Vintage Charm of Georgia
Trip to Georgia was unforgettable. I have never thought that during three days it is possible to see so many interesting things. Our first day we dedicated to sightseeing of Old Town in Tbilisi. Walking through ancient streets I was fascinated by old charming houses with balconies, antique doors and cute patios with fountains. The atmosphere in the Old Town is very romantic and peaceful. It is possible to spend hours looking at each and every building as all of them are unique and different from each other. I was happy to see that despite ongoing renovation none of them was demolished.
Generally attitude to antique and historical things is very reverent in Georgia. For example when one of the roads in Tbilisi was repaired a piece of ancient fortress wall was found. The government made the decision to stop construction works and to close half of the road so everybody can see this archeological artifact. Another attraction in Old Town definitely worth visiting is famous sulfur bath houses which exist in this area for many centuries. Baths interiors practically remained unchanged since XIX century. Water for baths comes directly from sulfur springs. Then it is left to cool down as the initial temperature is 75 degrees Celsius.On the next day we took a trip to Kakheti – historical province in Eastern Georgia. One of the most memorable moments of trip was the visit to Marani – traditional Georgian winery. Wine here is made by a unique method: kvevri – huge clay barrels are put into the ground where the wine matures for many years, sometimes centuries. If you want you can also do a wine tasting. You need to be very careful though: wine tasting here means that you will be brought 2 liters wine jug which you are supposed to finish saying huge amount of toasts at the same time. Marani we visited exists as from the XVII century and belongs to a woman who was owner of antique store earlier in her life. Her passion for vintage items can be seen in decor of Marani full of antiques.On the last day we went to the Dry Bridge in Tbilisi to visit the famous flea market. Here you can find many rare and interesting things: paintings, pottery, tableware, silverware, chandeliers, vintage suitcases, etc. Georgia is famous for handmade jewelry and pottery and I saw some really beautiful pieces on sell. Also you can find a lot of vintage home accessories. I absolutely fell in love with this Chinese jewelry box made in the middle of XX century. Only the price of 250 dollars could stop me from buying it. However we were not left without buys. My husband couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw exactly the same Chinese wooden tea-set which his grandparents used to have many years ago. It was a great luck to find it here as only very few of them left.
Georgia is amazing country with amazing people and amazing attractions. We left home determined to come back one day.