May 2011

Arrival without any problem to Baku round 11H00. We are so amazed and surprised by the quality of the City centre and the quality of its renovation programme. Our hotel is in the Old City. It is really becoming a world city. A interesting and surprising mix of old ladas and latest BMWs, soviet style apartment blocks revamped and gentryfied, the 19^th century Hausmanian architecture in several boulevards give it a cosmopolitan air with some middle eastern flavor. Just as much as the teahouses, expats pubs, the young dressed in the latest fashion strolling in the pedestrian avenues.

The Azeri architects seem to compete in hospitality. The 8-course meal (Lunch/Dinner) finished at 19H30. There some kind of uneasiness to sit in this revolving restaurant at the 27^th storey high tower eating caviar and overlooking some slum neighbourhoods at our feet. The chief architect Abbas shared his dry sense of humour and amazing Azeri Cabernet Sauvignon to ooze the discomfort.

Tbilisi-Baku train. We are in “First Class” Slepny Vagon, soviet style in its most glorious time. Platform 4 and compartment 5-6 were waiting for us. Two beds/couches with flowery sheets matching the brown Scottish tartan blankets complete with a pair of pillows, a large (used?) one with cotton pillow case with the I Vaqon Deposu logo and a second more modern one without pillow case. Clean bed sheets are supplied once the train is on the way. Central Asian undefined carpet on the in between corridor. Sliding door with heavy duty lock to ensure our privacy. Net shelf for each for our minor accessories. Private bedside lamp with general ceiling fluorescent light. Fixed window with embroided gold lace curtain to frame the view.. Individual hangers for the comfort of our clothes. We have taken photos for our interior designer friends for new inspirations.

Sacha Baladian organized a taxi – Mercedes – to drive us to Tbilisi and stopping thru’ the Debet canyon areas. We have a good driver, proper music. It’s a pity, it’s raining again. Kim had prepared a CD last night for our trip. Unfortunately there is no CD driver in this car.
Lunch in Pamak in a container restaurant by the river. Khoravats (Armenian barbecue) with salad and cheese deliciously prepared by an old lady.  Two stops only at Odzin and Haghpat monasteries, the 2^nd one being Unesco World Heritage. Both of them ravaged and sacked the Tamerlane. Terrible guy! Can’t wait to see his birth place in Samarkand. Reaching Tbilisi early at 17H00.

I am struck by how European Erevan and its people are with cafés, fashion, operas, and churches. Contrasting with a persistent old attitude remains. A sort of sadness contrasting with their love for life, music, arts and cognac. A strong will to fight for the identity and a kind of acceptance of their condition as if it will always remain unimproved.

The supra is quite something with music, songs and dancing. It is a place where no one is inhibited. This is not a Georgian quality. By the end of the evening all tables of the restaurant act like one single party and drink, toast and sing together. The Georgian national anthem would come in without notice and uniting all of them standing up and singing almost in tears, joined in an absolute patriotic urge. And the party will continue stronger after. It is not easy to drink so much but avoid getting drunk. Food is there to accompany the drinks and not the other way round. And one should never steal wine ie drink outside a toast.

We deserved another round of toasts with 13 people table and tamada after the visit of the old capital Mtskheta. The 4th century old capital is Georgia’s spiritual heart where Christianity started. It is now a UNESCO world heritage. The dinner finished too late for the Barcelona- Real Madrid match.