Georgia on my mind

I've been to Tbilisi, Georgia, about 10 years ago on a research trip with the American International Health Alliance (a branch of USAID that is now defunct, from what I've heard). My research partner and I spent about four days in that city, interviewing doctors and other medical professionals (medical school professors, hospital "chiefs" and technology experts).

During our stay, I remember excellent food and a city that was pleasantly brownish, dusty streets competing with a few dusty trees leafing out to green, not much grass, and a few really stunning old buildings and cemeteries that reflected the long history of a people who'd lived in these mountains. (See some accurate photos here from an interesting blogger.) I remember a proud, intelligent people, professional and knowledgeable about the West, ready to jump into the 21st century.

Our hosts took us Americans on a picnic one afternoon, van-ride through the countryside to a lake surrounded by a thinned forest, no beach but a swimable lake where families were picnicking like us: blanket spread with the familiar flat bread, cheese, sausage, tomatoes, two kinds of pesto/mushroom spread made with wild greens, fruit, wine, coca cola and fanta. Many Georgian folks swam in their undergarments, but not our hosts, some of whom were wearing high heels in the woods. And I was the only American woman to swim, which made me popular with the fellows.

The Georgian people were my favorite of all the folks we met in our three-week, eight-country tour: I said to them that their country would be the only one I'd consider bringing my family to so we could hike to the castle/church/city buildings from the 9th century, eat the famous soup and bread-with-goat-cheese baked into it, shop along the tree-lined market street in Tbilisi. I wonder if I'll get the chance to do so? Maybe I'll make the khachapuri and kharcho myself.