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Tag: Georgia

Some quirks of the service industry in the Caucasus

When confronted by a hostel manager reluctant to discuss the price of a room but insisting on serving up tea with bread and jam, you tend to be suspicious as this is quite possibly a prelude to charging an extortionate rate, having made it awkward to  walk away after such hospitality. This was the case in Zugdidi, Georgia, but was followed by the insistence that the room was, “no good”. Could this be some reverse psychology tactic to make me…

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In praise of the boring bits of Azerbaijan

Of the three Caucasus countries, it’s Georgia which seems to be credited with a great tradition of hospitality and it is by no means unfriendly. It isn’t even in the same league however, as Azerbaijan. Many people are genuinely interested in greeting foreigners and don’t let the language chasm between us impede their generosity. Not once in Georgia did a local initiate a conversation upon making eye contact in the street, even with my habit of saying hello to all…

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Georgia: God and the Ford Transit

High up on cliff faces and on desolate hills are the caves that for centuries Georgian monks hid themselves away in to be closer to God, undisturbed by the comings and goings of everyday life and the temptations of man. These days their seclusion is rather diminished by the troops of tourists marching past in search of a slice of Georgian history, but at least it keeps the coffers full. Evidently the revenue streams of the good old days were…

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Recipe – Tqemali, Georgian Plum sauce

Tqemali is a cold accompaniment to meals when a soury tang is required (goes well with Kofte kebabs I found) and I have interpreted as best I can Mediko Gvetadze’s recipe, which she dishes up in her wonderful homestay in Kutaisi. Unlike some culinary fascists who insist on there being only one way of doing a dish she was happy to say that plums can be wholly or partially substituted with apples, red/black grapes or pomegranates and quantities can suit…

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Georgian Homestay

The old man’s face, rosy with the glow of alcoholism broke into a big smile as he saluted in greeting, then clasped his hands in a prayer like display of welcome and promptly dragged me into the cellar.  Immediately a traditional drinking horn of wine was thrust into my hands, his stream of speech easily outpacing my mental dictionary of a dozen words in Georgian, but I grasped enough to say, “English” back to him. Effusive but unintelligible praise of…

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Soul of the city – Tbilisi Georgia

Ladies and gentlemen I bring grave news from the Caucasus. Drawn by the sounds of hellish screams that any sensible person would instinctively retreat from, I turned a corner to discover the awful truth: One Direction had arrived in Georgia. Their fans were awaiting the start of their film at the cinema and displaying appreciation for their heroes in the way only teenage girls can. For those unfamiliar with this musical? phenomenon all you need to know is that their…

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