Kakheti, once an independent feudal kingdom, is now a very important region of Georgia. It is also a very important wine area, and it hosts several important historic sites, like the Davit Gareji complex and the Alaverdi monastery. Since Lekha couldn't also come this time (lessons) and the sudden idea of running around like a headless chicken didn't appeal to me that much, I chose to hire a taxi driver, one that spoke at least a passable English. Enters Guja, a 55 years old man who drove me around for two days, taught me a few extra Georgian words (like შესანიშნავა ხედი, "beautiful sight") and tried to make me succeed in pronouncing that damn ყ, which is the sound a k does when it dies of injuries)
This one was the first step of my trip. It rises in a verdant valley, surrounded by mountains. The weather was not the best, but not too bad either.
The monastery has, of course, its own winery, because you know... vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, but nobody ever mentioned soberness. Jesus even turned water into wine, that will probably mean something, right?
Unfortunately, the inside of the monastery was open but it was forbidden to take photographs, and not being that kind of Italian, I complied. It was really majestic, though. Sorry you weren't there. Haha.
After the visit to the monastery, Guja decided to make a detour from the road to Sighnaghi to show me an old winery, part of the Georgian Wine Road. Yeah, that was a damn fine idea. It was mostly a museum, full of old wine memorabilia, like tools, jars and old bottles.
But the best part was the antique part upstairs. A real treasury of Soviet and post Soviet memorabilia. Typewriters, radio, just about everything...
Everything was awesome, but now it was getting dark, so we headed off to Sighnaghi, a very peculiar town as it's been almost completely rebuilt three years ago. Off we go!
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