Georgia is Italy 2.0 (Beta Version)

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Picture Italy. Maybe you’ve been there, maybe you’ve just seen enough romantic movies set in Tuscany or Venice to feel like you’ve been there, either way I think you can picture it. It’s rolling green hills covered in grape vines, crazy Vespa drivers zipping through cobblestone streets, fashionable young men smoking on street corners, plates piled high with homecooked food, cups overflowing with wine from the vineyard down the country lane. Now, if you’ve actually spent time in Italy, you probably also know the other side of things – throngs of tourists pushing past each other to take a selfie in front of a monument or painting without actually really looking at it, piazzas full of overpriced, generic, frozen ‘Italian’ food, simplified and sweetened to meet the expectations of foreign taste buds, cities and landscapes that have been photographed and replicated and emulated so many times that their beauty, while still undeniably there, feels tired, varnished, expected. So, what to do? Italy has so much to delight the senses! How can we experience that while avoiding the disappointment and discomfort of a country reoriented towards tourists? We need an Italy 2.0, and I’ve found it – the tiny Caucasian country of Georgia.

Italy is seen sometimes as the apex of tourist counties, and its many people’s fantasy travel destination. You should know, however, that Georgia has much in common with Italy, and, in my opinion, it has much improved upon Italy’s faults and its strengths. Georgia has faults of its own, it’s like the beta version – there are still a few kinks to work out, the occasional glitch, but overall a step up from Italy 1.0.

Full disclosure: I’m not an Italy expert. I’ve only been once, on a nine-day trip that, while I now remember rather fondly, I hated at the time. I called Italy an “open sewer of tourist filth,” closing a blog post written a week after the trip with “my recommendation is to put off traveling to Italy. Italy is spoiled. Its glory days as a travel destination are long gone and waiting can't make it any worse than it is.” I’m sure I will get responses to this piece arguing that I just don’t know Italy well enough, I didn’t do it right, that I’m unfairly besmirching Italy’s name with my inexperience – and that is completely correct, but thankfully, this isn’t really an article about Italy, it’s about Georgia. Most people have never even heard of Georgia, fewer still can get a clear enough picture of it in their mind’s eye to build a fantasy around. So, I will use not Italy per say, but the public imagination of Italy, as a start point to help you understand the country of Georgia a little better, and maybe even get inspired to plan your next trip there!

Georgia has variably been called the alternative to the Alps, the cradle of wine, and the Eden of the Caucasus. It is a stunningly diverse country gushing hospitality and warmth, with family and friendship at the center of the culture. It is a diamond in the rough flecked with moments of unspoiled paradise.

My favorite Georgian story goes like this: After God created the universe, he began to distribute parcels of land to the different peoples of the world. Each would come forward and claim their land, but when God called out for the Georgians, no one stepped forward. So, he gave away all the land. Suddenly, the Georgians arrived – drunk, laughing, stumbling, “My Lord,” their representative said, “forgive us for being late. We were feasting and became so engaged in toasting to Your glory that we lost track of time.” God was moved by the Georgians’ honoring Him, so, he gave them the only piece of land left- the land he had kept for himself. Today, this slice of Heaven is called Georgia.

Will Georgia go the way of Italy and descend into a fake, over-processed, tourist-catering facsimile of itself? Perhaps. Only time will tell. But I wouldn’t wait to find out...

The Similarities:

• Livestock in the road. In the countryside, a traffic jam means a shepherd and his sheep crossing from one pasture to another, or a herd of cows unbothered by the passing cars.

Photo: Journal of Nomads

• Grandma culture. Both countries have a strong family base (more on that below), and with that comes the grandma culture. Grandmothers are respected and feared, and will get aggressive about their affection, stuffing you with food, inquiring about your marital status, and giving you unrelenting hugs and kisses. Young people – be ready to give up your seat on public transportation if a grandmother gets on board! In Georgia, one of the prime places for a grandma sighting are roadside stands where they are likely to be selling homemade churchkhela, honey, and jams!

• Family culture. The family is the most critical unit of society in both Italy and Georgia. Most men can be classified as “mama’s boys,” young people typically live with their families until marriage, and everything revolves around the home. If you hang out with a Georgian person for long enough, expect multiple phone calls from parents and aunts and uncles just checking in. The warmth and love from the family atmosphere can feel a little stifling at times, but in the end, you know you can always count on family to be there for you.

• Homemade alcohol. Although Georgia is the birthplace of wine, Italians have taken the tradition and run with it. Most Georgian households outside the capital make their own wine, just as there are thousands of family vineyards throughout the Italian countryside. The home brewing doesn’t end with wine, though! In Italy, limoncello is the garage liquor of choice, in Georgia you’ll find the clear grape liquor chacha in glass carboys and old water bottles in cellars throughout the country.

• Crazy drivers. Italian drivers are known to be aggressive, irreverent, and quick to hit the horn. Georgian drivers aren’t much different, with little concern for lane lines and right of way. A funny joke in Georgian is that, when crossing the street, you should carefully look to the left, to the right, up and down! In Georgia, however, you don’t have to worry about the little scooters that zip around cobblestoned corners in Italian cities.

• Mañana culture. Yes, mañana is a Spanish word (meaning ‘tomorrow’), but it also makes sense in Italy and Georgia! While parts of Italy definitely have a fast-paced, espresso-fueled lifestyle, you can find throughout the country a relaxed atmosphere of people who are more concerned with enjoying life than working for the sake of working. In both countries, working on a Western timetable can sometimes be frustrating, it’s easy to fall in love with the lifestyle when Georgians suggest that a work meeting can be postponed in favor of showing their guests a taste of the famous Georgian hospitality. Time is flexible, so don’t expect precision in transportation schedules or event start times, but all the beauty and goodness of life is expected to be enjoyed to the fullest – both Georgians and Italians know how to throw a party!

• Language. Both Italian and Georgian are spoken fast and loud with plenty of hand gestures! For those not familiar with it, Georgian speakers can sound like they are constantly arguing.

• A fashion hot spot. Milan has a long history as the world’s fashion capital, but Tbilisi is quickly making a name for itself as one of the most interesting destinations for global fashion, and as the home of trendsetters and risk takers. Probably Georgia’s most famous fashion export is Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga and head designer of Vetements, but he does not stand alone, as Georgian designers are being worn by celebrities all over the world, such as Avtandil, worn by Lady Gaga and Mary J. Blige, Situationist, worn by Bella Hadid, and George Keburia, worn by Rihanna and Kortney Kardashian.

Photo: Vogue

• Beautiful churches. Italy is a majority Catholic country and Georgia is a majority Orthodox Christian country, and in both religion plays a major role in the lives of most people. One of Georgia’s most striking features is the tapestry of ancient churches that cover the country – tucked away in Tbilisi’s side streets or a beacon in a sea of pastureland or rugged mountains. Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th century, and there are sites dating back to the fifth century! In both Catholic and Orthodox churches, you will find elaborate frescoes, depictions of saints, candles, incense, and plenty of gold and dramatic embroidery. Plus one for Georgia – in the country’s southeastern Kvemo Kartli region and the western, coastal Adjara region, you will also find beautiful and historic mosques built by and for Georgia’s Muslim population! In both countries, churches are not the only ancient architecture. While corners may be crumbling, the beauty of many old buildings is still evident.

Photo: Georgia About

And the top four...food, wine, views, and hospitality.

• Food. The table is always full, there are always new things to taste and experience, and the traditional dishes are incredible! Italian food is well known the world over, while Georgian food has only recently begun to get the attention it deserves. Georgian cuisine, like Italian, is diverse with regional variations, and focuses on fresh, local ingredients.

Photo: Georgian Journal

• Wine. Georgia is the cradle of wine, and wine plays a central role in traditional life as the most sacred drink for toasting at feasts, and as an important product economically. Most rural households grow grapes and make their own wine for personal consumption. Even in Tbilisi, you will see grape vines strung across courtyards and up trellises. Georgian wine varieties have very unique flavor profiles, so you have to try them yourself! Additionally, a new study was recently published showing that Georgians’ drinking habits are more similar to that of Italy than other parts of Eastern Europe.

• Stunning scenery. It’s easy to find articles with titles like “27 Photos That Prove Italy is Heaven on Earth” but, while Georgia remains less discovered by the travel writers, there are plenty of travelers gushing about their experiences, and on everyone’s list is the natural beauty. Georgia is just 23% the size of Italy by land area, yet has an abundance of breathtaking vistas – snow-capped Alpine mountains, gushing rivers, pristine mountain lakes, the Black Sea Coast, and the man-made wonders – ancient cave cities, dramatic towers in the mountains, remains of fortresses, and the historic old cities of Tbilisi and Sighnaghi.

• Surprises. Being invited to meals with strangers, a spontaneous plan to go on a hike or a road trip, hidden adventures around every corner – these experiences are increasingly difficult to find in Italy, but Georgia is still a treasure trove of surprises! Georgian hospitality is a major point of pride, and you’d be hard pressed to miss it if you spend any time at all with locals.

Photo: Georgian Travel Guide

The Differences:

It depends, of course, on what you want out of your visit, and it is so incredibly hard to compare and rank whole countries, but for numerous reasons I think Georgia is a better place to visit for most people than Italy! What you love about Italy, you can probably find in large measure in Georgia, and what bugs you about Italy is largely absent in Georgia. That being said – caveat emptor – there are still a few glitches Georgia is working out. If Italy is the model for a great travel destination, Georgia is an improvement on it, a 2.0, but maybe in beta version...

• Money. Italy is a much richer country than Georgia. Its GDP is approximately $1.85 trillion, while Georgia’s GDP is just $15.5 billion (World Bank, 2016). When you look at growth, however, Georgia’s GDP growth rate is 4.8% compared to Italy’s 1.5% (World Bank, 2017). Per capita income is much lower in Georgia, meaning that the cost of food, services, and activities is significantly lower than in Italy and other European countries. Your dollar goes much further in Georgia, and you can have some of the lifechanging experiences that might be out of your price range in Italy.

• Architecture. If you’re looking for ancient ruins – both Italy and Georgia can deliver, but the Roman Empire was much more developed than ancient Georgian settlements, and more of its buildings remain. With a good tour guide, though, Georgia’s ancient history can also dazzle and amaze, such as the 6th century Jvari Monastery which contains the base of a 4th century cross thought to have been erected by Georgia’s ‘enlightener’ Saint Nino, or the early Medieval towers of Svaneti, an analogue of which is found nowhere else in the world. On the whole, Italy has preserved more of its architectural heritage – perhaps the comparison will encourage Georgian preservation efforts in Old Tbilisi and various important sites nationwide that need significant TLC.

• Festivals. Italy and Georgia both have festivals, traditions, and celebrations, but Italian cultural festivals are more organized. Perhaps due to their attraction for tourists, it is easy to find information about festivals in Italy online and surrounding most festivals there is a sort of framework to facilitate tourist participation and enjoyment. In Georgia, on the other hand, most traditional festivals are really still local and regional affairs, making it harder for outsiders to participate in the festivities. Georgia is home, though, to several internationally recognized music festivals including the Black Sea Jazz Festival and Gem Fest!

• Tourism Development. The tourism industry is much more developed in Italy, which has its pros and cons. In Georgia, less established areas can have few transportation links or options for accommodation, so your choices can be a bit more limited. There is also not as much information (especially in English) online or in print about the country and the best ways to explore it. On the up side, you won’t be trapped in throngs of mindless tourists piling off buses, paying more attention to their guide books than the actual place they are visiting. You also have the chance for a much more local experience, staying in guest houses and eating at restaurants that don’t see many tourists. If you are ever looking for information on visiting Georgia, make www.where.ge your first stop!