A journey to another country changes us. They say that after every new trip we come back different. Travel broadens the mind they say. Mosaic of memories: faces, landscapes, talks — they will stay with us forever like cinema freezes. We choose our route, our adventure and step on the road. About the places hard to forget — our columnist, owner of Le Grand Bazar boutique and Stomatology 31 — Julia Rempel.
My roads start from a complication for me. I love clothes, it's my job. But I also hate to pack them because I want to follow the dress codes in places I've never been to and feel myself comfortable. When someone is looking for routes and worth seeing places I look for costumes. And of course I bring them from every trip.
All of my life I've dreamt of visiting Georgia and when at last I came I had a strange feeling that I'd been there before. Nothing seemed unfamiliar as if I came back home and even saw the hotel walls not for the first time. When you travel much it is important what tem-porary house will be your shelter. Much is depending on how they meet you: your inner peace affects your acquaintance with the country and acceptance of it. And here I was — I saw Georgia different from the Soviet times and 'Mimino' movie we were used to judge about it from, now the traveler can see absolutely European conditions. People are benevolent and have a beautiful appearance and together with their music this all is like an exquisite cocktail which made my journey be very romantic. People, food, atmosphere made me feel home. Even the rain postponed its start for the days of our trip though being in prognosis.
Home by all means supposes food. Georgia is a gourmand paradise, I wanted to taste everything: khachapuri, satsivi which I do adore but couldn't find cause it occurred to be a New Year food. As it is with every tourist here — we visited the restaurant 'Melnitsa' where they danced national dances, sang songs and served Georgian food for us.
Wine valleys, foothills, natural farms — this was the country we admired. We visited the beautiful region — Kakheti, it's a historical area in the east part of Georgia in the upper reaches of rivers Irori and Alazani. We were invited to the house where a Kakhetian family lived and we got acquainted with their everyday life. They showed our children how the grape wine grows, how they make house wine, churchkhela, khachapuri.
I think that Georgia is a happy country where people invented their own cozy home happiness and since that time they don't need to achieve something different. This leisurely attitude, peaceful inner state, carefully kept traditions… For example, everyone wears national costumes in their everyday life, especially in the outback towns and villages. Georgians surprised me by their attitude towards clothes. They combine in harmony national and European motives; they like to dress traditionally, beautifully and at the same time fashionably. May be Tom Brown was inspired by their looks when he made his famous collection — he saw that the combination of European shoes and national costumes make a good alliance and look stylish.
Cozy houses and nearby — mountains, symbol of Georgia same as wine and kitchen. We went upwards, reached the top, looked at the churches, at the amazingly beautiful nature of Caucasus mountains range and Svanetia. It was a hard road because not everyone can bare the rarified air and it complicates the way on the 3,5 thousands meters' of altitude. It was a get over ourselves literally: we had to persuade ourselves to be not afraid of hight, mountain roads, physical tired-ness. And it was amazing, there was a feeling that a hard way made you stronger.
Every journey ends once but I won't stop choosing new routes. There's still a vague sensation inside of me: what if there's a place somewhere I belong and should turn up to be here and now — a house with a lighted fireplace awaiting for me. I just have to find it.
If someone asks me what to bring from Georgia it goes without saying — wine. Georgian wines are like memories we take with us, a small drop carrying the spirit and mood of the whole country which makes your way back home not so sad and less resembling of a goodbye.
