farewell day

So after our brief time out we headed back to meet the group in Signagi via a hired car... we met them at lunch in the Pheasant's Tears vineyard along with winemaker John Wurdeman.

we have a few bites (Phil isn't really eating and we did have a light lunch before we left Tbilisi)  We check into the hotel and shortly thereafter we are off to dinner - the farewell dinner at the Pheasant's Tears restaurant in Signagi - Much feasting and rejoicing and toasting and singing etc...

so here are the last dinner photos!

we saw a bread baking demo before going off to the dining room-

the evening's entertainment - singing and playing and some dancing as well- a video follows os you can hear the porcine instrument he is playing-

The next day we headed back to Tbilisi but had one last wine stop and one more church stop - Oh and I failed to mention the last lunch stop as well...LOL

Signagi is lovely when not overrun by weekend tourism...

the church of the morning

and one more winery - French guys making sparkling wine but not in methode champenoise- 

and finally a late lunch on the outskirts of Tbilisi - excellent food - good kebabs and amazing mushrooms and a wonderful profiterole dessert...

we arrived in town while it was still daylight! a miracle! so not hungry - packed and showered and got ready for our 2 AM pickup for our 4 AM flight to Warsaw and the seven hour layover before the flight to Chicago - we arrived Sunday night a 8PM and headed home as worn out from this trip as we have ever been!  But by the second day home we were out again - as you will shortly read LOL! Stay tuned.

felled but recovered

So  I was still recovering from my stomach bug as we headed back to Tbilisi - we stopped at the cave monastery/church that we could see from our lovely hotel (invisible in last night's arrival under cover of darkness.  Phil did the hike to the actual caves while I read my book down below. 

 

After the trek to the caves we headed to lunch at an agriturismo where they served extremely yummy trout!

he loved the fish skins!

A stop along the way somewhere at a dam and reservoir LOL- not sure where this one was - might have actually been an earlier day...

Then a long bus ride to our next eating stop- LOL - the nuns who make cheese and jams at their convent.  They also have shop where they sell lovely things along with the cheese and chocolates they make paper items and jams - all very nice... since we have had virtually NO shopping opportunities the shopping ladies swoop in and buy buy buy!

Finally very very late at night we arrive back to Tbilisi and due to the late hour no one wants to find a restaurant so ten of the twelve of us end up in the hotel restaurant for soups and sandwiches. 

Then just as I was on the mend  Phil spent the night sick with apparently the same bug... got no sleep and the next morning begged off the journey - just as the broken ribs couple were returning to the group. So I told the local guide we would stay an extra night in Tbilisi and catch up with them the following day via a hired car.  That night on our own we went to a local place for Italian food and had limited dishes and only a glass of wine and made it back in time for a good long night's sleep (the best medicine of all!)

And we did catch up a day later via car service to Signagi ... missing one night of feasting and rejoicing but managed to join them by lunch the follow day... in time for the farewell dinner and LOL at least one more church! Oh and another winery stop (this time sparkling).  I have to say by now I had enough wine to keep me through the next month or more LOL.... but we soldiered on... so stay tuned for the final post of the trip---