トビリシ&カヘティ極上時間〜ジョージア後編〜 (5)骨折した足でぐるっと3国コーカサスへGO！
Sawasdee ka! This is AO’s Travel Moments! I’ve been traveling through three countries—with a broken foot. Now, the journey is reaching its final stage. Today, it’s the second half of our Georgia episode. Originally, this was meant to be the last video. But I’ve decided to cover the markets and supermarkets in a separate one. So—this is the second-to-last! I hope you’ll stay with me just a little longer. Let’s enjoy this journey together! Last time, I showed our day trip to Armenia. The episode before that was Georgia: Part 1. Haven’t seen it yet? Give it a watch!
Georgia is such a fascinating place. And if you haven’t already—please subscribe! In this video, we’ll take a quick look around Tbilisi. Then we’re off to Kakheti, Georgia’s wine region. Tonight, I’ll be meeting friends flying in from Bangkok. A mother and her child—joining me for the adventure! We check out from our hotel in Tbilisi. Our luggage goes into the Sakura Travel van. First stop is Metekhi Church. It’s on a hill, just near the hotel. There’s also a statue here—King Vakhtang I on horseback. He’s said to be the founder of Tbilisi. From here, you get a full panoramic view. The city spreads out below—what a sight! I wanted to visit the famous sulfur baths. I also hoped to ride the gondola to Narikala Fortress. But we ran out of time. And the wind was too strong. So instead, I stood here and took in the view. Tried to burn it into my memory. I’d hoped to take morning walks during our hotel stay. But walking was tough with my injured foot. My friends, though, each went out exploring. According to our guide, you can spot many kinds of religious buildings from here. Georgian Orthodox churches. Armenian Apostolic churches. A mosque. A Catholic church. And even a synagogue. All standing together in one city. That’s Tbilisi today—shaped by history. Below us flows the Kura River. In Georgian, it’s called the Mtkvari. I wonder what that boat is doing? Maybe it’s on patrol? You can go on a river cruise here, I hear. We drove a bit, then took a stroll through the old town. We actually did quite a bit of walking after this! But my broken foot had healed quite a bit—walking was getting easier. First stop: the Sioni Cathedral. Look at those beautiful wisteria flowers! This church dates back to the 6th century. It’s one of the most important religious sites for the Georgian Orthodox Church. It was a Saturday, and some kind of ceremony was going on. So we couldn’t go inside. I guess this area is part of the old town. From the cathedral, we walked into a street lined with cafés and restaurants. It was still morning, so most places were just setting up. But I can just imagine how lively it must get at night! It’d be so nice to sit here, sip tea, and watch the street. Or have a fun night out with friends. Huh? What’s going on over there? Oh—look! Just lying there, totally relaxed. A big one and a small one. Like a parent and child. So cute! I asked if they were in the way. They said they leave them be—too cute to move. I’d heard there were lots of cats in Georgia. I was hoping to take tons of cat photos… But surprisingly, I haven’t seen that many. Maybe it’s because of the cold? On the other hand, there are way more dogs than I expected. Most of them wear a tag showing they’ve been vaccinated. So it’s safe to be around them. Oh! A cat! So cute! There’s one in front of this shop too. The owner must be a cat lover. Wow—look at this fruit stand! So much piled up! Maybe it’s a juice bar? Suddenly, we came upon a very modern-looking bridge. I’d seen it a few times from the car. But seeing it from below gives a totally different impression. It’s called the Bridge of Peace. Completed in 2010, it’s made of glass and steel. A sleek, modern design. The bridge connects the old town and Rike Park. It’s a popular spot for tourists. We didn’t have time today—so we turned back halfway. Next time, I want to walk all the way across. Looks like you can take a river cruise from here too! So many things left to do next time. Oh, that construction sign—kinda cool, isn’t it? After our walk, we got back in the car. We passed through Liberty Square in the city center. Our destination: Sololaki Hill. That’s where the Mother of Georgia stands. Over on the other hill, you can spot the botanical garden. Another place to add to my “next time” list! The closer we got, the more impressive it looked. She’s a massive aluminum statue—about 20 meters tall. She was built in 1958 to celebrate Tbilisi’s 1500th anniversary. Wow… what a view. She’s always watching over the city and its people. Through sunny days and stormy ones. But still—I hope to come back on a sunny day! I want to ride the gondola next time too! By the way, you can hike up this hill on foot. I got so close, I couldn’t even fit her in the frame! In her right hand, she holds a sword—ready to face enemies bravely. In her left, a bowl of wine—welcoming friends and guests. She truly embodies the Georgian spirit. A symbol of the city, and a source of pride for the people of Tbilisi. So beautiful. So dignified. Next, we stopped by Bazari Orbeliani. It’s not exactly a market—more like a modern mall. But I’ll save that for the next video! So, that’s it for our quick tour of Tbilisi! Now it’s time for lunch—yay! We’ve got a long journey ahead,
so I made sure to fuel up here. …Though I always seem to overfuel, don’t I? I was craving veggies, so I ordered a salad—green beans, tomatoes, and mint. Such a beautiful mix of colors! The guide recommended the Caesar salad. It came piled with cheese—amazing! And of course… khinkali! I could seriously eat these every day. This one’s called ojakhuri. I always forget the name! The word comes from something meaning “homestyle.” It’s a classic Georgian comfort dish. And then, there’s khachapuri… But once again—no boat-shaped egg-topped one! Why do I keep missing it?! Our driver is observing Lent for the Georgian Orthodox Church. On this day, meat was off-limits—
but fish was OK. And this is the fish dish he got. Wait—jam on fish!? Turns out it’s pomegranate sauce! Slightly sweet, with a tart kick. I bet it would go great with meat too! This dessert was red as well—
but not too sweet. Honestly, Georgian food really suits my taste. That was such a satisfying meal.
Thank you for the feast! All right—off we go to Telavi, in Georgia’s wine region, Kakheti! We’re heading back to Schuchmann Winery, where we stayed on Day 3. This time, we’ll meet up with friends flying in from Bangkok. It’s about a two-hour drive, crossing through the mountains. But… what is with this weather?! We can’t see a thing—completely whiteout! The daughter of my friend got carsick on the way. Poor thing… this road is no joke. And here we are—back at Schuchmann Winery! We had booked the same type of room as last time… But due to a broken air conditioner, we were upgraded to a private cottage—what a surprise! They gave us a ride there in a cart. It’s quite far from the main building. With my broken foot, I’ll definitely be relying on the cart! This is our second stay at Schuchmann. Originally, our travel agent suggested: stay two nights here after Azerbaijan,
then relax in Tbilisi till the end. But I insisted—
I want to end the trip with lots of wine! Not the most logical reason, I know! That’s how this quirky schedule came about—two separate stays at the same winery. Plus, our friends also wanted to meet us at a winery. In the end, it worked out perfectly. We got to drink to our hearts’ content! So make sure to watch this video all the way to the end! Though I’m not sure this itinerary would be helpful for most travelers to the Caucasus… But I do hope I’m showing you the charm of each place we visited. What do you think? And if you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing to the channel! Seriously though—this place is huge! We’ve arrived! And wow—look at this cottage! Isn’t it lovely? A spacious living room, a full kitchen… I want to throw a party here! Or even better—stay for a few weeks! I wonder how much it costs though… There are two bedrooms, and the heating works great. The bathroom has a shower and toilet—no bathtub. But my friends made up for it by reserving the sauna! This is my friends’ room—it has the same layout. And in the living room—
an actual fireplace! A real one—with firewood! I’ve seen electric fireplaces before,
but never lit one with real logs. Well, except for the wood stove back in rural Akita… But that felt different. The staff lit the fireplace for us. Before it got dark, I stepped outside to check out the view. So beautiful. Even in mid-April, the Caucasus Mountains still have plenty of snow. The fatigue from the drive just melted away. I was so excited! Just then—good news! Our friends from Bangkok arrived safely. We met up at the restaurant and toasted to our reunion! They had a proper dinner, while we kept it light—still full from lunch. But seriously, what’s with this lighting? It kind of looks like a shady place—not exactly appetizing… But don’t worry—it was actually delicious! Later, we ordered more wine,
and headed back to our room. One more toast—this time, in our cozy living room. Good morning, Telavi! We’re flying home early tomorrow morning— so today is our last full day. In fact, they’ve changed the plan quite a bit. They prepared a special program just for us. I can’t wait! Last time we stayed here, breakfast was à la carte. But today’s Sunday, and there are more guests. So it’s buffet-style this time. Sorry if it looks rude— but yes, I did open the lids even without taking anything. It’s not just for filming! I always like to see everything first before deciding what to eat. They had buckwheat groats. People here seem to eat it just like rice. And since lunch might be late again,
I made sure to eat well this morning. It’s a beautiful day today! First stop: the local market! It’s about 15 minutes from our hotel by car. The market is right in the center of Telavi, and it’s much bigger than I expected! I actually want to make a whole video just about this market. So I’ll save those scenes for next time. If you love veggies and local markets, stay tuned! (Are there many of you out there?) If so, please let me know in the comments! After the market, we headed to Alaverdi Monastery. Right at the entrance, there’s a station where women can borrow scarves and wraps to cover their head and waist. Alaverdi Monastery was built in the 11th century. It’s one of the most historic monasteries in Georgia, and one of the “Four Great Cathedrals” of the Georgian Orthodox Church. It’s also famous as a traditional winery. You could say this place has grown up alongside the grape. On this day, they were celebrating “Bzoba” or Palm Sunday. It’s the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. People gather for worship holding symbolic “branches” in their hands. Parts of the monastery’s exterior were under repair— a bit of a shame. Inside the monastery, we met a man in traditional Georgian attire called chokha. He showed us his sword and shared some stories with us. By the way, this photo shows Ambassador Teimuraz Lezhava, the Georgian ambassador to Japan—wearing a chokha. I saw this on X (formerly Twitter), where he kindly wrote, “Feel free to use this photo.” So… I took him up on that offer! Now, back inside the church. The atmosphere here is solemn and deeply spiritual. Just being here made me feel more composed. Did you notice something about this scene? If you’ve seen my previous videos, I’ve shown a few Georgian Orthodox churches already. And there’s one thing they all have in common— something that feels… just a bit unusual. That’s right—there are no chairs. In the Georgian Orthodox tradition,
worship is done standing. The idea is that time spent with God
should not be done sitting in comfort, but standing—out of respect and devotion. Rather than sightseeing,
this visit became a quiet, powerful moment. A time to truly feel the depth and strength of faith. Wow—look at that presentation! Is that a wine tasting set? Or maybe a snack platter? Sadly… it wasn’t for us. We’re at a restaurant just across the road from Alaverdi Monastery. And our mission here is yogurt! In Georgia, it’s called matsoni. Professor Yukio Yamori, known for his longevity research, once came to Georgia to study why so many people live to 100 here. That’s when he discovered the health benefits of this yogurt. To make it more appealing in Japan, he promoted it under the name “Caspian Sea Yogurt.” Funny thing is—there’s no Caspian Sea in Georgia! This restaurant serves yogurt made with the original culture. We tried plain yogurt, honey-topped, frozen yogurt, and even yogurt cake. Since we had a big group, we could sample everything—just a bite each. And I’m so glad we did… because everything was seriously delicious! Even now, after coming home,
I still think about that matsoni. Oh, and this dark topping? It’s actually boiled green walnut skins! Pretty unique—I’m glad I got to taste it! With our tummies slightly full,
we’re off to lunch now. Honestly, I’ve completely lost track of time at this point. We kept talking about khinkali so much— someone finally asked,
“Would you like to try making it yourselves?” Of course we said yes! (“Please wash your hands before making khinkali.”) (“Since khinkali is boiled, it takes a bit of time…”) So—today’s lunch?
Homemade khinkali! (“Everyone, please come over here.”) The prep station was ready to go— tools and ingredients all lined up. They’d pre-made the dough for us,
since it takes time. (“The dough is just flour, salt, and water.”) (“It’s quite tough—kneading it takes real strength. Go ahead, feel it.”) (“You need to make the dough at least an hour in advance.”) (“That one hour is really important.”) We watched a demo from the instructor—and then it was our turn! Not as easy as it looks. I couldn’t get it to stretch evenly. Her dough looked perfect. Then we used this tool to cut circles. While we were still struggling to roll things out… she had already made a whole stack! My stomach was growling,
so I wanted to speed things up… But she kindly stepped in to help. Next: the folding technique! Take the cut dough, roll it thin, and wrap the filling inside. Make sure to seal it well—
so it doesn’t fall apart when boiled. And here’s her demo. Just beautiful. I was busy making my own,
so no video clips during that part! Before we knew it, trays were filling up fast. Not bad, right? …Okay, maybe don’t zoom in too much. Some people got the hang of it and flew through the process. Others just gave up—after squishing the dough around for a while! The finished khinkali were boiled over an open fire, in this giant pot. Firewood and a big cauldron—everything looks so cool here! While waiting for them to cook,
we toured the winery’s marani. A marani is a space in Georgian homes or wineries
for making and storing wine. I showed you some in the first Georgia episode— and this one also uses traditional clay vessels,
called qvevri, buried underground. Time for lunch! Whoa—just look at all these dishes! And what a beautifully set table. (“All of this is homemade, you know.”) I was only expecting to eat khinkali—
so getting to make them was a fun surprise! Isn’t this just incredible? By the way, I just realized—
in Georgia, meals are usually shared. In many Western countries, everyone sticks to their own plate. No sharing utensils or reaching in. But in Georgia? It’s all about passing dishes,
clinking glasses, and eating together. Maybe that’s part of why so many people here live to 100— not just the matsoni, but the joy of family-style meals and heartfelt toasts. And now—look what’s arriving at the table… Ta-da! Our homemade khinkali! Still steaming—so good! More and more khinkali arriving—
well, we did make a lot! For dessert, we had something that reminded me of uiro from Japan. Slightly sweet, and very subtle. And the wine—just keeps flowing! At Georgian feasts, there’s a special toastmaster called a tamada. They don’t just raise a glass— they tell stories, make people laugh and cry,
and bring everyone together. After the tamada’s toast, the guests follow with their own speeches and cheers. “That kind of beauty is truly one of a kind.” “It kind of reminded me of a khinkali.” Ours was something like:
“To Georgia—where people, nature, food, and wine are all works of art!” …And yes, the toasts just kept going. Thanks to the winery’s generosity, so did the feast. Before we knew it, it was nighttime. Fried—or maybe baked—khinkali showed up too! And that’s how our last night in Georgia came to a close. It was such a warm and wonderful farewell. On the way back over the mountain pass—snow! The weather hadn’t been on our side for most of this trip, but wow—what a dramatic send-off. We left early just in case,
but everything went smoothly. Breakfast at the airport lounge. I still needed a cane,
but I could walk pretty well,
so I hadn’t requested a wheelchair. At check-in, they offered one anyway—
even arranged it for the transfer in Turkey. I gratefully accepted. We flew Turkish Airlines from Tbilisi via Istanbul, then Thai Airways business class back to Bangkok. The in-flight meals were great, too! In Istanbul, we were met again and taken via a lift for wheelchair users. There were others using it too, which actually made me feel more at ease. Everyone was so kind—
but if I had one wish, it’s this: the transfer desk wait times could be shorter. I couldn’t meet up with my friend at the lounge like we planned. If you’re transferring through Istanbul with mobility support, keep the timing in mind. After a smooth flight and plenty of good food— we made it safely back to Thailand. So—how did you enjoy it? This wraps up our journey through the three countries of the Caucasus. Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia—each one was more amazing than I had imagined. So many places I’d love to revisit someday,
and spend more time in. I wonder if I’ll ever get that chance? Whether you’ve been to these countries, are planning a trip, or maybe just dreaming from afar— I hope you felt like you traveled with me,
sharing these moments together. If you enjoyed the video, please give it a thumbs up! And if you haven’t seen the other episodes yet,
be sure to check them out! Next up: we’re heading to a Georgian market—don’t miss it! Subscribe to the channel so you’ll know when it’s up. See you again soon on AO’s Travel Moments!
バンコク在住もうすぐ30年の☆青☆の旅チャンネル（プロフィールは最後に）
今回は、「骨折した足でぐるっと3国コーカサスへGO！」第5弾。
ジョージアの旅・後編をお届けします。トビリシ市内観光から、ふたたびワインの里カヘティへ――。
ヒンカリ作りなど貴重な体験ができただけでなく、夢にまで見たワイナリーでの大宴会（!?）も実現して、大満足の旅となりました。
📍タイムスタンプ
00:00 オープニング・旅の予定
01:09 メテヒ教会から平和の橋（旧市街）
06:23 ソロラキの丘「ジョージアの母」
08:21 ランチ「Maspindzelo」
10:10 カヘティへ山越え
10:47 シュフマン・ワインズ豪華コテージ
14:35 朝食と今日の予定
16:10 アラヴェルディ修道院
18:23 マッツォーニの試食
19:58 ワイナリーでヒンカリ手作り体験！
24:02 最後の晩餐!? 大宴会！（スプラ）
28:02 トビリシ空港からバンコクへ
📌参考リンク
駐日ジョージア大使 ティムラズ・レジャバ氏 公式サイト
https://www.taishitamonda.jp/Home
大使のXアカウント
https://x.com/teimurazlezhava?s=21
今回の旅行を手配してくれた旅行会社（サクラ・トラベル）
https://sakurageorgia.com/ja
カヘティ地方・アラヴェルディ修道院紹介
Ça voir! －さぼわーる－
https://ca-voir.com/alaverdi-monastery-jp/
🎬☆青☆のコーカサスシリーズ
1: https://youtu.be/atlVXFZAoGc?si=icnk9gImF6o4FpU9
2: https://youtu.be/il7o3ehsy5Q?si=XnE3wy-ceESeHSNN
3: https://youtu.be/vEc8n7ToBSs?si=B7Rl-dwag1SrdnIF
4: https://youtu.be/Z53uwtucdB4?si=BCMHzL7aFLdgY8m8
👤☆青☆プロフィール
おにいさん（＝旦那さん）と旅をするのが人生最大の楽しみ。
日本全国47都道府県・タイ全77県制覇！海外は約55か国を訪問。
1967年秋田県鹿角市生まれ。
1988年 東京銀行（現三菱UFJ銀行）入行。
1996年よりタイ駐在・結婚・退職 → コンサル会社副社長 → 野菜ソムリエプロ → 健幸料理の店「SALADee」開店・閉店 → コンサル会社副社長に復帰 → YouTubeスタート（←今ここ）
2026年4月以降は、世界を暮らすように旅する予定！
チャンネル名は2025年から
SALADee Travel Diary → ☆青☆の旅時間 – AO’s Travel Moments – に変更しました。
まだ慣れず不定期更新ですが、月2回の更新を目指しています。
ぜひチャンネル登録お願いします！
#ジョージア旅行 #コーカサス旅行 #海外旅行 #トビリシ #カヘティ