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…
Main hall from above
A Theatre Revived: Lisbon’s São Luiz
Entrance, Teatro São Luiz The theatre is not dead - at least not the Teatro São Luiz. Built for royalty to enjoy, it endured through the end of the monarchy and still welcomed the best…
Celebrating on Ave Liberdade
A Comemorar 50 Anos de Democracia – 25 Abril
Peace, liberty, the future…celebrators and demonstrators - directly acting on their right to express their views - repeated these themes during Portugal's country-wide celebration of its liberation from the dictatorship of Salazar's fascist regime. On…
At Rao's
Two Stars of Texas and NY, Spring 2024
This spring, we had the pleasure of sharing time with brothers, nieces, long-time friends, children, and grandchildren in the two locations where our families reside: Dallas and New York. That would have been plenty to…
Spanish fort opposite Monçao
Greening at Fortified Towns of the Minho
We traveled by bus to the north of Portugal at the edge of the border with Spain, a hilly region called Minho. Minho is well known for its special “green” wine, the Vinho Verde, as…
Palacio, Viana do Castelo
Heart of the Minho: Viana do Castelo
It’s no wonder that those who want a balance between city and country life find Viana do Castelo so welcoming in northern Portugal. It’s a town of 85000 people at the heart of the Minho…