Since childhood my parents took me on various hiking trips and most of our quality time spent together have been outdoors. I have stick to this habit and long walks throughout the city or shirt hikes outside have become my routine during the lockdown.
What was first early spring walks in winter-shoes and snowboard jacket later become refreshing hikes through greenery in shorts and sometimes even flip-flops. Tbilisi has a real problem with traffic therefore I recommend choosing your ways carefully. Not once I have ended up stranded on a highway only to realize I need to go back.
Starting most of my walks with a short climb through something like 400 stairs up, I found myself next to one of the most amazing statues I have ever seen. Not some boring aristocrat or politician but a symbol of freedom and homeland for locals the Mother of Georgia.
She clearly has some of the best views of the city and when you're next to the statue you can feel some funky energy around. Really nice piece of art.
Tbilisi really is like walking through some scene in a medieval movie, or even better time travel. The place you see on the last picture is actually reachable by foot, You only need to find a secret way to sneak in. Otherwise you'll be subject to payment or if unlucky the big opening gate will be closed due to pandemic. I was lucky and found the secret entry.
Here I could divide the article and start a part 2 actually.
Later in pandemic when my first walk around become quite boring I have been making aver bigger circles and ended up on the other side of what is the horizon on the last photo.
The weather was getting warmer and my appetite to see more was growing. What would otherwise be almost unthinkable place to go was after so much time spent in one place a must.
So, for the next walk I had to cross the river and get into somewhat more residential and poorer area. It has it's charms I must tell you. All these old self made homes strongly resonate with me because that is exactly what for example more ''developed'' world is missing. All the balconies and terraces which are almost surprising you with their placement on sometimes even ridiculous places.
After the Georgian version of shanty town comes the waste collecting area and the hills I am trying to get to. As I like to hike alone without meeting a dog walker every two minutes I don't mind crossing the wasteland and finally I find myself almost in nature. Still seeing the city though.
After reaching the top of my little trip, refreshed myself with a beer I brought with me, slowly came time to head back because of the 9 pm curfew at that time. The shortest way back led me through cemetery where I was so blown away and feeling lost I didn't took any pictures, even though now thinking about it would be nice ending to the story, but I will let the dead sleep in peace and show you some empty street in city center and a dog, who was loosing his mind after all the people magically disappeared.