Jvari Church, Mtskheta
Holy City of Mtskheta
For 800 years, from the 3rd century BC to the 5th century AD, Mtskheta was the capital of Georgia, at the confluence of two rivers and key trading routes - less than an hour from…
Central fountain, Kutaisi
Central Georgian empires: Golden Colchis, Rocky Kartli, Iron Curtain
Golden Colchis to the West The Colchians occupied western Georgia, from the Black Sea to the central plains. By several millennia BC, they thrived through craftsmanship in gold and other metals like bronze at the…
Colchis headpiece with deer and lions, 4th c BC
The Golden Fleece of the National Museum
The National Museum is renowned for its collection of gold and other fine metallurgic examples of Georgian culture back 10,000 years, especially during the great Colchis and Kartli eras from 800 BC to the 4th…
Narikala hillside, Bethlemi Street
Something in the Air
It’s a very short ride – and often longer wait – to take the cable car from Europe Square to Narikala Fortress, the highest point overlooking Old Tbilisi. The ride offers views onto the city…
Churchkhali, Deserter Bazaar
Settling In – New City, New Neighborhood
Within 10 days of arrival, we felt we had landed – moving into a delightful apartment in the Vake district of Tbilisi after screening a half-dozen more. To us, it feels like a section of…
Cheonggyecheon Stream, 11 km long park, Seoul
Korea, Seoul, and the compactness of being
In brief: As with their written language, Koreans pack a lot into a small space...but also understand the need for opening things up as well. Start with the written language: every word is made up…
Royal Joseon throne, Gyeongbokgung Palace
Joseon – Korea’s other dynasty
In brief: For centuries, the Joseon dynasty ruled Korean. Its traces are many - in the palaces of Seoul, the ancestral home at Jeonju, and a quiet village at Yangdong.. On a chilly, drizzly day…
Huge dolmen atop hill
Stoned in bronze: early Korean gravesites
In brief: Across several hillsides, we wandered back 3000 years to the dolmens of the bronze age. Traces of early Korean civilization go back tens of thousands of years. In museums, we could see more…
Seeing Gyeongju in Silla costume
A Window on the Silla
In brief: The Silla Kingdom of south-central Korea endured for nearly 900 years until 935. Today its legacy comes alive in its former capital, Gyeongju. It's thrilling to discover a history completely unknown to us.…
Reunion sculpture, infiltration tunnel 3
Uncrossed borders – Korea’s DMZ
In brief: For South (and likely North) Koreans, memories of war, of division are still strongly emotional and whose hopes for reunion, for peace still endure. We seized the opportunity to visit the DMZ (the…