Tartan BGS

Dulwich Hamlet are now playing at home. They've got a cup game against Chesham (15:00) so KIngstonian away has been postponed. I'd advise getting there early - this is a seventh tier club (with a seventh tier ground) which now sometimes gets crowds of 2,000+. The queues for the hipster craft beer can be pretty horrific

I'd say 30 sounds about right. I think I've paid 20 something from town to the airport in the past, but that's with a local booking it in advance.

They know an emergency when they see one, OLAS...

If anyone's looking for a slightly more expensive bottle to put in the suitcase (well wrapped up in old socks etc), take home and keep for a while, I've just been into a shop called Vino Underground which stocks only natural wines from small producers. I'd say the average price was £10-15 per bottle - though there's more expensive stuff obviously. If you tell them the sort of thing you want (e.g. something to keep etc) they're very knowledgable and helpful. I spoke to one of the managers - Enek - she speaks perfect English. Tell her Pete recommended them - and, no, I'm not on commission... The shop is on G Tabidze Street, about 3 mins walk from Freedom Square - on the right, down in a cellar.

Thanks Goozay - I emailed the SSC and they got back to me straight away.

For those medicinal moments, in the absence of hot and cold running Irn Bru, I recommend taragoni - tarragon lemonade. Again you can get big bottles in supermarkets. Bright green, looks like mouthwash, tastes of ...er ... tarragon. I like it with a shot of Georgian brandy in it - but that's regarded as a bit odd. A cult drink.

Local beers include Argo, Kazbegi and Natakhtari. Argo do a dark (black) beer in bottles which I've developed a bit of a taste for. For the fridge, there's a wide range of big plastic bottles in supermarkets eg branches of Populi or the big Carrefour near the flower market (at that one they make you leave bags in a locker as you go in).

Has anyone got pick up details - I haven't had an email yet.

Great - thanks for posting the link, Doon.

Hot off the press - if you can get hold of a copy of Georgia Today - an English language paper - you'll find it in the Sheraton lobbies etc - there's a great piece on p 23 written by an ex-pat Scot called Alastair Watt: "Supra for the Scots - Tartan Army Guide to Tbilisi".

That's the thing about it - is it Europe or Asia. In some ways, it's pretty European - there's an EU flag flying outside the parliament. But Georgian history involves Iran pretty much as much as Russia. If you're interested in that sort of thing, you could try the permanent Exhibition of Soviet Occupation which is on the top floor of the National Museum close by Freedom Square.

Hi Snapper, if you look back through the thread, there's a link to a guide a friend of my here produces - THE GEORGIAN. Gives you a good flavour of the place.

Didn't get tanked up at the airport, I must admit, but I'd say the Ukrainian beer in the cafe are was 3-4 euros for 0.5 l. In Tbilisi today, 0.5 l bottle of Argo dark beer was 4.90 lari - about £1.30. And that was in tourist Central - a bar on Erekle II St.

Weather pretty good here in Tbilisi - apparently it got a bit cooler and more pleasant last week - still low 80s though.

Came through there last night - they took Euros - can't say anything about the exchange rate though. As you come upstairs from the transit security check, there's a smallish bar straight ahead of you. Head away from that towards the higher number gates and there's a bar/cafe called Gourmet - smallish portion of grilled chicken and potatoes and large Ukrainian beer was 11 euros. Heading towards the lower number gates, there's another small bar. That seemed to be about it - though there's duty free shops. Bear in mind that there's no free in flight service on UIA - e.g. small bottle of wine is 3 euros.

Sneckie's right - it was a really traumatic thing, the zoo flood - with loss of life, people losing their homes etc. If anyone's interested, there's a thing called the Tbilisi Hippo Fund raising money to help out - it's on Facebook or you can google it.

I don't know the area round the zoo so well. Don't forget there was the really bad flood there earlier in the year - zoo animals roaming wild, loss of life, people losing their homes etc. There's a thing called the Tbilisi Hippo Fund raising money for the clean up. It was all very traumatic for people living round there - a real natural disaster. In 2007, the main area where lots of people seemed to end up was in Shardeni Street - near the cathedral and not far from Freedom Square. It's probably the most touristy part of town, but by international standards it's not that touristy or ruinously expensive. From talking to people since, there was a massive amount of goodwill generated by the TA visit in 2007 - people still remember it well. You can get unlucky anywhere - but, in my experience, Georgia's a country where a bit of goodwill and openness goes a long way.

If anyone wants to bring wine back, I've always manged to get the odd bottle home in my luggage without breakages wrapped up in socks, jeans etc. Maybe take some bubble wrap? If I'm taking the trouble to bring a bottle home, I'll go for Saperavi - the best known Georgian red wine grape variety - from small producers - this will keep. Don't expect quality wine to be dirt cheap, even in Georgia - you can easily pay £20-£30+ in a shop for the very best bottles. There's a shop I've been to (can't remember the name and I think it keeps changing) about half way down Leselidze Street on the right as you go down from Freedom Square where they have the kind of stuff you won't find in supermarkets. For supermarket wine, Populi near the flower market has a good range. The more expensive stuff there won't be that expensive and should be pretty good. As a rule of thumb,in restaurants etc, for reds, Saperavi (a grape variety) should be OK and, for whites, Tsinandali (a place). There are basically two methods of wine making - the western method and the traditional method -qvevri - which involves burying it in an underground vat.

I'm travelling alone. Some knowledge of Georgian alphabet, chacha and how to eat khinkali without spilling meat juices all over yourself. All offers of company gratefully accepted.

Early September's a great time to go - it should still be pretty balmy, but not quite as baking hot as July/August. Bear in mind that, if it decides to chuck it down in Tbilisi, it can make Kingussie look like the Kalahari.

If anyone's interested, I can put them in touch with a guy who runs a hotel and tour company in the (earthquake) city of Gyumri. Message me for details.

I work on the basis of one bottle for the table and one for each person under it...

I've always seemed to be OK with the tap water - but, to be on the safe side, bottled water's widely available and, like everything else, pretty cheap. Easily the biggest brand is "Borjomi" which comes from a spa town a couple of hours drive from Tbilisi. It's very mineral-y and not everyone's cup of tea - but I guess you need to try it at least once. Better still, stick to the white wine - Georgia's unusual in that white wine seems to be more macho than red. And don't miss the "chacha"...

Brilliant, Sneckie. Thanks.

Hi all I'm posting on behalf of the British Georgian Society (BGS) - hence the User Name. Since going to the match in Tbilisi in October 2007, I've been back to Georgia 6 times. I've made a good number of friends there and I'm also involved with the BGS - which exists to promote friendship/cultural links etc with Georgia. http://www.britishgeorgiansociety.org/ If anyone has anything they'd like to know about Tbilisi/Georgia either before setting off or once there, I'd be very happy to do whatever I can to try to answer questions or help (subject to Wi-Fi connection once in Tbilisi). My Georgian's not up to much (yet) though I'm trying. The one question I certainly can't answer is about tickets - as a mere "one-pointer" I'm on the waiting list, but I live in hope. I'll be there come what may, though. I've got to declare an interest here, but a friend of mine in Tbilisi produces an annual travel/tourism magazine about Georgia. I haven't got any hard copies (they're all in Georgia...) but, in case anyone might find it useful to have a look at, it's also online (free). For those who haven't been before, it might give you a flavour. http://issuu.com/ and then search for "The Georgian 2015 Lela Khartishvili" (I can't get the direct link to work) Being new here, I wasn't able to start a "British Georgian Society" topic for any questions etc, but, if anyone thinks that might be a good idea, they're welcome to do so.