Thursday, May 3, 2012

Sighnaghi Revisited


With Kate visiting from the U.S., it warranted a second excursion to Sighnaghi.

We replicated the trip I'd taken earlier with Sandy, Marie, and Eberle, including a taste of the hot chocolate, lunch at the Mexican restaurant, a stop in the old church, and a visit to the Pheasant's Tears winery.

Each brought a fresh perspective.

At St. George church, there was no wedding in progress, so we got to investigate the interior at our leisure.

Sighnaghi, Georgia. Accoutrements of an active church. St. George.

Sighnaghi, Georgia. Matrimonial crowns, St. George Church.

Sighnaghi, Georgia. St. George Church.

Sighnaghi, Georgia. These look like Ethiopian figures.

At the Mexican restaurant, the view was still spectacular, and Kate bought a CD from the owner, who is a member of a group that sings traditional chants. He learned about Mexican food when he spent a year in California teaching monks Georgian chant (versus, say, Gregorian chant).



The restaurant owner is the man in the green shirt, in the middle, standing.


After a satisfying lunch, we walked down and then up to Pheasant's Tears winery, where I hoped we'd see John Wurdeman, one of the owners. (He is Nely's hero.) We didn't succeed in that regard, but we enjoyed some wine and had a look-see in the cellar, or maroni.

Sighnaghi - Pheasant's Tears wine maroni

Sighnaghi - Pheasant's Tears wine maroni
Sighnaghi - Pheasant's Tears wine maroni

Outside, we looked at the traditional qvevri, which is what gets buried in the ground, filled with the wine makings.

Sighnaghi - Pheasant's Tears wine qvevri

We were entranced by the jewel-tone color of our wines.



On the way out, we saw a beautiful cake and bouquet of flowers, intended for a wedding party later. I'm reminded of my aunt June's response to an invitation to indulge in a sweet: "No, thank you, the visual feast is enough." 


Sighnaghi - Pheasant's Tears cake and flowers

On the way to our departing marshrutka, I stopped in a shop that seemed to specialize in decrepit food items.Cheese hardening and curling as one watched. I liked the fish hanging.

Sighnaghi - Fish hanging


 



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