mediterranean winter.

My water pipes were frozen. Just when I figured the worst cold was over, water stopped running. After reading about the deplorable conditions journalist found in the hotels of Sochi – including orange water from their taps – I feared the worst.

After an hour I had my water back, and I happily drank from it. But man, it was cold indeed. Last weekend it was minus seventeen in Tbilisi. Georgians couldn’t stand it; they seem to be cold all the time. In my office all the Georgians were hugging electric heaters. One of them lamented: ‘Why wasn’t I born in the United Arab Emirates?!’ Local residents told me that this was the lowest temperature they could remember. Some wiseacre told us thereon that 2006 was a cold winter as well, and, moreover, this was the winter when several gas pipelines on the Russian-Georgian border blasted. I don’t even want to think about living in Tbilisi back then.

It’s funny to realize that the Tbilisians find this so cold, since you’re able to see the snow of the Caucasus mountains constantly. But although the cold is always present, this is a mediterranean valley capital. The summers are hot, and the winters are not cold, but wet. I noticed how selectively I read the Lonely Planet entry on climate (literally it says about winter in Tbilisi: ‘wet and slushy’).

Georgians were known as the Italians of the Soviet Union. (Yes, there they are again!) Their easy way of living and doing business (it is said that Georgia had the largest shadow economy of the whole USSR), their nice climate, beautiful landscape, wine-culture, passion, and their dubious treatment of the law were cherished among most Soviets. Moreover, the Georgian men were said to be the best lovers of them all.

Sometimes it isn’t that bad to make such comparisons. Too many of us see the former Soviet Union as one big, monolithic, and static bloc – forgetting that it’s already 23 years since the USSR fell apart. Moreover, as many Georgians wish to  see their country as ‘European’, they tend to compare with the UK, France or Germany. As for the rule of law, the role of the church, family life and mentality it might make way more sense to keep Italy, Greece or Romania in mind – European countries as well after all. Paris is far away, but so is Moscow. But Bucharest is just on the opposite shore of the Black Sea.

Here’s a picture of the street life of Tbilisi in summer 2009, which made me think of Greece:

And here’s some pictures of winter wonder Tbilisi. The last thing I though of last week was Southern Europe. 

Here’s my well-isolated house with escape route:

 The Mtkvari river, also known as simply Kura:

The real cathedral over here, the Tsminda Sameba cathedral in Avlabari, looks rather different in Winter than it did in the Indian summer of 2009:

 

 A mediterranean sight in Winter:

Look at these iceacles! 

 

 Next post will be warmer!