Tsminda Sameba and Mr C

We had a great day. The minibus drove us up the mountain to stop at a monument to commemorate 200 years of Russian occupation, 1783-1983, erected by the Russians of course. Then we drove over a mountain pass, passing a travertine marble seam, before arriving at Kazbegi. (1740m) The mountain nearby in the second highest in Georgia, at over 5000 m.

Those of us walking picked up a guide there and the other got a jeep up to the monastery, stunningly located on a hilltop overlooking the still-snowy mountains. It was around 2 hours to get up, as it was quite steep though only 4 miles, and the guide insisted on rests. There was a dragon story related to the monastery, (2170). We started out at 26 degrees but on our way back it was 36, so we were glad of a very late lunch and a beer in a local house. Salads, lentil soup, cheese pie and dumplings. The cooked food here is quite stodgy but the salads are lovely as are the aubergine rolls.

Then we drove 5 minutes to a felt-making workshop. Very different technique from Kyrgyzstan.

We got back just in time before the thunderstorm which produced gobstopper sized hail.