What a week! We got back last night from a week up in the Lori region. We were taking bucket bathes (since there was no shower) and the place was run down as can be. When the locals found out where we were staying they would shake their heads in disappointed wonder ;-) So it is nice to be back to a clean house and functioning bathroom. The weather was great most of the week and we did some really fantastic sightseeing and relaxing. The nicest surprise was the monastery of Akhtala, which I had seen before only from the outside. The outside is quite impressive with the fortress walls, underground chambers, intricate carvings, and large church, but the inside was breathtaking also. Look at that fresco! The inside was just completely covered with these... A few days of reading and relaxation was quite nice too, but it is always good to be home.