Daily Archives: October 14, 2011

Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba

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The tall person told me that today is a public holiday in Georgia. It is called Mtskhetoba-Svetitskhovloba. Mtskheta was the capital of Georgia before Tbilisi and Svetitskhovloba is its cathedral. The holiday celebrates the founding of the cathedral, which was built on the grave of a woman called Sidonia who was buried with part of Jesus’ robe. It is one of the holiest places in Georgia and ten of Georgia’s kings are buried there.

Many people practice a ten-hour fast before having a large traditional meal in the early evening. We didn’t have a fast in our house but we did have a traditional barbecue feast.

You will see from the picture that I waited (im)patiently for the meat to cook!

I can confirm that it was worth the wait.

Happy holiday!

Nothing is wasted

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If you walked the streets of my neighborhood you would see seats and benches outside people’s houses. Few people have air conditioning so people prefer to sit outside under the cool shade of vines or trees and chat with neighbors as their children play in the street.

On my morning walk I came across this bench positioned under a canopy of vines and backdrop of ivy. If you look closely you will see that it has wheels! I was concerned that it could roll down the steep hill but the tall person told me that it is a great example of Georgian ingenuity. The owner had some wheels and used them to support the bench. Almost everything in Georgia is re-cycled. Nothing is wasted. The tall person says it makes everything unique and special.

I agree. I see so many wonderful things on my walks. Do you remember this picture of a truck door from a previous post? It is used as a gate in a fence. Marvelous!