It was a relatively smooth travel day from Tashkent to Tbilisi, Georgia, yesterday. Our 8:05 AM Uzbekistan Airways 3-hour flight departed on time, and only high winds caused a bit of turbulence as we descended into the airport. After sorting out our rental car, we, of course, stopped at McDonald’s for lunch. We started to notice that there are many dogs roaming the city, including the McDonald’s parking lot. They must be sanctioned by city officials because they have yellow ear tags and are generally docile. There was a dog house in the parking lot, and they must survive on a combination of handouts from the general public and either the city or citizens adopting to feed them.
The countryside, including the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains are beautiful! There are patches of snow and ice on the ground that make it even more scenic. We dropped our bags off at the hotel and went to the Galeria Tbilisi to buy socks and underwear for our son Oliver. We want to take care of our middle son and because he is studying in Wisconsin and so far away, we are devoting much of the Winter Break with supporting him. I just love spending time with him! It is great to have another male in the house again.
In the afternoon I went for a walk across the Kura River to see the Metekhi Church of the Nativity and the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. I am fascinated with the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Mostly because Georgia and neighboring Armenia are Christian nations on the edge of the Islamic sphere. Why did they convert to and maintain practicing Christianity in this part of the world? Orthodox Churches more so than Catholic Churches, inspire that sense of beauty and awe upon entering. The high domes, the gilded icons, the smell of incense, and monotone singing in the background raise that sense of the sublime and the power of God into one’s consciousness. It was very peaceful and awesome in the true sense of the word (inspiring awe). I like going to Christian churches as well because it reminds me of my parents and my childhood, being raised in a Catholic family.
The highlight of our first day in Tbilisi was dinner at Ambrosiano Restaurant. We had such a good meal it inspired me to write a review on Google and TripAdvisor. “A delightful meal and some of the best ravioli I have ever eaten! A 10/10 rating from our family. The restaurant is in a converted apartment from the Soviet era and has a cozy, elegant atmosphere. The restaurant was fully booked, but the maître ‘d found us a table in the foyer. Delicious red sauce, pasta cooked to perfection, and the prosciutto pizza was divine. To top it off, the house red wines (Saperavi and Qindzmarauli) were smooth and complex. I highly recommend it, make reservations, it is quite busy.”
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