Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

2 pairs of images today.

Views of Murqmeli, the village's lowest hamlet, through the natural frame windows - a favourite device of mine - of its fire-gutted former school

Reflections - another favourite approach - of a watchtower in the Enguri as its surface transforms from water to ice in the afternoon light

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

From my discovery of the Enguri as it began to freeze:

Ice from both sides of the river gradually making its way towards contact, at which point the flow is frozen over

Details of ice and water flow mixing

A "footprint" frosted over on the river bank

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Chazhashi hamlet: COLD water on tap

The hamlet's main church seen through the entrance stairway

Tower cluster

A 19th-century Russian Empire church bell

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

View towards the top of the village and Mt Shkhara, Enguri rushing by

Looking down from Tamar's Winter Tower complex, which even 80 years ago had more towers than it does now

Icicles - gravity is definitely lower here than it is at lower altitudes; I've seen ice doing things it would otherwise be too heavy to contemplate

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Upper village at sunset again. Mt Shkhara looks to be within easy walking distance as it catches the last of the light. But's it's actually 7 km away from the foreground, just so high - over 5 km - as to appear closer

Reflection of the house - and me at the doorway, lower far right - in Dato's truck. I'm always looking for good reflectors, water being a favourite

Zakro with one of his twice-daily bundles of hay for the cows

Icicles in the sun

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Self-portrait in truck window

Icicles

Sunset on Mt Shkhara

Fenceposts