Impressions of Georgia

Liz Luck's record of her visit to Kutaisi: May 2007

It was a lovely feeling to be met at Tbilisi airport late at night and to be whisked off by our welcoming committee to share a meal with them till the early hours.

It set the tone for the whole week i.e. that there were people who wanted to share our company and that nothing was too much trouble. Their generosity seemed to know no bounds.

Nick and Koba were with us, sharing the roles of interpreters, guides and chaperones. They showed us important ancient monuments, explaining their relevance in the culture and finding typical Georgian foods for us to try. Their sense of history and the Georgian identity came over very well.

I did not realise how many people would be interested in us or the full significance of us being there. Television cameras were much in evidence when we were on formal visits, such as with The Very Reverend Father Kastrate, at the Kutaisi Civic Centre, the University and when meeting The British Ambassador. Nino, Maya and Natya, also spent a lot of time and patience in translating what was said in various discussions, but they never appeared to be tired. They were always smiling, alert and ready to answer questions.
I can see why Gelati and Bagrati are listed as World Heritage sites. Their situations are beautiful and important icons of their religious beginnings. I found it quite moving to see how many people came to the services that we watched. I am glad I had a scarf with me to show respect when entering any of these buildings.

With the long journey from Tbilisi to Kutaisi and the lovely day out to the archaeological site of Vani we managed to see quite a slice of the countryside which is beautiful and fertile.

The whole trip was very well planned, down to the last detail, for this we thank Madonna whose mobile phone must have been hot the week before. Her obvious determination that the week should go well paid off.

I feel very lucky and privileged to be asked to go on this visit to see a very different
nation which is emerging from a difficult past.

I would love to return perhaps in a few years to see more of the sites and travel the countryside.

Thank you very much to everyone for making this possible.
Liz Luck NKA