Top: World's first 360-degree Panorama of Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia, Feb 24/2009, from 12 separate photos...

Friday 8 May 2009

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

One more for the road... I left Ushguli for big, noisy, warm, chaotic Tbilisi a week ago, so I suppose I should stop posting photos from that wintry mountainous location.  Soon as I run out of good ones, I will move on.

Ratianis' Day feast at Jgurag (St George's) Church



Thursday 7 May 2009

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

At the risk of seeming repetitive, here are 3 more alternate images from the door of Jgurag (St George's) Church in Ushguli, same theme, different versions, just to show you what I was playing with at the time





Wednesday 6 May 2009

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

The open door of Jgurag (St George's) Church, candles on the outside wall and a pan of smoking coals in the doorway, along with cash offerings - nice mix of pagan and Orthodox

Rooster and barn

Strange set of reflections including, lower, Lamaria Church and tower






Tuesday 5 May 2009

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

More from the day for the Ratianis and another local family. Here are 3 representatives of those 2 failies (top) with Jgurag (St George's) Church through the window at right

The Church, top middle, and Ushguli's highest of its 7 churches, Lamaria (St Mary's) Church at right

A wonderfully local door to a barn - good folk art






Monday 4 May 2009

Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

(Why do my recent posts from south of Ushguli have labels of "spring", while those later ones from Ushguli, like today, still have"winter" labels?!  Well, because it IS still winter in Usguli.)

The first foreign guest to Ushguli, a week or so ago, a Canadian.  He had walked from Mestia to Ipari and spent the night there with friends of mine, who put him in touch with me and sent him on.  He was ready to camp and feed himself, as he usually does, but my host family took him in in pity.  The 2nd photo is of him backfipping rather irreverently from a location which I'll not name, onto snow - good fun!

Bottom 2 - prayer day for 2 local familes at Jgurag (St George's) Church, including that of my hosts, the Ratianis.  Calf sacrifice, stew in the cauldron, lots of moonshine toasts to various family members



Sunday 3 May 2009

Mestia, Svaneti, Georgia

On my way back from Etseri to Ushguli a week ago.

Mikho, Ushguli's public minivan driver, showing me the engine between his and my seats

Walnuts in a stocking

Sled, all-important Svan vehicle