Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

A belated Merry Christmas from Tbilisi, Georgia. 2 days ago Lali & I, house-sitting for some American friends here, hosted about 12 people from a number of countries at our first Christmas Day meal together. Great fun! Yesterday we found ourselves at the studio of Rustavi 2 TV, where I was one of the prizewinners for best programme of the year - the Ushguli 6-minute PostScriptum programme of April. (Now I'll REALLY have to get that thing subtitled & uploaded for all of you non-Georgian-speakers...)

And today I present a few more pictures from Ushguli of about 2 weeks ago. The event was the attempted capture and bridling of a filly. I used a slow shutter speed and panning - moving the camera with the direction of motion - to try to get some of the excitement of the scene. I admit to being particularly satisfied with the results.

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Zakro & the piglet, watched by his daughter

Closeup of the top of a watchtower

Another view from the windows of the museum

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Top 2: moonlight! Tripod-mounted slow exposures, 20-30 seconds. The well-lit house left of centre is the guesthouse where I live with my host family; my window's on the left

Lichen on fenceposts

Watchtower detail

Watchtowers in Chazhashi, 1 of Ushguli's 4 hamlets

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

More sparks flying & bouncing off things as the axe is ground, maybe a 1/4-second exposure

View towards the top of the village from the museum window - this is the part where I live, with the school roof at bottom left

The school where I teach English, once a hotel but given for this use when the old facility burned down. There has been a school in Ushguli for 51 years as of this November, and a couple who teach there have been at their posts as long. Background: Mts Lamaria (right) and Shkhara (left), Georgia's highest at over 5000m

Lali & I at a waterfall, lower Svaneti

Tamar's Summer tower, Europe's highest watchtower (I think), overlooking the village

Back from Internet Exile

So I thought I'd got it all sorted out for internet on computer by mobile up in faraway Ushguli. Last year I also had problems but after about 12 days of phone calls back & forth to Magti (cellphone operator in Georgia) I was on. NOT this time. 17 days with no internet... Not that I'm a junkie or anything, but I DO like to stay in touch. Lali was up there with me at least...

But I had pressing reasons to return to Tbilisi before western Christmas, so here I am for a several weeks' break. Back online.

Photos top to bottom:

Zakro sharpening an axe, Temo holding the grinder down, Anzor looking on; sparks intensified by using a slow shutter speed

The tower at right collapsed earlier this year - c'mon, government, these are ancient national treasures, DO something!

View from the museum window

Orthodox Church bell from the 19th century, which was when the village last had a priest

Zakro shaving a newly- slaughtered piglet (most of its hair came off under boiling water)

Kakheti, Georgia

Grape picking, a leaf in a fence, readying pears for making compote

Kakheti, Georgia

Top: grape sorting at Lali's sister's place (she, Dali, is front right)

Middle: tomato on the vine

Bottom: Zura's 50+ year old car and a Soviet decorative pillar - someone needs to record these before they're all gone

Kakheti, Georgia

Blackberry, corn, persimmon: autum and spring both, with their dramatic changes, are my favourite seasons.

Kakheti, Georgia

Signs of autumn everywhere: grapes, landscape, aubergine (eggplant)

Kakheti, Georgia

Blackberry leaves and landscape through grapevines.

Kakheti, Georgia

Autumn leaves

More churchkhela drying

Hot peppers

Persimmon leaves

Kakheti, Georgia

Corn drying in a surreal setting, Lali's family's house

Churchkhela - a string of walnuts dipped in thickened grape juice paste, then left to dry; also called the Georgian Snickers

Geese at the water pipe

Persimmon leaves

Let's Keep this Civil. Tbilisi, Georgia

November 24, 2008. It was a nice warm day, and indeed a civil ceremony - neither objects nor sharp words were thrown. Tony and Lali were married (in the eyes of the state) in Tbilisi, and retired with their witnesses to Prospero's Books shortly thereafter, where the latter had recently built up a hefty credit in used books, with their witnesses to celebrate on sandwiches, coffee, cheesecake and Bagrationi champagne. They were presented with a delightful gift book by the bookshop's half-owner, Tako, and a good time was had by all.

Church wedding to follow in May 2009, once I return from my 2nd, afore-promised winter of English teaching in Ushguli, ra!

Yeah, so she's 2 fingers' width taller than me, so what?!

Dad, I'm starting to look more and more like you, I think.

Lali, you looked like a million bucks. Your cousin might be Miss Georgia at the moment, but you are my Mrs Georgia any day of the week, and Mrs Hanmer now to boot. Miqvarkhar, ra.