Tbilisi – changes and observations

06.09.202

It’s been 12.5 years since I was in Tbilisi. And super curious, I run out the very next morning and walk along streets I’ve walked along before. What has changed? At first glance, a lot. Back then, a lot of things were shabby, the streets full of potholes, the buildings in disrepair. I was amazed at what had been done – a lot had been spruced up and repaired.

 

 

At the time, I had wondered how many women were elegantly prancing through the potholes in high heels. It seemed to me that I was the only one with practical shoes. Perhaps the ladies have taken an example from me and now also wear practical footwear. Unless they’re at a wedding or something, then they’re back to stomping on vertiginous heels. Sunday was a wedding day – 3 of them I saw! Here is a guest with impractical footwear:

 

 

Back then, it seemed to me that men liked nothing better than to drive around in their cars. They still do that today, but they often sit around in the parking position and look out or at their mobile phones. Maybe the traffic has become too tiring for them? Sometimes they also stand next to the car:

 

 

Was Tbilisi already so huge back then? The city stretches through the valley and over the hills like an oversized pancake.

 

 

There were definitely few to almost no tourists on the road at that time. But it was also an unattractive month to travel in March. Today, despite Corona, it is completely different – they crowd around the sights, guides advertise their offers, drivers hand out flyers – almost like in India….
People could also hang love locks on bridges, but they were specially made in the shape of hearts. Here at a tourist hotspot:

 

 

Apart from that, I have already been able to learn some interesting things. There is a memorial plaque for the longest handshake. An Armenian and a Turk, both actors, shook and held hands for 43 hours in the service of international understanding. Then I guess one hand just fell off. Here is the memorial plaque:

 

 

And here a link about that:

https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-armenian-actors-break-longest-handshake-record-59262

 

There is a lot of art in Tbilisi. Some of the street art is really great. But there’s also someone who realised that voluminous women’s bumps could be a good business model. But I don’t know if this is the beginning or the end of a steep sales career.

 

 

There are other interesting business models and observations. But no more in this post.