travel
-
Mtskheta: Vibrant Center of Orthodoxy in Georgia
Mtskheta stands at the confluence of two rivers, Mtkvari and Aragvi about 20 miles outside of Tbilisi. It is a UNESCO protected site and “was a site of early Christian activity resulting in the Christianisation of Iberia, where Christianity was proclaimed the state religion in 337. It remains the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Church.” (Wikipidia). The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (meaning the Cathedral of the Living Pillar) is an Orthodox Christian cathedral. It is a treasure of the Early and High Middle Ages, and is the second largest church building in Georgia. Below are two of the tombs you can find in the church. The one on the right is of Erekle II. Ten Georgian kings…
-
Making Kinkhali: Georgian Dumpling
Our friend Mari, who own the hotel we stayed at (Hotel Gomi 19 in Old Tblisi) hosts master cooking classes for groups. She offered to teach us how to make a Georgian dumpling called kinkhali since she knew our boys had really enjoyed them on our past two visits. The table was arranged and ready in the dining area for us to create them, the dough having already been prepared. The feeling can be potatoes and onions, a mix of ground beef and pork (in our case), mushrooms… they are very similar to pirogis but differ in their shape. The dough is rolled out, cut into circles (you can use…
-
Enjoying Food in the Republic of Georgia
First of all, let me preface that one of my favorite things about vacations abroad is the variety and freshness of foods as well as the act of not having to cook any meals! Today’s post is full of colorful pictures of food: one of my favorite things in the republic of Georgia is the food: the recipes are heavy with spices, walnuts and fresh ingredients. “Fast food” items are freshly baked in these little kiosks or small holes in the wall and rich in beans, cheese or sausage. Meals are a love affair and rich in traditions especially dinner: it usually will include wine and toasting. You can also…
-
Traveling to the Republic of Georgia: some Insights
I am back! We just returned on Monday from our 2 weeks in the republic of Georgia and I have quite a few blog posts planned to share our trip with you. Today, I thought I would share some insights on why we chose to return to Georgia for the 3rd time and some quirks and tips about traveling there. The pictures I am sharing in this post are of fun cat murals found in Old Tbilisi where we stayed for most of your trip. The first question I am answering is the choice of our destination. Yes, this is the 3rd time we have traveled to the republic of…
-
Centennial Park, Atlanta
During our staycation during Spring Break, the boys and I joined my college friend Staci and her family at Six Flags and the Georgia Aquarium. Before lunch, needing a little break and outside time, the boys and I walked around Centennial Park. I was surprised that I had not seen this area of the park before. We really don’t go down to Atlanta very often as we often have to deal with traffic: a 45 minute drive can take 2 hours with the right (wrong) conditions! But when we do, we always enjoy our time downtown. The iconic ferris wheel has been near Centennial Park since 2013. I actually have…
-
Sun City Neighborhood Walk
One of the things I enjoyed while visiting Jodie and Rob in Arizona was walking with them through their neighborhood. I also went on an early morning 4 mile run and ran faster than I had in a while. The land is flat and the air much dryer than Georgia. I really enjoyed seeing the variety of cacti and saw a few other quirky things. Before I forget, I saw quite a few rabbits on these walks and the most memorable bird was a green lovebird. Those rabbits were everywhere! The cacti were starting to bloom and for someone from the south, that is a beautiful sight. All of the…
-
Shopping and Fun with Friends – Arizona Edition
What a wonderful weekend in Sun City, Arizona! My weekend with Jodie was just what the doctor ordered. The last 6 months have been interesting to say the least for our household with some adjustment to what is expected of me, and it was time for a break from routine and taking care of everyone, so I could recharge. And recharge I did. All this thanks to being made welcome by Jodie and Rob. Here is a short little look into our weekend and what we did. When I arrived in Phoenix, I was surprised how chilly it was even though I knew that the weather was going to be…
-
Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, Arizona
I’ve been back from visiting Jodie (here’s her blog if you don’t know her yet) and Rob in Arizona for a few days and back in the swing of things. It was a wonderful time turning online friends into in person friends. Thank you for your hospitality and making me feel welcome! I enjoyed time with like minded people and Jodie and I were such birds of feather. And I love Arizona! I had visited twice before, once on a visit to Sedona in my late teens, and again a couple of years ago for my brother’s wedding in Scottsdale. I’ve always love cacti, so visiting the botanical gardens was…
-
How to pack for a 3 day trip in a backpack
Since several of my blogger friends thought it would be difficult to pack for 3 days/2 night in a backpack, I decided to share what I am packing and how for today’s post. I will be traveling to Arizona next week and will visit with Jodie. We will be taking 2 sets of blog pictures as well as have dinner out and I plan to run once or twice. So needless to say, I need a variety of clothes and shoes, as well as a possible bag to bring back some things. My travel outfit on the way there is the one I shared in this recent post. The Bags…
-
Tellus Science Museum
The Tellus Science Museum was more of a destination for us when the children were younger and it had been at least a couple of years since we had visited it. The museum had several permanent exhibits including a mineral exhibit, a fossil exhibit and a flight and space exhibit. It also has visiting exhibits which right now include a interactive sportsology exhibit, an amber exhibit and opening soon, a patents: the engine of inventions exhibit. The Transportation and flight and space exhibit I walked quickly through the section about the history of cars (read all of the signs too many times before, but I did enjoy revisiting the flight…