Georgia

• 06 September 2026
• georgia

The majestic Eurasian Griffon, one of the largest birds in the world.

The white wagtail, which after receiving its name, always wags its tail. Science is incredible like that.

Ok we had to start off with a few birds, because we had some complaints last time around. Spain has great birds, but July and August in cities are not peak birding territory nor season, so there was a lack of bird photos, and for that I apologize.

The bird I really wanted to get photos of but managed only to get horribly tiny out-of-focus shots is the European Bee-Eater. We've seen quite a few, but always at a long distance. They are gorgeous.

As you might have surmised, we are now in Georgia¹! People often try to describe it as Soviet-meets-Europe, but really it's so much more than that. The capital, Tbilisi, is full of incredible buildings. The city was razed to the ground numerous times, thanks to the Russians, the Ottomans, the Byzantines, the Persians, etc. The capital is full of abandoned buildings, and buildings that look abandoned but are not. It is also full of modern architecture that would be at home in any western city, and in fact put many western cities to shame.

Does your downtown feature an Italian-architected bridge? Why Italian? Ask instead, why not Italian?

If your salon isn't in a 300 year old building that hasn't seen repairs in the last 200 years, I'm not going.

Street wine! Who puts wine in the sidewalk? The Georgians, those geniuses.

European central plaza with golden statue? Please, Tbilisi has those too.

Ancient city walls from the 3rd century with a new hotel and restaurant on top? Par for the course here.

This clock tower is a modern piece of art that, to my mind, nails Georgia. Yes there are giant I-beams propping up the city, but it's also a gorgeous amalgamation of cultures, time periods, and a uniquely Georgian aesthetic. People are not afraid of colors, styles, and designs, but they're also not precious about them. Your 100 year old rug is looking a bit worn? Throw it over the railing outside for another 50 years of decoration. 1,000 year old building collapsing? Throw some brick in there and it's good for at least another 500 years.

Actually the front of the clock tower, beautifully demonstrating the colors and design throughout the city.

I would also be remiss not to mention Jesus. When Georgians were introduced to Christianity around the 3rd century, they embraced Jesus. Like, really, really embraced Jesus. The country is deeply conservative when it comes to their religion, and religion is a very serious affair. When you attend services at the Georgian Orthodox Church, you do not sit down in comfortable pews, or any pews. No, you stand there. And you stand there for 2-3 hours for the sermon. The house of God is not a house of comfort.

The churches all reflect this heritage and take on religion. They are beautiful stone structures, and unlike many famous European cathedrals, the insides are austere. There are paintings and shrines, but they are shrouded in darkness and covered in smoke from the candle offerings. Pictures are not permitted, but the modern tourist doesn't seem to care. Unfortunately for you, reader, I am not a modern tourist, so there are no pictures. Use my words to guide your imagination. Or scroll instagram or something.

So Georgia is a truly beautiful country, not only in its city aesthetics, but the Caucus Mountains rival the very best of Canada and the US. Seriously. It is definitely becoming a hiking destination. Like anywhere, there are bitterwsweet moments where I recognize the cities, towns and sites I see today will look wildly different the next time I come to visit. I hope for Georgia that it does not become a Bali, but more of a [insert tourist destination not overwhelmed with tourists].

The Bride peaking out from the clouds. Named because of her affinity for cloud veils.

The Gergeti Church. Any tour company heading to these mountains is required to include a photo of this church.

The Bride with her veil lowered.

Ok you might get the point. It is gorgeous.

The country has suffered immensely, and in the not-so-distant past. They were of course part of the USSR, but gaining independence also brought horrific challenges that are honestly too upsetting for the flavor of this blog. Their national museum has a wing dedicated to the Soviet occupation, in which they estimate 800,000+ Georgians were "disappeared." So to see the country today is to see a country finding its feet, with intense national pride but also hipster Soviet aesthetics as well. Because why not.

As one Georgian driver told us, Georgians are too powerful, so God culls them every century or two. I mean there's dark humor, and then there's Georgian humor.

There is much more to say on the country, and I suspect the next post may be related to Georgian food. Until then,

¹ OK when I started writing this post the sentence was true. Just rewind a month and it could still be true.

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