Georgia (111): Arrival at Tbilisi

Today we crossed the border into Georgia, my 111th country. Like most border crossings in the former Soviet Union, this one involved physically walking across the actual border carrying all your bags. We said goodbye to our guide and driver from Azerbaijan, crossed the border, and then said hello to our new driver and guide. We drove to a beautiful church from the 15th century. Inside were frescos which have never been restored. It was remarkable how well-preserved they were considering their age.

After the church, we had our first experience with Georgian food, which I can already tell I will enjoy much more than than the food in Azerbaijan. Most notable was a kind of cheese bread they have. SO good!!! At lunch, we had a performance of folk music, and afterwards we had a wine tasting of a local wine.

After lunch, we drove to Signagi, which was a quaint town overlooking a gorgeous green valley. The town had narrow streets and richly carved balconies. It was a cute little village.

We left Signagi and drove the rest of the way to Tbilisi and checked into our hotel for the next three nights. The rest of the evening was on our own, and I decided to try to catch up on some much needed sleep so I will be ready for tomorrow's exploration of Tbilisi, which is the capital of Georgia and has a population of 1.5 million.