Experiencing Armenia once more

This is a re-post of my recent Armenian trip - a youth training on entrepreneurship and creativity, "Dreamdoland".

Despite the unpredictable March weather, a group of young people gathered to explore Yerevan and learn some more about entrepreneurship and creativity. We have come from Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Russia, Spain and Georgia, and settled in the famous Chess Academy for a week of adventure. Let the fun begin!

 

Here we are - three days in Yerevan, and already learned quite a bit about each other, about the local people and the way they see entrepreneurship (and almost learned how to spell this word, too!). Goal of the week almost reached, some would say - but lets see what is coming next, cause who knows, maybe it is just like with the Caucasian table, which gets better and better with each course?

On the first day of the program we had a chance to see the city and interact with people. Divided into groups, we got a list of tasks for the day: to interview a business owner, to talk to people on the street, to exchange a pen to something more valuable (this one sounded crazy in the beginning!). Wet snow decided to fall exactly that afternoon - but it appears it can be possible to have a good time out even in this weather! No news for the northerners, but quite unusual in the South.

Lady working in the metro was not pleased to see a camera

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The first surprise came in metro - after being helped to orient on a platform by a kind lady, we later saw her running towards the wagon waving her hands - "No photo! No photo!" It appears, taking photos is not allowed in metro, near police or politicians. Also, some supermarkets will ask you to delete any photos you've taken there, and it seems that many business people we interviewed also didn't want their photos to be put online.

Getting inspiration at a children store

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Once we got to the center, each group got one street to explore and to make interviews. We visited many small shops, but it wasn't always easy to find the owner himself there. However, most of the groups were kindly surprised, when business owners and managers willingly shared their time with us. One of them even left a meeting to give us interview! It seems, people like to talk about their experience and communicate with foreigners. But we noticed some 'taboo' topics as well - some of them didn't want to talk about how much taxes they have to pay, or to mention anything connected to their boss. Just like one of the groups said during their presentation - it seems that people wanted to tell even more than they did. Even so, from these conversations we could learn quite much about daily life of a business person in Armenia.

Making friends with a bull in front of the cinema

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One of the most interesting questions of these interviews was to learn what somebody needs to start a business in Armenia. And even though we had five groups, who interviewed completely different people, the result was so similar! It seems, to put your ideas into action and get profit from it in Armenia, you need to have some $$$$ (that won't disturb starting business anywhere!..). But also you need support from the government - or at least to have somebody (uncle, cousin, friend...) who has good relationship with the authorities. It is interesting that many people rely on it a lot - on personal relations, good contacts, networks... Just like a lonely wolf dies without a pack, you cannot make a business in Armenia alone.

Over-excited at a fancy Arabic restaurant!

And finally, we all managed to exchange the pens! I honestly don't know, how much of it was our negotiation skills, and how much - simply kind heart and hospitality of Armenians. We easily convinced to trade those small plastic sticks to things like strawberry tea, memory sticks, souvenir cup and plate, traditional necklace and other warm reminders from this day. Just like Kyle MacDonald, a Canadian blogger who traded his way from a single red paperclip to a house in one year, we managed to achieve something that seemed absolutely crazy and impossible in the beginning, and try one step of actually making business. 

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We're going for a picnic!

Georgia is not rich in lakes - that was unfortunate comparison with Lithuania, where half an hour by car is max time needed - and you already dive into a cool fresh water on a hot summer day.

Yet - yet! - nostalgia does not last long, and then you look around for local treasures. Last weekend I went for a picnic outside the city. Just half an hour drive, and we were among trees and fields, breathing in with full lungs the fresh air. It appears, in the outskirts of Tbilisi there are many open - air fireplaces, ready and waiting for picnic'ers (I'm pretty sure it's not a real word. But bear with me) to come and enjoy. In the place where I was, we even found barbeque sticks tied in a tree, ready for anyone to use. That's what I call barbeque culture!

Tables for picnics are arranged everywhere - e.g. near ancient fortresses and towers

Fun fact about Georgia is that if you find a secluded place and you think you're alone, it doesn't mean it will last for long. If someone finds it and likes it as well, they won't mind that you're just a few meters away, and the aroma of their mtsvadi will mix in the air with yours very soon. The more, the merrier - that is definitely a valid motto here!

Covered from the road by trees - it was a perfect place for improvised barbeque

This fortress is near Tbilisi; it takes some time and effort to hike up there....but if you have a powerful jeep, you can simply get up there with all picnic equipment - that's what we saw when we finally got there, a small piglet roasting on fire and supra at its peak!

One of the most impressive sausages I have ever seen - all in one! Found while shopping for a picnic, more than a year ago.

First snowboarding experience/Pirmąkart ant snieglentės

"Do not try to slide into a tree or anything like that... it just won't work". <...> "If you want to have sore muscles or look like a moron - sure, go ahead, use your arms for turning." Such and more "youtube" advice followed me this weekend, on my first snowboarding trip. Here in Georgia winter sports are very popular (and easy to practice). You just get into car/marshrutka/taxi/plane - depending on your social status, wallet depth, destination and will for comfort. Oh sorry - will for comfort is quite a commonality here in Georgia, so just consider your abilities and get ready.

"Nebandykit stabdyti čiuoždami į medį ar dar ką nors... tokie metodai neveikia" <...>; "Jei norit skaudančių raumenų ir atrodyt kaip avinai - pirmyn, naudokitės rankomis posūkiuose". Tokie ir panašūs "youtube" pamokų patarimai mane išlydėjo į pirmąjį nuotykį su snieglente šį savaitgalį. Čia Gruzijoje žiemos sportu užsiimėti labai populiaru - ir lengva. Tereikia įšokti į mašiną/mikriuką/taksi/lėktuvą - priklausomai nuo jųsų statuso, piniginės gylio, vietos kur važiuojate ir komforto troškimo. Nors tiesa - komforto čia Gruzijoje nori visi, tad geriau tiesiog pasverti galimybes ir pasiruošti įdomiam savaitgaliui. 

There are 4 winter resorts: Gudauri (up to 3 hours from Tbilisi; pretty steep hills; a bit expensive,but it's not necessary to stay overnight), Mestia (new and very far away, in the West-North mountains; president goes there), Bakuriani (kind of family place, beginner-friendly, but could work for more advanced skiers/snowboarders too. 4-5 hour drive, so you'll definitely need to stay there overnight) and - Betania.

Gruzijoje yra keturi žiemos kurortai: Gudauris (apie 3 val kelio nuo Tbilisio; gana statūs šlaitai; šiek tiek brangėlesnis, bet norint sutaupyti nebūtina apsistoti ten pernakt), Mestija (naujas kurortas toli šalies šiaurės-vakaruose; čia ir gali prireikti lėktuvo - prezidentas ten dažnai keliauja, kiek rodo TV), Bakuriani (šeimyniškas kurortas, tinkantis ir pradedantiesiems, ir labiau patyrusiems slidininkams/snieglentininkams. Apie 4-5val kelio nuo Tbilisio, tad greičiausiai teks apsistoti čia bent vienai nakčiai), ir galiausiai - Betanija.

The last one is where I went. It is practically on the outskirts of Tbilisi, very comfortable for one day trip. The place is usually full of families with kids, and beginning skiers and snowboarders (the so called "chainiks", as I was explained). Which is great, cause when you fall, you know you're not the only one.

Į paskutinįjį aš ir keliavau savęs išbandyti. Betanija yra praktiškai Tbilisio užmiestyje, tad labai patogu ten nuvažiuoti kad ir popietei praleisti. Kaip supratau, dažniausiai čia pilna šeimų su vaikais, taip pat pradedančiųjų slidininkų ir snieglentininkų (vadinamų "čainikais", kaip man buvo paaiškinta:). Ir tai tikrai puiku, nes ritantis nuo tos kalvos žemyn niekas nesijaučia vienišas - aplinkui daug tokių, bandančių išmokti išlaikyti pusiausvyrą ant sniego. 

We rented our snowboards in the city - and that was very smart, cause we didn't need to queue for them at the place. And also we could get it cheaper for a better choice: 20 GEL per day for one snowboard + special boots, quite good deal.

Savo snieglentes nuomavomės mieste - ir labai gerai padarėme, nes atvažiavus nereikėjo stovėti ilgėliausių eilių prie nuomos punkto (kur neaišku kas bebuvo likę). O išvakarėse pavyko visai neblogai susitarti: dvidešimt larių (apie trisdešimt litų) dienai už snieglentę ir specialius batus. Su pritvirtinimais ir palinkėjimais. 
 
I was pretty excited to get on the board - but fun thing was, our taxi drivers were just as excited for us! When one of them sent radio-greetings on the second day morning, I started thinking that it was totally worth it. It seems, skiing is quite usual in Georgia, and snowboarding arouses much more emotions.

Važiuodama nekantravau pirmą kartą užlipti ant snieglentės - bet įdomiausia, ir gan netikėta, kad mūsų taksi vairuotojai džiūgavo ne ką mažiau:) Kai antros dienos rytą gavome linkėjimų per taksi radiją nuo vakarykščio vairuotojo, pagalvojau, kad visai verta buvo. Panašu,kad slidinėjimas Gruzijoj įprastas ir nieko nenustebins, bet snieglentės sukelia kur kas daugiau emocijų. 

And for the end - how it all looks like. Oh well.... I guess in the beginning it goes pretty much like this:
Ir galiausiai - kaip visa tai atrodė iš tiesų. Hmmm..... pradžioje turbūt ėjosi maždaug šitaip:

No, I didn't try to jump. And I didn't fall THAT painfully. But I did fall... a lot...And it all felt like "oh my, oh my, Im going down the hill, and it's all so fast, NOW WHAT SHOULD I DOOOOO, STOOOOP!!!!" :)

Ne, aš šokinėti per tramplinus nebandžiau. Ir nekritau TAIP skausmingai. Bet tiesa, teko kristi.... ir ganėtinai nemažai...ir jausmas tai buvo maždaug "o varge, o varge, leidžiuosi žemyn, o koks greitis, O KĄ DABAR DARYYYYT??? KAIP SUSTOOOOOOOT???" :)

But luckily, the second day was much better from the start. I guess the whole body somehow adapts to the snowboard and starts to feel it - so hopefully, little by little advancing, snowboarding will become pure enjoyment.

Bet visa laimė, antra diena prasidėjo žymiai ramiau ir užtikrinčiau - tikriausiai kūnas tiesiog prisitaikė prie snieglentės, pasidarė lengiau jausti ir kontroliuoti savo judesius, išlaikyti pusiausvyrą - tad tikiuosi, pamažu tobulėjant snieglentė taps gyvenimo būdo dalis, kuria bus galima tiesiog mėgautis. 

Italy, the Royal North

Four days to visit Italy is surely not enough. Anyone who has been there could say that - after all, Italians filled the most of UNESCO heritage list, so there is what to see there. It seems that you just need to pick a spot and there will be some ancient (or modern) invaluable sight/place/attraction//legendary/must see. And you can't just run through it - it is Italy, which you should enjoy. Maybe with a cup of coffee, which has a terribly long name, but tastes so delicious.... and their famous bakeries.... on a bench or outside cafe.... Or just walking down the curvy streets and getting lost in the old towns.... and getting your stomach ready for aperitivo....

Moncalieri - a cozy suburb of Turin. Here is a university where lots of Italian princes got educated (and left lots of portraits on the walls!...)

That was my idea when I was getting ready to visit Turin - former capital of Italy, still maintaining its royal pride which kind of balances the industrialism of the city. It is not very touristic. And probably not the place you would fall in love right away. Turin is a city which you should discover, which shows its face little by little, after taming it. To be honest, I didn't like it much the first day, and it felt strange - after Rome, Venice, Pisa, Verona, this place looked so different, as some kind of other Italy. And yet it has its own style, its own spirit. Locals drive bicycles or tiny little cars, which they park in the middle of the street - in between of tram lines. They eat fast food for lunch and take a "shot" of espresso for 1 EUR standing - prices are higher if you want to sit down. They don't go to cafes in the afternoon - most of them are closed till evening, when 'aperitivo' time starts. And then you can join for evening socializing: just pay ~7 EUR for any kind of drink (water, beer, or fancy cocktail - all the same) and eat as much as you want. We did that :)) if you know a good place, your stomach will be thankful for whole evening, and walled won't get too empty. Such aperitivo places are all over the city, and I guess that's what makes Turin such a lively place in the evenings.

One of numerous Turin's piazzas

As I mentioned, Turin is not very touristic. Before Winter Olympics 2006 it was even more quite. But if you happen to be around, you could get surprised - three days were surely not enough for me to see all I wanted, and I worked hard to keep balance between running and relaxing.

One of the "must see" places is Egyptian Museum, said to be the second after Cairo. Lucky Italians, their archeologists started excavations in Egypt among the first, and now they have an amazing collection of ancient tombs, pharaohs and gods, and mummies, and papyrus, which depicts sometimes funny, and sometimes even very erotic scenes. Time spent there: 2-3 hours; worth it? - totally.

around 2000 years old shoes....

Pharaohs and gods

Another place worth visiting is the Cinema Museum.A huge building where you can get so close to movie making: starting from history of video; famous 20th century directors, actors and films gallery; and finally - movies themselves, or at least their excerpts...... you can watch them in the laboratory, flowery living room, Western saloon, in refrigerator or spaceship...... or just half-lye on a comfy couch and focus on a huge screen on the wall. Impressive place, where 2 hours were not enough. Especially if you choose to take a lift on the roof and have a look to Turin from above.

Movies on the right, movies on the left!

Also, Turin is a royal city. And has a royal palace. And when I say royal, I mean gold and wealth, which fills every corner of every room. I was getting more and more amazed as I was walking from one room to another, reading about the lifestyle of those times (17th - 19th centuries) and imagining how it could have looked like then.  It overlooks the center of Turin and the Cathedral, where the Shroud of Turin is kept.

View from the palace yard

This is a highly illegal photo taken at the royal dining room

Highly illegal photo 2. Dancing hall.

All in all - Turin is a place worth visiting; and worth staying longer than 1-2 days. You have to prepare that cafes close at 3pm and till evening you'll only get fast food; and that what is written is not always true, esp.if it's about working hours; and that if you will go out for a real Italian dinner your stomach will be thanking you for weeks; and if you will take time to stop and look around, you will discover Italy far from the one in postcards, but no less charming.

Mountain roads

...Tas nepakartojamas jausmas, kai naktį kalnuose mikroautobusiukas išvažiuoja į priešingą eismo juostą posūkyje, o aplinkui tik žvaigždės ir juodos medžių viršūnės.
Tik tiek, kitų mašinų nėra, jas išduotų šviesos, bet virpuliukas vis tiek išlieka: "Kažin, kiek dar tų posūkių?.."


...That unique feeling, when at night in the mountains minibus goes to another lane while turning, and there is nothing around only stars and black peaks of the trees. That is all, there are no other cars - they would be visible, their lights would betray them, but the thrill remains: "I wonder, how many turns left?.."

Grapes, ice and working philosophy

Last weekend I went grape picking - for the first time ever. And I can say now really honestly - I like this work! Because - it is like 10x easier than all the works in my Lithuanian village (digging potatoes, bringing in hay... ufff, I can still feel my back!); because you can eat as many grapes as you can handle - and they surely taste much better straight from the tree; and because of relaxed working philosophy that Georgians seem to have. It was a not very big vineyard, so for 5-6 workers it would take ~1hour, max 2 to pick them all. If all had ladders, and buckets, and were in the mood of some hard labor.
Naturally, it wasn't the case. But we had a guitar. And we prepared barbecue. And ate grapes. And watched how the men are making vine. And then drank the one from last year.

About vine making - somehow everyone imagines it the way it's shown in the movies or some old paintings, or super-traditional festivals: people taking of shoes, or putting on rubber-ones, jumping into a wooden barrel and squeezing grapes with their feet, while music plays in the background... Weeelll, it is just not true. Now humankind has machines for everything - grape squeezing as well. It is faster, cleaner and much easier this way - and all you have to do is watch. Then they leave the juice for some time in the barrel; poor it into another barrel; and just wait for it to become alcoholic. You should just know when to stop waiting, or otherwise you will get chacha instead of vine.

And on top of this instructive afternoon - I learned what you do if you get into hail on the way home!... You panic - but just a little bit. Then you pull over, try to find some shelter - trees, or even higher bushes will do if there is nothing better.... And if the car is still out, you undress and put your clothes on it! That is how you love your car - and we hope some day it will pay us back for it...

Have I been to Azerbaijan? David Gareja.

Traveling around Georgia is always surprising - and this weekend proved to be one more occasion. I have heard a lot about David Gareja, a 'monastery in a desert', and seen photos of it. But it's nothing like the real experience.
We organized this trip with several friends, rented out a minibus (a very comfortable and extremely cheap means of travel! It can cost ~150 GEL, which is nothing if you are 8-12 people) and after 1,5 hours drive reached the hills of David Gareja. The areas around drew emptier with each kilometer, and towards the end of journey one was surrounded by a vast space, almost uninhabited, with wind brushing freely through the low bushes and wide fields of golden grass. It was not the desert that I imagined (you know, sand, no plants, no life) - but certainly could be used for movies about the Wild West, when colonizers were only settling in America. Probably they had the same sense of freedom in those spaces, where there is no living creature around, as far as you can see.

The monastery itself appeared to be a very special place too. Founded in the 6th century, it developed over hundreds of years into a huge complex, stretched over 11 km (or more?), part of which is in the territory of Azerbaijan now. It was not an accident that these monasteries appeared in such a desolated place - harsh environment pleased the monks, who wanted to isolate themselves from worldly distractions. I mostly liked the legend about the spring of water called "David's tears" - I was told that the spring appeared miraculously, after st.David Garejeli was praying for several days from all his heart. It is now the only spring of drinkable water there. Monks were (are?) also collecting rain water - there are beds cut in stone for it to run in deep holes downhill.
When you look around inside, it is hard to imagine how monks could live there, in cells of stone. And yet, next to more modern parts of buildings, there are numerous caves, some of which seem inhabited. They are not very big, carved alongside the hills, and sometimes separated by low walls from the curious tourists. It doesn't always stop them :) I saw one monk trying to get several teenagers-explorers go down, they were climbing up the stone slopes straight to monk cells! :)

They say, visiting David Gareja three times equals going once to Jerusalem

I was surprised to discover that monks have solar batteries

 

Some parts of the monastery are more modern

But that was where adventure just started - to see the whole beauty, you must go hiking over the hill to Azerbaijan border! It is good to train or exercise a little before this trip, but even my lazy muscles handled it. We asked a month the way and started climbing, up and up the winding path. There are usually some more people on this path, so no chances to get lost. But - there are chances to fall and break your leg. Even worse - to fall to Azerbaijan and become illegal injured person!
It is interesting how the two countries divided this place. It seems Georgians were offering some other territories to Azerbaijan, in exchange to surroundings of David Gareja, but Azeris refused. For one, they don't want to loose the hills around, which they think are strategic for defense (in case Georgians would think of smth nasty). But another reason is even more interesting - it appeared this territory was home to ancient Albanians (I am not sure if they have anything to do with nowadays Albania....), whom Azeris claim to be their ancestors. When you think about it, it is natural, that Azerbaijan would not give up their 'ancient lands' so easily. The ethnic mix up of the Caucasus......

When you climb up the hill and reach the peak of it, you have to go a little down on the other side to reach another part of the monastery (or - another monastery, as several of them were founded just next to each other). The path goes around, encircling both parts, so you don't have to return the same way. Which is a good thing - even though the views are impressive, it is so steep and dangerous to walk there! There are no safety measures, no fence, no rope, only metal sticks, which probably were connected by some rope some time ago. Now they mainly mark the path, so you would be sure where to go. There were some scary moments up there, especially when there was slippery sand on the path, or strong wind pushed us harder.

But it was SO worth it! The caves on the other side continue through the whole hill-side, and some of them have frescoes from 11-13 century! It is amazing touch of history, which you can feel so personally, so intimately, without museum glass. Even though with a little thrill of danger.

The path along Georgia-Azerbaijan border

Frescoes outside the ancient church

One of the main parts of David Gareja monastery complex, facing Azerbaijan. Georgia is just on the other side of it!

Summer - out of the - city

Listening to Joe Cocker and thinking about this summer I realized how romanticized is this idea of spending the hot days on the concrete. Yes. It has its own charm - being one of the few residents in your city, feeling as if you owned it, while walking half-empty streets.You can slow down your pace and enjoy the space, usually filled with all the hustle-and-bustle.

Yeah.... but really, when the thermometer jumps over 30 (or over 40!!!), I can honestly admit - the only thing I can think about is how to GET OUT somewhere where it's green and fresh, and shady, and you can drink something nice and cool, in the breaks between swimming in the cool water..... mmm...

This year I actually had a chance to escape a little bit. There was no water - but there was green and fresh,and cool too. I went to Bakuriani, a Georgian skiing resort. The main noise raises there in winter, when everyone comes for skiing - but in summer it is a perfect place for families with small kids; and for summer schools, conferences, trainings and seminars. As I don't have small kids, I went there for a summer school. That didn't give me much time to discover all that is to be seen there, but only to get to a place where it's 10 degrees cooler than in Tbilisi (i.e.,~27:)!!!.... it was amazing - I wanted to sleep all the time (because I finally could!), and go for a walks around the village, to breath the air of pine trees... The only drawback is that in such places there is really not much to do. There was only one bar open in summer time, and I didn't have enough time to ride horses (and courage too, actually..). So making circles around the village (that is, ~5 km on foot in a fine circle), buying ice-cream in small local shops or hanging around our hotel (which was once grand, and didn't change much since then:) took all my free time. I managed, though, to get into shoes of many people who decide to spend their holidays with a family somewhere in the mountains. To put it in one sentence: very quiet, very fresh, slow - and takes some imagination to find entertainment for oneself.

For P.S. - sharing a few views of the place:

Bakuriani in winter. Taken from here

....aaaand this is the place in summer:

If you stand in the middle of the valley you can see similar views 360 degrees around. Taken from here.

Tribute to the sights of Georgia. Churches.

They say in Georgia there is very beautiful nature, good wine, hospitable people... but when you come here, you will definitely be told about its ancient history (which is quite impressive when you compare what they were doing here, when Baltic tribes were just cutting forests to make some space in the North!:) One thing you will surely hear is that Georgia has been the stronghold of Christianity for centuries. No wonder it is so important here: surrounded by Persian and Ottoman empires Georgians had to fight for survival - and thus Christianity became one of the core features of Georgian identity.

I was surprised to see people on the bus and in the street making a sign of cross when they pass the church. And I was really shocked when I saw a group of teenagers coming from a football game to quit their conversation, line up in front of a monastery, make sign of cross and continue their way. Would you see that in Lithuania? Or in Western Europe?

But this entry is not about religiosity. It is about religious sights - beautiful ancient (and newly built) churches, of a distinguished style, buried saints inside them, some of them - with monasteries, with peace and quite around. If you are a tourist in Georgia, you just simply won't have a chance to miss it, as it is the first sight where all tourist info booklets and offices and local advisers will lead you. Bellow - sharing some impressions of mine.

A church in the mountains of Kartli (?), not far from Gori. I should ask to remind more information about it, but this sight stuck in my memory, like a separate world, where nothing bad happens.

There is a Bethlehem quarter in old Tbilisi, where you can make the whole circle up and down the hill, passing little private yards, curving streets, stairs and several churches. This is one of them - with pretty nice view from it.

Metekhi church. One of the highlights of Tbilisi. Here it is already lit for the night, and is well visible from another side of the river Mtkvari (yes yes, 4 syllables!..) There is kind David the Builder standing in front of it, reminding of the legend how Tbilisi was built.

This is the old Jvari up on the hill (hah, would be a mountain for any proper Lithuanian!), near Mtskheta, old capital of Georgia. To this shrine many people come not only for praying, but also for enjoying the views of the valleys around.

These are the views I just mentioned. Pretty enjoyable, huh?! Down there you can see Mtskheta, the old capital town, with one of the oldest and the biggest churches - Svetitskhoveli. Despite the unpronouncable name, it is really beautiful.

St. Nino's monastery, near Sighnaghi, in the Eastern Georgia Kakheti region. So far this is my favorite monastery, as there is such a peaceful atmosphere in there, you can feel it in the air. There is also a holy spring here.

Ananuri church. I am not sure if it works now, although it is open sometimes. It is on the way from Tbilisi to mountain resorts, and all the time passing it I'm thinking that there is something not done here, not finished. This amazing fortress and church is a picturesque place could be such an attraction for people - but there is not much else developed around (only a few kiosks for folk arts and souvenirs + you can make a photo with Georgian shepherd's clothes!:) So, any ideas, anybody?

That is how it looks form inside. Picture a bit blurry, but shows the style of the icons - and the altar is behind this wall.

The list appeared almost chronological, as this is church is actually new. No over-modern glass and bricks thing - Georgians kept their old style of building churches for their new Cathedral. There are no fresco there yet, as some time must pass until one can paint it. But the grandness (it is the biggest church in Georgia now!) and the surroundings are impressive - recommend not to miss it if you are to visit Tbilisi. 

 

Tribute to Munich

What is the best and the worst time for travelling? Yes. New Year holidays. The best - because you get to spend holidays in a new place and meet New Year differently, it promises excitement, adventure and full camera of pics that are not "just another party". The worst…. Because in fact you don't get to see that much - everything is closed on 31st, 1st and sometimes even more; tickets are getting expensive as many people are traveling at this time; and because of that fact, the popular destinations are so crowded with tourists.

I already added a note about the very New Year night and our adventurous escape from getting hit by fireworks. And the warm welcoming atmosphere of Hard Rock Café, which I like even more since then. But Munich is much more than that. So lets take a look (from the NY traveler point of view...) at several moments that stuck most in my memory after visiting this city. I will skip the beautiful old town, with a Gothic church-like town hall and historical sights, as well as at least two worth-seeing castles: the former - cause everyone who goes to Munich will see the old-town anyway; and the later - because I didn't have a chance to visit them myself, due to this lucky and unlucky timing.

Beer? Yes! That is definitely one of the main attractions for tourists and the biggest joys of the locals. Places like HB (Hofbrauhaus), Augustiner and other beer restaurants, pubs and bars are full of noise and people and laughter, and of course, beer. Imagine a huge hall with big long tables, local orchestra competing with the singing of Italian tourists, newly-comers mixing around looking for empty places and somehow getting into a common mood of this whole big party - like a small version of Oktoberfest! It is worth to wait for it and fight for your table a little if you have to, to be a part of it. 

After filling an empty stomach one should not forget the higher needs as well, for Munich galleries have quite worthy collections (and audio-guide comes for free). Rubens, Rembrandt, Durer, Rafael, few pieces of Picasso and young Da Vinci; Monet and Van Gogh - and I didn't even visit the modern art building. To learn from others' mistakes, it is advisable to leave at least two hours for each museum, though even that might keep you on tight schedule.

To get to all these places one can use tram, bus or subway. I never particularly liked using a subway in new places, although this time it was the most convenient way. Not because they are fast; or that you can meet all kinds of people there - these are the nice parts. But during this smooth  travel one don't get any sense of a city - neither how big it is, nor what kind of neighbourhoods it has, cause all you can see is the darkness outside the window. So one evening we decided to take the long way and make a tram-tour towards the center. Yupee! that was worth it :) although we started the trip in the evening (long sleeping skills and vacation regime added to that..), it appeared that Munich is not at all that small, and the friendly districts that we were passing looked so calm and safe, cozily covered in snow. That's when it became clear, a word for Munich undoubtedly would be - comfort.

Tribute to Warsaw

After telling that you are going to Warsaw, you will often hear the reaction: "oh. Warsaw." As if "yes, I know that city… Is that really a tourist destination?.." And as a proper Lithuanian, I always shared the same view, based on several glimpses through the bus window when passing it by. But once I decided to get off and really see the city. Surprisingly, it CAN be a tourist destination, though I strongly recommend to visit it in warmer weather.

Honest truth - it is always easier to criticize things. Even easier - to criticize things you know nothing about. Maybe that's why I felt such an ignorant nationalist walking on the curved old-town streets. Indeed before coming I had an image of gray, modern Warsaw, with a tiny old-town (cause you know, it was destroyed during the WWII, and imagination just refused to see it restored), a lot of traffic and…well, basically this is it. In my (proper Lithuanian's) defense, Warsaw is known to be a bureaucratic and political center, while Krakow - something worth seeing. And yet, Poland's capital surprised me.

Surprised with its big and neatly restored old-town, which in cold day as it was (could have been -10 degrees) took a while to walk around.

Surprised with some interesting interpretation of…. Well I haven't figured out yet of what :) But it seemed interesting next to the same height Christmas tree nearby.

Surprised with seemingly very convenient transportation system.


Surprised with a free Chopin museum on Tuesdays (traveler's tip - you must book your entrance pass on this day, cause they have a visitors limit for each hour. Otherwise you might end waiting for several hours to get in or… not seeing it at all).

 
The number of churches didn't surprise at all - and not because I was in Poland, but also because I come from Lithuania. Nonetheless, they seemed beautiful.

Surprised with groups of tourists, who seemed not afraid of the cold and marched the streets with their big cameras.


Surprised with European prices (that is - really high ones! Was it the old town tariffs or just the wrong pick… but most likely, our neighbours don't live that cheaply in their capital. Funny thing, when you know that Lithuanians are going to Poland across the border for cheaper shopping!).


Summary in 3 sentences:
During one day in Warsaw it is possible to see the old-town, one museum (if you are lucky), enjoy a couple of meals, getting to know Polish cuisine (and American too!) and get an overall impression of the city.
You will see much more in summer, cause winters are pretty cold here, and that forces a tourist to find inside-shelters all along the way (brrrrr:).
Though Warsaw still seems more like an industrial city, political centre and only then touristic destination, it is worth to get off the bus once and see it for yourself.

Surviving New Year

Some believe the end of the world is going to come in 2012. After yesterday I think it might be similar to New Year's Eve. Just think: the drunk euphoria, the madness of the crowd, the explosions of fireworks, people running to all directions few minutes before midnight...
No, I had a fun evening - after that. But witnessing NY in Munich was something of an experience!

At all times people wanted 'bread and games'; Romans had their somewhat cruel circus; a hundred years ago or even earlier colorful carnivals were already being celebrated where wives "were not allowed to be jealous"; now - you name it, everyday might turn to a festival, sometimes smaller, sometimes bigger. Occasions like NY occurred as one of these all-including moments of madness, or steam-blowing, or however you call it. Giving all yourself to the celebration, taking it all from this one night - as if it was the last one.

Just why it looks so different with sober mind...

"Man Power" talks for itself...