Time for a break from Venice.

Metekhi church and the Mtkvari River, Tbilisi, December 1999

More from Tbilisi, December 1999, as I discovered it.

Lowest, a night shot (tripod-mounted slow exposure) of the Old City.

Then two large sculptures of women's faces that I think are wonderful.

Mother Georgia above one of the Old City's many churches.

The Old City during the day, similar angle to the night shot below.

Above, the city's founder, King Vakhtang Gorgasali, with Metekhi Church.

Going waaay back to December 1999, just after I had moved from Azerbaijan to Georgia. Immediately there was new inspiration in Tbilisi.

From the bottom, a view of the city from Nariqala fortress - the absence of the huge Tsminda Sameba (Holy Trinity) Cathedral across the Mtkvari River dates this frame, as its construction had not yet begun.

Metekhi Church reflected in the Mtkvari - it's not always this peaceful or clean, but has its moments. The church was used as a prison in Soviet times.

The poet Etim Gurji, famous for work in Georgian, Armenian AND Azeri languages. (Yes, it took a bit of maneuvering to get the Kartlis Deda - Mother of Georgia - statue exactly into position.)

Above, a new view across the Mtkvari from Tbilisi's Botanical Gardens, May 2007, showing Tsminda Sameba dominating at right, with the Azeri Mosque left of centre and left of that, Metekhi church again.