Georgia: Marina's Guesthouse

Marina's Guesthouse. Fruit festival on the balcony.

I wouldn't normally center a post about a place of lodging, but Marina's in Tbilisi is an exception.

When Kate and Pam came to visit, I'd booked them temporarily into a hostel with the plan to find a place for Kate (who'd stay on for three weeks after Pam left) that was in a neighborhood and had the right vibe ... and, oh yeah, was affordable.

Marina's Guesthouse. Courtyard entrance.

Kate and I checked out a few places, none of which did the trick, but when I revisited airbnb.com, I saw a new listing - Marina's. The moment we walked into Marina's courtyard, I knew it was the one. Marina's son, David, had only just got her onto airbnb.



















David lives in Olathe, Kansas, which is exactly where one of Kate's daughters lives with her family. An immediate bond.

Marina's dolls.

Marina has a wry sense of humor, often self-deprecating. (She likes to say she is the lone peasant among all of the aristocrats in Georgia.) A former costume designer, Marina now creates dolls, some of which are in Tbilisi's Doll Museum. Marina's husband, Nodar, a retired geologist with a charming smile, spends much of his time in Marneuli tending a vineyard and garden. He makes good wine and chacha.







Marina's guesthouse is in the Marjanishvili neighorhood.

During a recent stay, it was chilly and very windy. It was quite satisfactory to lie on the bed and look at the curtain blow into the room.

On the balcony, looking up at Mtatsminda, all you want to do is drink some coffee or tea, read a good book, and, if you feel energetic enough, chat with Marina or other guests. It is an oasis.

Tbilisi: Marjanishvili Area

Tbilisi - Marjanishvili neighborhood

The Marjanishvili neighborhood may be my favorite in Tbilisi. It is a neighborhood. It's got a metro station and is fairly close to other highly-frequented spots in Tbilisi. It's not entirely gentrified (yet). There are residents of diverse incomes here. Many trees shade the streets. Tiny markets that sell groceries, flowers, and clothes dot Marjanishvili Street between the metro and the Prestige Hotel. The intersecting Aghmashenebili Street is grander and less neighborhood-y than Marainishvili, but it's beautiful for ambling by and ogling the architecture. 



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Some photos.

Tbilisi: Marjanishvili

Marjanishvili is a neighborhood in Tbilisi. It's been undergoing renovation like so much of Georgia.

Tbilisi, Georgia. Marjanishvili.

There's a metro station here. A McDonald's. Several guesthouses or hostels. Numerous tiny fruit and vegetable markets. A Russian Orthodox church. Small, human-scale lanes.

Tbilisi, Georgia. Marjanishvili neighborhood.

Irina's in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

A few weeks ago, Sandy and I spent Saturday night at Irina's Guesthouse. The hostel takes up a portion of this building - a two-level, maze-like place with many bathrooms, two kitchens, and an assortment of rooms filled with beds and antique furniture. Irina owns the apartment; I think the apartment has belonged to her family since her childhood.

Irina's in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

Sandy and I enjoyed the exclusive use of a four-bed dormer. We met a trio of Swiss cyclists who've been wheeling around Eurasia since September or October. A Korean family was also in residence; parents and two or three young'ns.

Irina's in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

Sandy had this intriguing, and a little creepy, sight from her bed.

Chucky? 

Irina's in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

Cozy kitchen upstairs.

Russian Orthodox Church in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

 
We went into the Russian Orthodox Church, a breath of artistic fresh air, outside the Georgian Orthodox design norm.

Russian Orthodox Church in Marjanishvili. Tbilisi, Georgia.

This weekend was a milestone in the Lenten season, so there were many worshipers entering the church, sharing or receiving food, lighting candles, getting blessings.

Tbilisi, Georgia. Marjanishvili. Russian Orthodox Church.