Tskneti

First, I’ve been writing a series of posts about Buckswood Summer School over at the TLG blog. I’ll continue posting there about my experiences at Buckswood, which, so far, have been really amazing. The kids are great, my coworkers are great, and of course it’s about ten degrees (F) cooler here than it is in Tbilisi.

So I want to say a few things about Tskneti in general. It’s a little town located just up the hill from Tbilisi – actually, if you take Vake’s main thoroughfare, Chavchavadze Street, up past Vake Park it becomes the Tskneti highway, so Buckswood is actually on the same stretch of road that PS 51 is on, even though it goes through several name changes. Tbilisi city bus 34 goes to Tskneti, and is usually quite crowded. Basically, though, Tskneti is close to and connected to Tbilisi, and in fact from Buckswood there is a really great view of the northern part of the city.

Tskneti has a Populi and several smaller markets, several drug stores, and a few restaurants. One restaurant is attached to a whole entertainment complex, which has a pool table, arcade, and apparently some kind of hotel. There’s also a bowling alley. It seems that a lot of wealthier Tbilisians use Tskneti as a summer getaway and so Tskneti, unlike many comparably-sized Georgian villages, has a significant entertainment infrastructure and a thriving nightlife.

Buckswood school is located just above the last stop on the 34 bus. At the bus stop is a small restaurant, with only a barbecue out front to advertise its presence. Don’t be decieved – this is one of the best restaurants I have been to in all of Georgia. Their mtsvadi was like nothing I’ve ever tasted – it was not only the best mstvadi I’ve had in Georgia, but it was comparable to the best steaks I’ve had in the US. Their fried khinkali are also quite good. The staff is nice, and I’ve stopped in to drink and talk with them a few times on my way from Buckswood to Tbilisi.

I guess ultimately there isn’t all *that* much to say about Tskneti. Still, it’s worth a visit if only for the fabulous mtsvadi, and I’ve loved my time here because of Buckswood.

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