Travel The World

relate Africa to Georgia that is!  Read the article below about Georgia attempting to woo South African farmers to their country for agricultural development purposes.  Nothing is without controversy though . . . http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/going-caucasian-tbilisi-wooing-white-africans/432117.html

. . . and grapes!  Where else can you find grapes growing in a downtown area for all to enjoy?

I need only look at this picture to feel on top of the world!  Click on picture for full effect!

I don't believe you will ever guess but add a comment at the bottom of this post if by some miracle, you do know.

to myself of what I will be returning to at some point in the future.  Another scene from 'Ananuri' in the Republic of Georgia.

At least, that's the eventual goal.  Whether the Georgian government realizes it or not, I like the direction it's heading.  Below is the link for the article: http://www.geotimes.ge/index.php?newsid=22677

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html These are absolutely amazing photos!  I'd love to post some here but can only provide the link due to copyright issues.  The photographer apparently took them with certain filters that allowed later technology to recreate them as color photos.  The whole process is explained at the site.  Anyway, it's like stepping back in time without the artificiality that black and white photos usually convey. I especially like the one of T'bilisi from above circa 1910.

http://www.economist.com/node/16847798 Great article in "The Economist" about how far Georgia has come since the Rose Revolution.

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1735965.html Click the link to read an interesting story about the plan to adopt English as the second language for all school age children in Georgia.  I admire the ambition but question whether it can be done in four years?

I put a link in the left margin under the 'Georgian' links for an interesting tour company that has a good website with lots of pictures.  In case anyone wants to check it out, the link is http://intourizm.ge/ I haven't used them but might in the future.

I'm posting this video again!  This was my favorite church (and there were so many) in the Old City of Tbilisi.  I used to sit there for hours just watching the people walk by as I took in atmosphere.  Notice the light shining on the cross at the beginning of the video.

Here is a link for a great article in National Geographic magazine on the new railroad connecting Baku (The Caspian) to Eastern Turkey (The Black Sea).  The article emphasizes economic advantages for the local populations especially the Georgians.  It also covers a bit of the history/tensions in the Caucasus and the ramifications for this particular project.  If the link doesn't work, let me know and I can send you the article. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/08/new-silk-road/forrest-text Enjoy! PS  It also has some beautiful pictures!

Today, I was at work winding down on a Friday afternoon when a stranger entered my office. He had a bag with some small gifts that he presented to me. Turns out, they were from a friend of mine in Georgia who had asked this fellow to deliver them to me when he came to the US for training. Oh how I miss that wonderful country and its generous people!

I'm a little skeptical about the age, but there are a disproportionate amount of centenarians living in Svanuri so I have no doubts she's over 100.  If I move there, maybe I can live to be that old!  See the news release below: "How long can humans live? Some elderly people shock science. Antisa Khvichava, 130, is the oldest woman in the world, according to the nation of Georgia. A spokesperson for the civil registry at the Justice Ministry in Georgia, claims that Khvichava was born on July 8, 1880 and is currently living in an isolated mountain area. Khvichava lives with her 40-year-old grandson and spent her entire life as a corn picker before retiring in 1965. While speaking to a Georgian news station, she said, “I’ve always been healthy, and I’ve worked all my life–at home and on the farm.” Though Khvichava appears fragile, she tries to be mobile and she speaks fluently in Mingrelian, the native tounge for that section of Georgia. She never learned to speak Georgi...

This website displays art by a Georgian painter living in Tbilisi. Please check it out. I promise you won't regret it. http://tebrone.blogspot.com/

Press the play button to view!!!

I wish these pictures were better.  They can't capture the artistry I saw while watching it live.

In this picture, you can see the Georgian audience.  Everyone was captivated by the performance!