The history of religion in the Caucasus is long and complicated. I saw many mosques, churches, monasteries, and monuments, but it would take a lot of study to understand the complex stories about how religious beliefs have shaped the politics and cultures of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. I am not offering much detail here. Just…
The capital cities of Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan are also their countries’ largest cities, and that’s where I spent most of my time. But I visited several smaller cities and towns in the Caucasus, a few on overnights, and others on short day trips or drive-throughs. A few of these had some charm, with attractive…
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, three small countries in the Caucasus, all gained independence from the Soviet Union at the same time. Before this trip, I expected that Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan, their three capital cities, would all be more or less similar in nature and appearance. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I normally try to blog as I go, but during the last part of my time in the Caucasus, I was on the go so much that I didn’t find time to post updates. I also try to chronicle my daily activities while traveling. But instead, now that I’ve been home a few weeks, I’m…
Two full days in Kutaisi would have been great if the rain hadn’t interfered with some of my plans. Still, this is an interesting city, and some stops on the way here were quite fascinating.
This morning I will be saying ნახვამდის (nakhvamdis, or goodbye) to Tbilisi. My experiences here and on excursions outside the city have filled me with a lot of feelings, too many to recount here.
I had my first day in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital and largest city, yesterday. To say I was charmed is an understatement. My guide, Irakli, took me on a walk that seemed to offer new delights around every corner and up every hill. I was far too engaged and delighted to notice how much we were…
I previously wrote about how Baku is a city of contrasts. I now have to take it a step further. In the last two days, as I traveled outside Baku, I’ve seen an extraordinary variety in almost all things. Azerbaijan strikes me as a land of great contrasts.
Baku is a delightfully charming city with attractive historic architecture. Baku is also a dramatically modern city with startling skyscrapers and brilliantly conceived spaces. I read a lot about Baku before arriving, but I was still not prepared for this city of contrasts.
The history and gorgeous geological variety that is Cappadocia was on full display today: from a hot air balloon, ground level, and below.
I’ve seen a lot of pictures of Cappadocia, and I knew there were caves and rocks, but until I saw it for myself, I really had no idea what it was all about. Today was a revelation.
Today I visited three sites near Antalya that had stunning ruins. No matter how many different sites I’ve been to on this trip, I’ve seen things that have consistently blown me away.
