Great Journey 🏍 Day 353
The alarm clock rings at half past five, half past four German time, mind you! I briefly think about giving the alarm clock a piece of my mind, but then just press "snooze", only to be woken up by the damn thing again a little later.
Quickly we are in our hiking gear, a flash of inspiration makes me pack my motorbike scarf shawl thingy. And already we are standing on completely unheated roads, freezing and rattling around. Hoping that the steep climb to the church will warm up our tired bodies.
He does justice to our wishes. Once across the village, over the river, on through the next village. Sunrise is still a little way off, but it's already so dusky-bright. Just bright enough to see that it's a damn steep climb!
The only thing that reassures me is that we haven't set our sights on Kazbegi, the 5000-metre peak. Not that we would be able to do it, no. There are too many dangerous legends surrounding it. You have to be able to say no sometimes.
So we continue up, but there are no signposts. Over hill and dale. No serpentines or zigzag paths. Straight on.
I let Gerd run ahead, trying unsuccessfully to convey to him that I want to enjoy the landscape in peace. Meanwhile, I just snort under-trained after him.
At the top, right on time, as if we had planned it, the sun winks over the first mountain peaks, puts the Trinity Church in the right light and, no less important, finally warms up our soaking wet and chilled bodies.
The church is also special from a historical point of view. For many hundreds of years, the Georgian crown treasure and the vine cross of the Georgian national saint Nino were kept there. That is why it is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Georgia.
We are almost alone up here, only on the descent do we meet some motivated day trippers. We are back down in time for breakfast. Only to fall into a daytime sleep of several hours shortly afterwards. So much for: Seize the day!
#wanderingMice #Gergeti #GergetiTsmindaSameba #trinity Church #Kazbegi
#Caucasus
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