgian speciality. However the Rose wine, which was local, though it was called French Rose, was excellent so very happy Liz. Waiter, also local, had the best English and was keen for a chat. Sitting under the trees in the garden with a duo playing guitar (a little loudly but we got used to it) was really very pleasant. We wandered home that night feeling very mellow.

I did go for a quick stroll to settle dinner and discovered of all things that a craft beer festival was a in full swing at a park nearby. TV screens were in place to watch the European Nations Football and it was lovely. Did not partake but stored away for a future visit!

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Georgia

1. Attractive restaurant

2. Going for the Afro

3. Georgian treat of nuts coated in a soft caramel made from wine juice - an acquired taste

4. Statue. Georgia loves statues

5. Dinner at the courtyard restaurant

6. Building entrance

7. Wobbly tower

8. Typical old Georgian architecture

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Georgia Day 1 Tbilisi

Flight which was at 1.30 pm went well. Turkish airlines pretty good and they fed us again without charging extra. Unfortunately a slight hiccup was that we had booked an airport transfer through booking.com but had put July rather than June in as the month of arrival. Only discovered as we were pretty close to boarding so no time to change. This led to some vociferous bargaining with a potential cabbie at Tbilisi airport. In fact he wasn’t a cabby at all. There didn’t appear to be any free ones. Those we saw ignored us and appeared to have already booked trips into town. We did manage to knock about 33% off the original asking price and set off with a guy who probably was just driving his private car. He was ok though, drove sensibly and didn’t look for more money. Had very little English.

Our hotel the Bazzar Boutique was pretty close to (in fact in) the main tourist area (which is not very large) but sort of to one side so perfectly placed. It was to prove a gem with friendly and caring staff a number of whom spoke fantastic English. Room a good size, clean, modern without being characterless. Not much to fault.

We dropped our bags and pretty immediately set off to look around. Nice and warm. Crowds not very large especially after the madness of Istanbul. A number of very grand and very attractive buildings including the house of the president close by. Also some quirky ones such as the leaning clock which is a clock tower built quirkily by the owner of an on-site puppet theatre in 2010. There were also some grand but tired buildings that had seen better days. It just seemed very chilled. Of course there were the odd streets which were catering for tourists including the local version of Lygon St with a narrow walkway with restaurants either side. These mostly specialised in Georgian food and spruikers accosted us in a friendly way as we moved through. All good fun.

First impressions included the number of cars. This reinforced itself over the next few days as public transport is less than ideal so cars seemed to be used a lot. Quite wide boulevards in town and they hare along overtaking and looking for gaps to dive into. No beg pardons among drivers here if there is a gap they go for it. Finally might have found a mob more aggressive than Melbourne drivers. This is belied though by their off-road manner which is quite laconic and very friendly. Pedestrian crossings are few and far between and underground walkways are the go. They typically have little alcove shops in the walkways selling jewellery and mementos etc and some more basic items.

That night we headed for a restaurant which Liz identified from Trip Advisor. It took some finding tucked away down a dark side street but was waell worth it. It looked like a student hangout judging by other clientele certainly a youngies place. A large open area with tables and we found one. Plenty of space around us and we went for the local food. I had a beef goulash sort of dish and Liz barbecued pork. Beer, Red wine and Rose very acceptable and apart from Liz deciding my dish was hers and polishing off about a third of it before hers rolled up all was fine.

We did notice that the beef which was in plenty of sauce was served at not quite tepid temperature but not hot. Though we did asked for it to be heated up it came back a few degrees warmer so we soldiered on. We came to notice that this could be the case with some food not serve piping hot. The pork was rather dry and had been left on a little long. Again the Georgians seem to like their food on the well done side. Nevertheless the beef was delicious soaked up with some Georgian crusty bread and a very tasty green salad which was huge.

We loved the place. Soaked up the atmosphere. Most tables were now occupied and it was very very relaxed. Nice to see a bit of local life on day 1

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Istanbul

Galata Tower - view from the ferry

Outside CIYA restaurant on Asian side of town

The quieter and grander backstreets on the Asian side

Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace from the ferry

One of the many stray but cared for dogs

Amusing spice

Amusing sign in bar window

Pottery for sale in Grand Bazaar

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ISTANBUL

1. Magnificent silk rug at The Grand Bazzaar

2. Crossing the Galata Bridge

3. Staircase near Galata Tower

4. The Blue Mosque & Hagia Sofia from the Bosporus

5. Olives anyone?

6. Cool cat

7. Istanbul architecture

8. Hipster street on the Asian side

9. Lovely restaurant we ate at twice. Also love the message in their logo

10. Cherry season

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ISTANBUL

1. One spoilt cat

2. Yamaha piano shop in case there was any doubt

3. & 4. Street scenes

5. Galata Bridge

6. Istanbul’s finest ‘fashun’

7. Tram travel Indian style

8. Beer in a copper mug

9. Eating like locals at Bilice Kebap

10. My dream light

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Istanbul Day 3

During our trip to Istanbul in 2018 we had had a memorable excursion across the Bosphorus to the Asian side. We were with friends the Boxes and had eaten at a restaurant called CIYA which was recommended by none other than Yotam Ottolenghi. It had lived up to his recommendation and we were determined to visit it again and generally that side of the city.

Breakfast was a change up with of all things a Portuguese tart restaurant just down the road from us. Yoghurt and Portuguese tarts were the order of the morning - very nice. We trekked down the hill to the river and caught a ferry late morning for the 25 minute or so trip across the Bosphorus.

As an aside we did laugh about the number of times we went up and down a fairly steep hill. Our hotel was well placed but the Galato Tower which we were adjacent to occupies a prominent position at the top of a hill overlooking the city. The calves were getting a good work out as was the respiratory system.

Anyway on another very warm day we arrived at the Asian side and basically walked up and down the back streets for a couple of hours. Plenty of market stalls with more traders encouraging us to buy. Some fine and classical buildings further into the backstreets including an arty section full of coffee shops and student types. Something for everyone.

Around 2.00 pm we arrived at CIYA restaurant, grabbed a seat outside and proceeded to enjoy the food on offer. Our memory was of it being vegetarian but now it was certainly serving meat as well. It also seemed to have expanded with a a couple of other outlets including two on the other side of the narrow laneway we were in. All very atmospheric, we loved the food again and soaked up the atmosphere.

Post lunch a bit more of a look around and then back to the ferry and hotel. On arrival Liz did head back and I went for a further wander along the riverside towards the dock where a large cruise liner (the Crystal Symphony) was docked. Near the the main cruise liners’ docks there was a massive shopping centre with all the major brand names and some fancy restaurants no doubt to cater to people off the cruise ships. A bit atmosphere-less but interesting to see it so close to the more regular cafes and shops.

That evening we decided a repeat of the previous night at the Pera Antakya restaurant was the go and we enjoyed the fare and service every bit as much. We were certainly warmly welcomed by staff who of course recognised from the night before.

So that was Istanbul. We did exactly what we had set out to do. Just to soak it up a little and not repeat some previous experiences there. With another day we probably would have headed over to the other side near the Blue Mosque where we had previously stayed just to see how it had changed and how it differed to the side we were on. Time was against us and we didn’t feel we had missed out.

Next stop Georgia.

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Istanbul Day 2

We had determined to get that spice for niece Lucy (who had visited Istanbul a few months earlier, bought some and loved it) so we headed post breakfast directly to the spice market.

Wandered around a bit looking at the various offerings. Fun place with traders in your ear to come into their shops and sample the offerings. We found the outlet that Lucy had advised us of and the transaction was done with a few extra sachets for the family. Let’s hope it makes it through customs.

Next stop was the Grand Bazaar. An absolute labyrinth of laneways and market stalls selling a whole variety of goods you never knew you needed - carpets, clothing, jewellery, ornaments etc etc etc. Plenty of encouragement from traders to inspect their stores more closely. Some pretty fine jewellery shops and excellent carpet shops and there was slight temptation at both but no deals were done. We just enjoyed looking, the odd bit of speculation as to whether something was worth buying and the atmosphere which should be bottled.

We then backtracked to the Spice market to get some saffron. After a lesson in the varying qualities of saffron we invested in some high grade threads. Once again we hope we can get them through customs.

That whole adventure took us to mid afternoon after a slow start and we headed back to the hotel. Not before Liz made an abortive attempt schlepping back up the hill through the crowds to buy a bracelet for George which she had identified the previous day. Unfortunately it had been sold. Much gnashing of teeth took place. There will be another (hopefully).

A bit of a rest and then off to the Pera Antakya Restaurant which had some good crits. Well if the previous night had been good this was one out of the box. We went for the grilled meat on skewers. Delightful pita bread and side dishes complemented the meat superbly. Great rose wine and service impeccable. Not cheap but not a dynamite price either. So enjoyable. We wondered home pretty pleased. While Liz chilled I did go for a little walk down by the river where there was yet another lively area full of bars and restaurants which was a possibility for another day.

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Istanbul Day 1

18 June. Turkish airlines from Tunis airport to Istanbul All went fine. Turkish airlines one of the few that still serve you food and drinks on board without forking out more money which was handy as our flight was late in the day.

We actually arrived at Istanbul 30 minutes earlier than scheduled and bags were collected and customs were navigated in a timely way. Istanbul airport absolutely enormous so we trekked around a bit to get to where the transfer car booked thru booking.com was due to pick us up. Found the location and then probably a 25 minute wait ensued waiting for the car to arrive. All good in the end but now 10.45pm or so with a 30/40 minute drive ahead. Anyway after navigating a maze of side streets our indefatigable driver found the Galata Rasso hotel our home for 4 nights which was in a great spot in town very near to the Galata Tower as you might expect.Not much to do but grab a couple of peaches from the neighbouring fruit stall and head to bed given the time.

We had determined that having been to Istanbul in 2018 and seen the classic sights - Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia , Topkapi Palace and lots more that this trip would be more to nose around and soak up the atmosphere. We had also stayed on the Sultanahmet side of town where the sights above were but were now in the suburb of Beyoglu with restaurants, hubbub and general crowded mayhem. Good fun if you like that which we mostly do.

No breakfast at our place so we followed the recommendation of hotel staff and went to a nearby restaurant. Liz on the muesli and yoghurt and I went the Turkish breakfast salad, cheese, cold meat, bread - tasty but a lot. This was the routine for the next couple of days but I changed my breakfast order to something more manageable sizewise.

First day we just walked around town. Firstly down the lengthy pedestrian mall. Crowds daunting after quiet old Tunisia. Absolutely jam packed. Obviously a lot of tourists but plenty of locals. A lot of mainstream outlets and fast food stores with the odd embassy thrown in. Also an occasional extremely crowded mini tram with people hanging off the outside. The maelstrom of life was interesting but we soon dived off into the side streets to look at the small local traders with their local bric a brac for sale as well as more localised restaurants.

Liz went one way for a while and me the other and we caught up again at the hotel for a short rest and then headed out again towards the spice market as we had promised to get a particular potato spice for our niece Lucy.

We had to cross the river and did so by the Galata Bridge which was full of fishermen. Underpasses have to be negotiated in that area to get across/under busy roads and reach or get off the bridge with more traders flogging stuff underground and crowds pushing and pressing their way in both directions. It was a stinking hot day so good to get to the other side of the river though crowds in the spice market area still large.

Much to our amusement/chagrin we discovered after making the trek though the crowds and heat that the spice market was closed for four days in celebration of the Eid festival. After a further trek uphill through more heavy crowds we found the Grand Bazaar was also closed for the same reason. Today was the last day of Eid and both would reopen the next day. Nothing to do but smile. There were certainly plenty of stalls with all sorts to see on the way to and from the bazaar so a bit of fun.

To reward ourselves we stopped for a beer and coffee at one of the numerous cafes along the underside of the bridge and generally watched the passers by, looked at the city and the numerous absolutely packed ferries and relaxed. We also realised that with Eid there was an explanation as to why so many locals were in town. Certainly we noticed the next day that the ferries were nowhere near as crowded.

That night we had a pretty special experience for dinner with a recommendation from one of the hotel staff. A meze at a very local restaurant Bilice Kebap. Meat and lamb Shazliks, lots of vegetarian style dips. All served on a large round platter with meat in the middle and the dips on the perimeter. Very tasty, great atmosphere, locals eating there. Nothing not to like. We felt very adventurous.

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Chris recruiting North Melbourne supporters in Hammamat Tunisia

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1. The El Jem Amphitheatre

2. Olive groves. One of Tunisia’s. If exports is olives

3. Crossing on the car ferry from Djerba island to mainland Tunisia

4. - 8. El Jem amphitheater

9. So many cakes, so many calories

10. Saying goodbye to guide Anis and driver Ardel

11. View from our suite at Royal Azur Thalassa in Hammamet