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Ancient Fortress and Kvevri Making

Thursday, 25 June, 2015

Our first stop today after Brekkie was a large fortress castle/village called Akhaltsikhe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhaltsikhe

Our tour blurb plus entry ticket.
Outside the castle

Vineyard within the castle

We meet our guide and it is indicated that there will be a lot of climbing and walking so I opt out of the tour part. The following photos are taken on the tour by Julie so I cannot offer much commentary again. In the mean time I sit on a rock outside the gift shop. The nice lady there offers me a chair which I gratefully accept.

The Group heading off with the guide

Jan and Janet

Eventually, Mariam suggests that the troops are coming soon and I should go into our restaurant. It is a modern place and I order a coke. It is actually quite a long wait until they arrive but all is OK. Lunch time.

Beans in bread
Fruit. JV loves it
The lunch group

We then depart in the bus to go to a Kvevri maker.

This looks promising
The Kvevri maker in action
Outside the kiln

The kiln is basically a room inside the building. They put in the Kvevri, build a fire and stack bricks to the ceiling to close in the heat. We then go down the road some more before another pub establishment.

What? Not more food!

Chicken and Pork
Fruit for JV

We then drive down the road to a bigger town, Kutaisi, to a large hotel going through a major restoration process.

Our room
The ancient back courtyard
Dinner is in a huge ballroom. The area you see with the table et all is not even a quarter of the room
Chicken soup

Sausages and the spread
Dessert

There was a reasonable amount of wine which was good. Off to bed.

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