All organised for a quick trip to the Georgian border. Packed. Loaded. Bogged!! Took about 3 hours to get out. Arrived in Tbilisi about 3pm. Our hotel is small, boutique. Right across the river from the old city. Walked the old city for about 3 hours. It's lovely. Small twisted streets. Cafés. Restaurants. Friendly locals. A half day walking tour and the cable car to the citadel were great. A night out with a Georgian feast and dancing entertaining. Especi...

Left the lovely city of Yeravan via Lake Seven to our bush camp before the border to Georgia. Lake Seven is now 20m lower than pre soviet years. Thank goodness plans to drain it to 1/6 of its size were abandoned. It's level is gradually being raised causing cleaner water, more fish and some flooded resorts. Drive through the Debed canyon again. Even more spectacular without rain! Camped in a paddock near the monastery which is small but beautiful.

Rain for the border crossing. Through the border in about 30mins. Down the amazing Debed Canyon for about 50k. Across Armenia to Yerevan. 3 nights in one place. And in a hotel. Dinner at the Lebanese restaurant. Excellent. A tour of the brandy factory. The city is pretty and was saved from the Russian grey concrete everywhere because the lovely basalts, pink, light ochre and grey were cheaper. Armenia is a proud, fairly poor country which is quite reluctantl...

This is Georgia. Set off to the monastery of David Gareja Over the Caucasus mountain (to 1600m) which are just beginning to turn with the autumn colours. Our guide Zaza is great. His brother was the first monk after the soviet era 1990 and is now the bishop of the monastery and area we were in yesterday. The monastery is on the side of the mountain in a more arid area. So it has water harvesting channels and cisterns which were extensive enough for agricult...

This is Georgia. Awake most if the might while the locals partied outside our home stay in Sighnaghi. Off to the monastery we walked to yesterday. Closed. Sunday mass. Then to an old castle from 13th century at Gremi. A centre on the Silk Road but it's high point was the 15th century. There is is the 1400's had a lot to answer for. We the went to a local winery which makes their wine in a traditional method in underground vats using all the grape and stems. A...