Walking the Streets of Tbilisi

Yesterday, some of the other TLG volunteers and I spent most of the day walking around Tbilisi. First we took a cab to Freedom Square, then walked down Rustavi Avenue, one of the main roads and a shopping center. Perhaps the most important discovery was how very cheap food can be here. At a confections shop, we saw sweet treats bigger than our fists for 1.5-3 Lari (about 1-2 USD). Walking around more, we found that these weren't out-of-the-ordinary prices, and you know that prices must be higher in the capital city than in the countryside. I particularly enjoyed some of the shops and street markets that sold beautiful Orthodox icons (the metal-covered kind, mostly), vigil lamps, censers, gospels for the altar, chalices, and so forth--right alongside Georgian costume daggers and ox horn glasses. I had seen pictures of people drinking wine out of the smaller variety of these, but did not realize they also sold ones big enough to hold a liter or more each--I guess the Georgians really do like to drink!

The best part of it all for me, though, was the churches. In an hour's walk, you'll probably spot about five different churches--almost all a good bit larger than most I've been in back home. I've been in three so far now--a little chapel for the Department of Justice here (with a deacon whose job appears to be to sit in the altar all day in case anyone needs to talk or anything--how awesome is that!), a larger parish church (right after services finished, it appeared, guessing by the dispersing crowd of laity and the four priests standing around talking to people), and Ts'minda Sameba (Holy Trinity Cathedral), the largest church in Georgia and one of the larger Orthodox churches in the world. It was huge, and absolutely gorgeous. I was simply in awe. We saw three bride-and-groom couples outside the church proper, and when I went in, there was a wedding taking place. Meanwhile, the rest of the believers were milling about the rest of the church, kissing icons and lighting candles. I went downstairs to find one, if not two, more churches on subsequent floors. In the one that was open, there was yet another wedding waiting to take place. Luckily, there was no shortage of priests to ask for a blessing before I left. I'm still
somewhat shocked with awe the next day. If you haven't heard about the cathedral yet, please look it up now.

After that, we took a taxi back and spent the rest of our last free day relaxing. In about ten minutes, I start the next week's schedule of class after class after class after class. Regardless of the business, I am looking forward to what I can take in these next few days.

In Christ,
Teopile/Theophilos Porter