We've now been in Tbilisi, Georgia for several days. And our time here has consisted of three very simple activities:
1. EATING GEORGIAN FOOD
It began with dinner at the underground Salobie Bia on the night we arrived. Then it was brunch at the cheerful, family-run Chaduna and dinner with our friends Niall and Rita at the atmospheric Keto and Kote. We did some khinkali tasting at the well-known Cafe Daphna and had a great lunch at the cozy Cafe Linville.
As for dishes, well, I am happy to add nigvzinai badrijani (eggplant rolls with walnut and pomegranate), pkhali (spinach and walnut dip), ajapsandali (eggplant stew with tomato), khinkali (dumplings) and the ever-so-yummy khachapuri (cheese-filled bread) to my list of excellent food I've tried around the world!
Here's a deeper look at wonderful Georgian cuisine.
2. DRINKING GEORGIAN WINE
We're still getting the hang of it, but Georgian wine is known for its unique and ancient method of production and grape varieties. Some wines are made using terra-cotta pots that are buried underground to store and ferment the grape juice. We've tried mostly red wines - 8000 Vintages wine bar was an excellent place to start - based on the recommendations of locals and they've all been quite good. We plan to do a proper wine tasting one of these days to learn more.
3. WANDERING EVERYWHERE
Every day we hit the streets...by foot. One day we went left and the other we went right. Yesterday we walked across the Saarbrucken Bridge to the other side of the river. With impressive architecture, hidden courtyards, local markets, hillside neighborhoods, historic quarters, quaint lanes and tree-lined avenues... tiny Tbilisi is ideal for simply wandering around without a plan!
We still have several more days in this city before we hire a car and head off towards the wine region of Telavi and the mountains around Kazbegi. It's not fully planned yet but we're getting there.
