Embark on a Global Journey with FridgeMagnet Tales: Every Travel Blog is Your Passport to Adventure
Welcome to FridgeMagnet Tales, your digital gateway to the wonders of the world. This page is a treasure trove of travel blogs chronicling our escapades across the globe. Whether you’re a seasoned globetrotter or an armchair explorer, here you’ll find inspiration, practical tips, and immersive narratives that transport you to far-flung corners of the earth.
Join us as we traverse continents, navigate bustling cities, and lose ourselves in the serenity of remote landscapes. From the cobblestone streets of Europe to the sun-kissed shores of exotic islands, we leave no stone unturned in our quest to share the magic of travel with you.
Our travel blog is more than just an itinerary and sightseeing guide—they’re windows into the soul of each destination. We divulge our insider secrets, revealing hidden gems and local haunts that guidebooks often overlook. Need help crafting your own adventure? We’ve got you covered with practical tips on everything from budgeting and packing to navigating cultural nuances.
But what if wanderlust strikes and you’re unable to embark on a physical journey? Fear not. Dive into our immersive blogs, where vivid descriptions and captivating storytelling whisk you away on a virtual voyage. Close your eyes, and you’ll swear you can feel the tropical breeze on your skin or hear the hustle and bustle of a bustling bazaar.
So, whether you’re planning your next getaway or seeking an escape from the everyday grind, FridgeMagnet Tales invites you to join us on a journey of discovery, adventure, and unforgettable experiences. Bon voyage!
Researching is one of my favorite parts of traveling – apart from the actual travel of course. I look for the most unique experiences possible in a place and try to accommodate it into the itinerary. After all, if I am traveling all the way to another country, I don’t want to come back and find out that I missed something good. This is not to say that the trip should become a long check-list. Rather the contrary – know everything that the place has to offer and then make an informed decision – pick only those that appeal to you. This process led me to Khor Virap, Mount Ararat and Areni in Armenia.
It was Day 4 of our Armenia trip and we found out that it was Zaven of Hyur Service, once again, who would be taking us. This was a 2-day trip which meant he would be staying overnight with us and then bring us back the next day. There he stood next to the Mercedes Vito with his black sunglasses and white shirt – sharp as always.Our two-day excursion to south Armenia started with Khor Virap, Mount Ararat and the Areni winery.
As you drive from Sevan Lake to Yerevan, you will pass through some mountains. At one point in this journey, you might spot a snowy peak in the distance. It is an imposing structure and disappears again for a while. The mountains soon give way to reveal the greatest symbol of Yerevan – the snow capped peaks of Mount Ararat.
Ararat approaches on the way to Yerevan
We’ll cover Ararat in greater detail in the next blog, for now, let’s call it the Burj Khalifa equivalent of Yerevan – a monumental structure that defines the city in many ways and forms a part of the lasting memory of being here.
It was the second last day of our Georgia trip. We had booked a car for the next day to cross the border from Georgia to Armenia. I got a message from the driver, Iuri, that we would have to modify our plans slightly.
We were supposed to visit Haghpat monastery on the way to Dilijan. His message was exactly this, “Good evening. I wanted to warn you that the road to the Haghpat church is closed, we will go tomorrow only towards Dilijan. The road was washed away by the rain and the road there is blocked. I don’t know for how long, but I don’t think we can get there”.
Floods in Armenia
I searched on Google and found that the entire north of Armenia was affected and train services were suspended. The main highway between Georgia and Armenia had been washed away by the floods, the worst they had seen in more than a decade. The entire train system was also blocked. And we had to cross over the next day!
It was day 8 – the last day of our Georgia trip and we had to drive back to Tbilisi. Our hotel had been kind enough to pack breakfast for us and we started early at 6 am. We had to return our car before 9 am and take our next car to Armenia by 10 am.
We had to drive over the Gombori pass to get to Tbilisi – both our hotel and driver from the previous day had told us that the road was really bad due to renovation happening there. We hoped it would not be closed. We passed by some petrol pumps but decided to skip them for now. Our car’s fuel indicator showed that we were good for at least 100 km and our route was around 92 km long – it should make the cut. In any case, we would be over the mountain pass soon and we could refill petrol.
The roads were empty at this time of the day. We left behind the villages and entered the dense forests and mountain roads. Here also, we saw sections of the road which were completely washed away and had to drive with caution. We started wondering if the Georgian definition of a “bad road” meant a road with some potholes – in that case, we had nothing to worry about.
The road to Gombori
Soon enough, the road ended and became a dirt track. We couldn’t drive faster than 15-20 kmph as we rolled over the mud and negotiated the sharp turns along the cliffs. Gombori pass was brutal.
That’s when I noticed the fuel indicator – it was depleting fast. The original indicator showed the distance based on the speed at that time – we were cruising at 70-80 kmph without much use of the accelerator or brakes. But the current road was a mileage killer. And it continued for another 20 kms even past the town of Gombori!
All my hours of driving in Bangalore traffic came in handy now. I used to set the “live mileage” option on the dashboard and keep looking at how it changed when I hit the accelerator and brakes. The trick was to minimize acceleration to maximize mileage. It also meant I had to minimize braking – otherwise I would need to use the accelerator more. Bottomline – I had to drive at a steady speed using gravity as much as possible. Since we were on a downhill slope, it helped.
The mountains were almost done but there was no sign of a petrol pump. I continued my fuel-saving driving style for almost 40 kms more until we hit the main highway. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we got to a petrol pump! Thankfully, I hadn’t told anyone else about this predicament we were in – driving through that horrible road was bad enough. I didn’t want anyone worrying about getting stuck on the remote mountain pass with no help nearby.
It was smooth sailing from there till we reached Tbilisi. If you have been reading our earlier blogs, you would know that we were worried about the parking fine which the car owner had informed us about. We had tried checking the parking systems in Telavi and with some locals also but found that there were no fines outstanding on our car. He only charged us the cleaning fee and didn’t mention anything about the fine – happily taking back the car and asking us to leave him a good rating. All’s well that ends well, I guess!
Our next journey was a road trip to cross the border into Armenia. We had found out the previous day that Armenia was witnessing its worst floods in over a decade and the northern part was most affected. The highway that we were supposed to take to enter the country had been entirely washed away in the landslides and floods. Our driver had told us that he knew an alternate route through the mountains and we kept our fingers crossed that we would reach our next destination safely.
An Exciting End – Dirt road, petrol scare and upcoming floods
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In the last blog, we covered the romantic towns of Sighnaghi and Telavi in the wine region of Georgia. We were traveling to Kvareli with our driver for the day, Rezo. It was Georgian wine day!
Rezo kept explaining about the region as he drove – how Telavi and Alazani valley lies between the Caucasus and the Gombori range, about the history of grapes, Georgian wine and a lot more. Here’s a quick run-through for you.
Birthplace of wine
Georgia is widely considered to be the birthplace of wine in the world. Even the status of “Mother of Georgia” that we saw in Tbilisi was holding a cup of wine in her hand. Remains of a clay qvevri – the traditional pot used for making grapes and fossilized grape seeds were found in this region which have been dated back to 8000 years ago. Yes, you read that right – EIGHT THOUSAND! The amazing part is that the traditional method of winemaking in qvevris is still practiced to this date.
Miniature qvevris – the vessel used to make Georgian wine
Over 520 varieties of grapes call the Alazani valley their home. The unique climate of the region housed between the Caucasian mountain ranges along with the extremely fertile soil on the banks of the river make the perfect combination for grapes to flourish. The harvest season is between September-October and almost everyone we met told us to come back again to enjoy the grapes and the harvest related activities.
Georgia is mostly a mountainous country with the Caucasus mountains running along the entire length of the country and the rest of it merging with the Armenian highlands. One of the vast stretches of plain lands lies to the east – the Alazani valley, home to the famous Georgian wines! That’s where we are going in this blog. We’ll learn more about grapes and wine as we tour vineyards and the beautiful towns of Sighnaghi and Telavi in the Kakheti region of Georgia.
It was Day 6 of the trip and we started our day at Stepantsminda. I opened the curtains to see the Gergeti church and Kazbek mountain one more time before packing our bags. We said goodbye to this beautiful mountain town in Kazbegi and started our drive to Telavi – the main city of the Kakheti region.
We’re on Day 4 of the trip. We just arrived at Stepantsminda in the northern part of Georgia (close to the Georgia-Russia border). Our stay for the next 2 nights was at the Mountain House Kazbegi, a beautiful property with a view of Mt. Kazbek and the Gergeti church standing in front of it. Wherever you stay in Stepantsminda, try to get a room with a view of the mountain – trust me, that will enhance your experience multifold!
View of the Gergeti church and Kazbek mountain from our room
Travel hack (almost)
It was around 5pm and we decided to go for an early dinner. It was drizzling and there was a light breeze – so we couldn’t walk. We headed to the Rooms Hotel Kazbegi – the most luxurious and expensive hotel in the city. This is a nice travel hack which we’ve used before. Even if you don’t stay in the best hotel (to save costs), you can always go to the restaurant there for lunch or dinner and still experience the place.
Towards the north of Georgia lie the Caucasus mountains and on their other side is Russia. Georgia and Russia have an open border – which means, Georgians don’t need a visa to cross over and the same is true for the Russians. While we didn’t have any plans to cross over, our next leg was a Georgian road trip to beautiful mountainous border district of Kazbegi.
If you haven’t yet read the previous part, you can find the links at the bottom of this blog. Let’s get started!
It’s Day 3 of the trip and we’re in Tbilisi. Check out the previous blog where we participated in the Independence Day celebrations of Georgia. We carry on from the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi or Sameba, as it is popularly called. Let’s continue with our Tbilisi travel guide!
On checking the map, we realised that we could walk down the hill to reach Rike park and the cable car. It wasn’t a long walk but a little tiring carrying around two sleeping toddlers.
We had bookmarked a place called Old Generation – it had only a few reviews but really good ones for its wine and vibe. We got off the main road and walked a couple of streets inside to find a tiny little shop with a few tables.
Didn’t expect much after seeing the exterior of the building
Finding a hidden gem
An old lady sat inside and welcomed us in – it had a nice homely feel and we were the only ones there. She brought out some goblets and a huge jar of red wine. She said it was made in the Kakheti region in her vineyards there. The wine felt nice and cool in the goblet. The place was also very cool – a much needed change from the hot outside. I still remember the first sip I had – it was the most refreshing sip of wine I’d ever had. It was sweet wine – meaning it was not fermented as much as the more popular dry wines.
