We awoke early and walked up famous Rustavelli Avenue to check out the more administrative side of the city – Parliament, Opera and Theater and Georgian History Museum are located here. We stopped in the Marriott (not the Courtyard) and introduced ourselves to the staff of this lovely property. As most breakfast places don't open until later, we decided to opt for the buffet breakfast at the Courtyard. A bit of a pricy option, but it offered a wide assort...

Upon arrival at Tbilisi International Airport we quickly made our way through immigration (1 minute) and collected our bags. Our driver arranged through the Envoy Hostel was in the arrivals hall with a sign with our name, and after meeting him we found an ATM and both were able to withdraw 500 GEL's (about $225) with none of the hassles we experienced upon arrival in Kyiv. No "nyets" so far! We headed to the car and within 30 minutes were at the Marriott Courtyar...

Getting ready for our 2016 trip to the former Soviet Republics of Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. We're kicking off with a few days in Kyiv before flying to Tbilisi and exploring the Caucasus region. We weren't sure what to expect from Kyiv. Grey skies and Soviet architecture came to mind. Wow would we be surprised! Our departure from San Francisco was uneventful with an on-time departure and early arrival in Frankfurt. We always arrive early when we have a long ...