Day 8 - Kazbegi trip

No mosaic-making or workshops on the eighth day of the project !
Instead the whole group went for a trip that led us to Kazbegi, three hours from Rustavi.

As you all know our project is dedicated to mosaic, so on our way we stopped in Gudauri to visit the biggest mosaic in Georgia : the Russian-Georgian friendship monument, built in 1983.

Then we went on our way to the town of Stepentsminda and climbed the neighboring hill in order to visit the old church sitting on its top, allowing us to enjoy the great panorama.

As the day was all about discovering Georgian nature and culture, we couldn't finish it without a Georgian supra, a traditional feast featuring a never ending stream of food. The restaurant  provided great cooking and entertainment as we were able to witness Georgian folk songs and impressive dances while tasting diverse Georgian dishes and making numerous toasts in the purest Georgian form.

Traditionally, the Tamada (or Toastmaster) is the person in charge of all the toasts during a Georgian supra. There is a traditional way to say toasts in a particular order. The second most important person is called Merikipe and is responsible for serving the wine.

And as the Georgian saying goes, merikipe go to heavens !
Georgians also have their own way of drinking the wine, with two person crossing their arms and emptying their glass before flipping it upside down to show that they finished it and saying special words  meaning literally let your enemies be as empty as this glass.

We are all in love with Georgian culture!