Rock carvings; we've spoken about that frequently here on Sophie's World - in the Caribbean, and around in Scandinavia: in the Arctic, in the very south of Norway, and just across the border in Sweden. In fact, there are rock carvings in my home town; the [...]
I arrive at the Four Seasons Baku on a scorching day in early July. It is so hot, entering the Beaux-Arts lobby is a relief in itself. Not only is it deliciously cool. It’s also beautiful, with marble floors, glittering chandeliers and a sweeping, grandiose [...]
As in Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus, the world heritage sites in Georgia are churches and monasteries, all about religious history and architecture. On my final day in Tbilisi, I hopped on a marshrutka for the half-hour trip to Mtskheta. This town has been [...]
Remember I wrote about the ruins of Zvartnots Cathedral with the spectacular view of Mount Ararat? And a bit later, the monasteries at Haghpat and Sanahin? Armenia's third world heritage site is Geghard Monastery with its scenic surrounding canyon, the Upper Azat Valley. As you [...]
It's been quite a while since we've had a segment in our Magic of Cities series. Well, wait no more. I utterly enjoyed this curious city in the Caucasus and it quickly climbed up the list of my favourite cities in the world. [...]
Today's post is about bread and circuses - or, at least, bread and religion - which perhaps isn't that different. While I pondered whether to travel from Tbilisi to Yerevan via train or marshrutka (minibusses with threadbare tyres found all over the Caucasus), I stumbled [...]
Ever heard of Tbilisi? If you haven't, you're not alone. It has been a while since I've written about - or indeed visited - any of Europe's lesser-known capital cities, (you may remember Skopje, Pristina, Chisinau - or perhaps Kiev?) For a long time, I've [...]
