Sighnaghi, Georgia

 

 

I woke up at 07:50 today, laid in bed for about an hour more, and then finally got up – I have been really tired lately. I then showered, dressed, got ready, and exited the hostel at 09:40. I then walked to Avlabari Metro Station, bought a card with enough for one ride, and then took the escalator down deep in to the Earth (the escalator ride lasted something like two minutes and looked like something left over from the Soviet Union). I then boarded the metro train and rode it to Samgori Station; from there, I walked to where all the marshrutkas (large vans used as mini buses) were parked. I arrived just after 10:00 and the next marshrutka traveling to Sighnaghi would not depart until 11:00. So, I walked around trying to find a café, but found none, so I walked in to the old bus station, bought an iced tea and a large snickers bar, and sat down on one of the heavily worn wooden seats. Later, I sat inside the yellow marshrutka and waited for it to depart. At 11:00, we drove off, eastward, past some nice farmland, vineyards, and distant snowcapped mountains. After driving for about ninety minutes, we reached Sighnaghi. The entire town was covered in clouds and it looked like a part of Silent Hill. It was also very cold and there was a slight snow fall. I immediately walked up the street to the Pheasant’s Tears Restaurant and Wine Bar, entered inside, and sat down by the fire, I then ordered the five course meal with five different drinks. I was immediately served bread and toast with a sunflower oil mixed with pepper seasoning; then, I was served my first two glasses of wine; they were both white wines, organically grown and produced across Georgia by Pheasant’s Tears; one was made from Chinuri grapes and tasted of pears, petrol, leather, and flowers; the other was made of Rkatsiteli grapes, was fermented in Georgian oak barrels, and tasted very earthy, of musk, truffles, and aged cheese (I suspect some bad bacteria got in to this batch since later on in the evening I had the same type of wine and it tasted completely different). Soon, I was served sliced beets and then a salad (tomatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley), beet ragout, and mushrooms with a balsamic vinegar. Next, I was given a vegetable minestrone soup and finally veal liver with a green chili sauce. After finishing my first two glasses of wine, I was given two red verities to try: a wine made from Tavkveri grapes that tasted of plums and strawberry, and a wine made from Saperavi grapes that tasted strongly of cherries and some tropical fruits. I then consumed the remainder of my fantastic meal and drank my wine. Finally, I was served Chacha, which is distilled from grape skins and tasted like whiskey (it was also 48% alcohol); it had flavors of vanilla, spices, and woodiness (none of those damn tinny flavors could be found in this drink . . . GORN!). After finishing my exquisite meal, I paid my bill and walked out in to the foggy steets of Sighnaghi. I then walked to the old city walls (from the eighteenth-century AD) and to St. Stephen’s Church, which was closed. Next, I walked to St. George Church, which was being renovated inside and only looked swell from the outside; it was also next to a tall tower on the city wall, giving it a picturesque setting (very Medieval looking). Finally, I walked to another entrance gate on the city wall before turning back to the bus station – the sommelier at Pheasant’s Tears Restaurant told me that usually there are great views of the surrounding valleys and mountains, but the clouds are currently blocking them all out. Also, sadly, I never saw the Polish man anywhere in the town; he had told me it was a small town and he would see me if I visited, but it never happened; I guess Sighnaghi truly “is like a chocolate in a box held by Tom Hanks.” After seeing all there was to see in this small town with this horrible weather, I took the 16:00 marshrutka back to Tbilisi. On the way, we passed through the fog, came back out to partly cloudy countryside, and passed by a nice castle fortress by the side of the road. We reached Tbilisi around 17:30 and I took the metro train back to Avlabari Metro Station (thanks to a kind woman since my card no longer worked even after supposedly adding one lira on to it – in other words, I was robbed by a machine). I then exited the station and walked back to the hostel, enjoying the views of Old Tbilisi along the way (including remnants of Queen Darejan’s palace and Meidan Bazaar). Once back at the hostel, I opened my bottle of Rkatsiteli wine that I had bought yesterday and started working on journals and the website whilst sitting at the dining table; the wine tasted of tropical fruits and hay (very different than the one I had at Pheasant’s Tears Restaurant). I worked late in to the night and eventually went to sleep after midnight.