First stop was the Peace Memorial celebrating 200 years of friendship between Georgia and Russia, also giving fabulous views of the mountains.

The roads here, after the winter are in a bad state of repair, our driver Popuna did a great job or avoiding the many potholes.

The village of Sno was our next stop to see the defensive tower and a local artists equivalent of the Easter Island Heads, all figures in Georgian history, interesting to say the least.

We then arrived in Gergeti, where we transferred to small 4×4 vehicles to take us up the hill to Gergeti Trinity Church, the most visited attraction in Georgia. Although the weather was better than anticipated, it was overcast and didn’t set off the church in its best light. At 2,170m, Nigel was suffering a little from the altitude. According to legend, the church was built in the 14th century by a monk named Gabriel, who was inspired to build it after seeing an image of the Holy Trinity on a rock in the area. The church was constructed using traditional Georgian architectural techniques and materials, including stone and wood. It contains a number of frescoes and icons including one of St Nino.

Late lunch in a restaurant with a fabulous view of the church and nearby Kazbek Mountain, 3rd tallest in Georgia.

Back to the hotel, where the heavens opened, with thunder and lightening – glad we got back in time.