TravelswithCharie

The Chronicle of Georgia, front entrance The Chronicle of Georgia (or the History of Georgia) monument was created by Zurab Tsereteli when Georgia was part of the Soviet Union. Soviet funding made possible the production of this monumental piece which many refer to as the “Stonehenge” of Georgia. After the fall of the Soviet Union and the Russian Georgian War, work on the monument was halted due to lack of funds. The monument has yet to be completed.  The three figures at the front entrance columns are those of the poet Shota Rustaveli (left), David the Builder (right) and the Chronicler (center).  Notice the Chronicler holding a scroll. The verses alongside these three figures explain their prominent place in Georgian history. Translated verses:* “He made wisdom into a shield, he made the sword into a wall, he made Georgia into the fortress of the east.”  David the Builder  “Mozar the engraver of our past, the spinning wheel, the proof of our glory, the master histo...

Glenworth Carbonell-Antolín Dalisay at the Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago About Glen Dalisay Glen Dalisay is a nurse who was inspired by his father to travel the world at a very young age. His dad told him to see the world before ever settling down and gave him a secondhand globe which he studied for hours and wondered what it would be like to be in these foreign lands. Dalisay never thought it would be possible to see every country until he became a travel nurse and decided to do a trip every month. Starting with Europe and the Americas, he then slowly traveled into Asia and the Pacific, and finally to Africa. He now sees himself finishing this goal he never thought was possible. But he won’t stop there. His love for exploring, learning and meeting new people will continue for the rest of his life. You can follow Glen’s journey on Instagram at @drworldwide . Where and when was your first trip outside your home country?  Canada when I was 4 years old. I had an aunt living there th...

  Ruins of the Temple of Zvartnots Zvartnots Temple was a three-storey circular structure built in the 7th century. Its beauty captivated the Byzantine Emperor, Constantine III, who brought the builder with him to Constantinople to build a similar structure. Unfortunately, the builder died along the way. Zvartnots Temple stood for around 300 years. By the 10th century, it was in ruins. It is not certain how it was destroyed. A strong earthquake may have caused its collapse or it may also have been due to continued Arab raids. The Zvartnots Archaelogical Site also includes the Catholicos Palace ruins which together with Etchmiadzin Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.  Etchmiadzin (Echmiatsin) Cathedral Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as the state religion in 301 AD. Etchmiadzin was built under the reign of King Tiridates III and Saint Gregory the Illuminator who introduced Christianity to Armenia. Etchmiadzin is the main church of the Arme...

Khinkali Khinkali is a soup dumpling that resembles a lot like what you order at a Chinese restaurants but much bigger in size. The way to savor this dish is to hold the top handle, perforate the flour wrapper a little bit and drink the soup before eating the dumpling. These khinkali are from Pasanauri in nothern Georgia. Pasanauri is widely known to have the best khinkali in the region, if not the country. Trivia: khinkali is supposed to ease a hangover.  Khachapuri Megruli (cheese pie) There are several kinds of Khachapuri. The one we see most often in social media is the Acharuli which is boat shaped and has a raw egg in the center. There are also Imeruli with cheese on the inside and Shampurze which is on a metal skewer. Breads of Georgia This bakery is in the Old Town off of Kote Afkhazi Street. In addition to selling a varied selection of local breads, they also offer hamburger, pizza and hotdog. Badrijai Nigvzit - Eggplant with walnut paste and pomegranate Grilled Dorade Thi...

  The Garni Temple was built in the first century AD, during the reign of King Tiridates I of Armenia. It is believed to have been dedicated to the pagan god Mihr (Mithra), who is associated with fire . Other scholars suggest that Garni was built as a tomb or mausoleum. One of the theories advanced by some scholars is that a pagan temple could not have survived after Armenia became a Christian state in the fourth century AD.  The elegance  of Garni Temple comes from the fusion of architectural styles and building materials of these three cultures, Hellenistic, Roman and Armenian. Twenty-four Ionic columns are inspired by classical Greek architecture. The structure incorporates arches and vaults which are of Roman origin. The temple is built with local basalt stone which was carved and fitted together without using mortar. The second important element of this Temple is its location. It sits on a promontory above Garni Gorge with views of surrounding mountains. A symbiosis ...