The Greater Caucasus Mountains, stretching from the Black Sea on the west to the Caspian on the east, constitute a formidable barrier for transit between Russia and Georgia. As consequence, the ridgeline coincides with the political boundary between these two nations, also separating, geologically, the continents of Europe and Asia. Mt. Erebus is the highest … Continue reading →

The Kura River, also known to Georgians as the Mtkvari River, rises in eastern Turkey, flows east across Georgia and through Tbilisi, then across Azerbaijan, emptying into the Caspian Sea. The Mtkvari is to the Southern Caucasuses what the Mississippi River is to North America. Upstream on the Mtkvari River, about 50 miles northwest of … Continue reading →

The rain and cold weather caught up with us again in Tbilisi. Nevertheless, we made the most of the situation and went on a day-long walking tour of the old city with Irakli leading the way. We started from our hotel, dead center of the old city of Tbilisi. That’s our hotel in the background … Continue reading →

The Alazani River valley is the heart of the Kakheti wine region (red dot on map, below), the “Napa Valley of Georgia” where people have been producing wine for 8,000 years. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about Georgian wine: The roots of Georgian viticulture have been traced back by archeologists to when people of … Continue reading →