GEORGIA

The country not the state! The birthplace of wine delivers on all fronts from gastronomy to good vibes.

"It was a special town, not yet touched by the sanitization of mass consumerism and extreme gentrification. There were tourist and brand name areas for sure, but rents were cheap, as was the food and drink. People lived local lives. Neighborhoods remained intact. Most every bar, market, shop, cafe or restaurant had a distinct unique impression. A feel of imparting an element of culture. Behind every door was something inventive. Nothing was prepackaged or tired. In a world suffocated by banal conformity, where too many streets look the same, Tbilisi was a heroic stand against monolithic corporatism. Creativity was thriving. If there were modern Hemingways, Kerouacs, Ginsbergs and Fitzgeralds they lived somewhere in Tbilisi. They’d want to tap into the energy."

--Luke's Journal

CITIES VISITED:

MUST DO:

FAVORITE MEMORY:

Tbilisi

Gori

Mtskheta

Experience all of Tbilisi, food, wine, baths, fortress, churches--one of the world's greatest cities.

Visit Stalin's hometown of Gori and learn about Georgians' uneasy relationship with one of their own.

Go wine tasting and see how wine is still made as it was thousands of years ago.

Randomly joining a protest against Russian corruption and outsized influence after leaving my hotel to find a coffee.

DIFFICULTY TO VISIT RATING:

1/5  EASY

Georgians love Americans. Like really love Americans because of an understood suspicion of Russians. Georgians in Tbilisi are fond of the West and roll out the red carpet for tourists and visitors. Tbilisi is also incredibly walkable with easy to navigate public transportation.