What happened in Vardzia? 🤗
The curvy road all along the Kura River towards Vardzia is filled with potholes. The landscape is amazing.
Vardzia is a rock-cave city and monastery site in southern Georgia, on the left bank of the Kura River – built in the 12th and 13th century.
The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. Vardzia consist about six hundred rooms carved in a cliff. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred meters and in up to nineteen tiers. The main structure of the Monastery complex is the church of the Domition of the Holy Virgin. It contains fresco paintings from the 11th century and one of the oldest clock towers of Georgia. The monastery was an important cultural center, a place of significant literary and artistic work.
It’s really impressive again to walk up and through the city with tunnels and rooms, wine cellar, stables, kitchen and prayer rooms. We can’t visit the upper levels because the Monastery life is resumed since 1988 and some monks are living in some cave rooms.
There supposed to be a little hot spring just a km from the caves. Late in the afternoon we decide to check the warm water for a relaxed bath. It’s only a very simple garage but fine warm water. There were also a Russian couple (living since a year in Georgia!) and a German couple inside and it was again a nice and interesting conversation about the situation in and around Russia.
With a great view on the caves we close up the day.
Suddenly in the middle of the night we hear a car stopping next to the truck. Three men bouncing on our door: “Open the door! Police”. Sleepy we are we open the door, no one is speaking a word English. After a while Vincent understand that the Russian couple from the pool is missing their bag with a wallet inside. We are kind of also suspects. Vincent gains somehow to explain them our version via translate and our video we took in the bath. After a while they leave – pfff what a night!
It’s Vincent’s 55th birthday.
With the sunrise on the cave cliff and a little fire place we have birthday breakfast outside. Again a police car with four agents stops by, we are no suspects anymore but they want us to witness and show them the video again. Sure they get coffee and they are Vincent’s first birthday guests. 🙃
The weather and wind conditions are great for paragliding and we find a place to start. A little extra present for Vincent (and me) to see the caves from out the air.
After landing getting back up the hill to our car is a challenge. While Vincent tries to bike the 9 km be succeeds to stop a sheep farmer and to pick me and the gliders down up. Surprise: a sheep with a newborn lamb are in the trunk of the car. The little one has to get milk, the mother does not want to feed the lamb. Stinking but funny.
What a day (and night)! Long story but an exciting birthday 🎂!!!
