Today we had a late start. It was our last full day together in Georgia and I am not sure about everyone else, but I was tired. Our A/C was still broken so we had another night with the window and door open but this time with a fan as well. The hotel apologized to us for not fixing it and brought us a couple of glasses of red wine. Just what you need as you are going to bed! Stuff happens though, right? That’s one lesson you learn while travelling- sometimes you just have to roll with things and remember that you aren’t at home. Things don’t function the same as they do at home and that’s okay.
The first stop this morning was at a beautiful estate and historic winery called Tsinandali. I wasn’t really sure to whom the house belonged but lucky man as it was pretty awesome. In the end I learned he was a military man who translated poetry. The grounds were lovely, complete with a labyrinth, greenhouses, wishing tree and a lovely park. It was very relaxing and low key. We did a tour and then had time to just wander. It was a great place to collect my thoughts as my trip winds down and I prepare to return home.
From here we went to Sighnaghi, a really cute town that is apparently a hub for travellers. It is one of (if not THE) smallest town in Georgia with a population of just over 2000. The clay roofs and steep roads made it very picturesque. We were told it is a spot for lovers as it’s easier to get a marriage license there than anywhere else in Georgia. We tried to convince the one unmarried couple on the trip to take the plunge but they weren’t having it. It is also a walled city, which was pretty cool. I wished we could spend a little more time there, as it would have been a cool place to wander and take pictures. It’s another reason I would return to Georgia.
We had lunch in a guesthouse and the family cooked us the best meal. The food didn’t stop coming; every time the door opened more food was brought in. And every time a plate was empty and cleared, another took its place. We certainly weren’t going to leave Georgia hungry, if they had anything to do about it. And not only was the food plentiful, it was truly delicious. We had everything from beet salad, tomato and cucumber salad, green beans, eggplant, fried catfish, stewed chicken, grilled pork, bread, khachapuri, and I am sure something else that I have forgotten. Our hostess came in and toasted us several times, to our health, to our ancestors, to our hosts, to travel, to each other… anything and everything there was to be thankful for, we toasted it!
And that’s it! It’s hard to believe I fly home tomorrow. I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip- the food, the countries, the culture, the people and yes, even the monasteries. This trip has simply reinforced my belief that every country has something to offer and is worth visiting. Julie and Holly from Canada/Greece, Bryan from England/NY, Marga from Germany/England and Geoff from England, John from Philly, Dani from San Francisco, Rachel from NYC, Mo from South Africa, Ken from Boston (my new bestie!) and Isil from Turkey (and of course, Nina and I): this was probably the most well-travelled group of people I have ever met. If you named a place, someone would almost definitely have a story about it and if no one did, there were plans to visit there soon. There is almost always one person in travel groups who is high maintenance and who you could do without, but not in this group. (though maybe it was Nina and I this time!) It was one of the most interesting, cohesive groups I have ever travelled with. I hope I will meet them again somewhere in the world some day.
Our farewell dinner was tonight; yummy food, interesting sangria, a fantastic Georgian live band and a lot of laughs- it was a great last meal together.
We head out really early tomorrow morning. I will have a good 24 hours of travel by the time I get home but the promise of steak and banoffee pie will help the time pass.
Georgia, you will be on my mind for a while now. Thanks for the memories!
