We have had a great time in Georgia, right from crossing the border. It was “Welcome, can we take a picture?”, none of this “You need to get out and we want to see if you are carrying radioactive material or drugs or we need to search your first aid kits”. No need to even get out of the car. “We can process your documents from your car. Welcome to Georgia”.
The wines are good. Saperavi grows on you and is better than anything east of here in Asia. We have been gradually increasing the price of our bottles and have continued to be rewarded.
The countryside abounds in produce at this time of the year; melons of all descriptions, tomatoes and the ubiquitous cucumber, fruits, especially stone fruits, plus a processed fruit concoction and nuts, especially walnuts, which can go with everything as a paste or lightly ground. Grapes are everywhere and look good on the rich soil here which is well served by waters from the Lesser and Greater Caucuses. We had a very pleasant lunch beneath walnut trees on the way from Tbilisi to Kazbegi.
Georgia has its own history back at least 5000 years, it has its own unique language and script, and its people have been fighting for 2000 years for freedom and independence, have never invaded anyone but seem to possess land that everyone else wants to possess.
We like it enormously; we have found the hospitality overwhelming and the culture and emotions deep and true. They are all Georgian first and foremost and will always be.
Georgian tea used to compete with Ceylonese tea, with substantial production and worldwide distribution. The advent of the USSR presumably destroyed that industry. Is that the case?
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