Gigi and his Gigimobil. Tbilissi, Georgia.

Gigi Gigiadze studied one term at Hamburg University as a grantee of Copernicus, a student organization that I once co-chaired. He is now at the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. My stay at his family in Tbilissi was another display of legendary Georgian hospitality. Taking time off work, Gigi showed me around his hometown in his Gigimobil (more on this later), acquainting me with beautiful churches, scenic views from the hills above the city, Georgian food specialities, the splendid Georgian steam bath, and all possible places where I could get grease and other stuff for my bike. His mother was preparing one delicious dish after another, and with his father we went to visit splendid Mts'kheta followed by some unbelievably tasty skewers washed down by healthy amounts of Georgian wine in a nearby restaurant. Last not least, we watched the 2002 Soccer Worldcup final Germany - Brazil together in their living room.

One thing we could not agree about is the respective safety and merits of cycling vs. driving. Gigi is a passionate Alfa Romeo driver and took me racing down counter-traffic-lanes to pass all waiting cars at a traffic light before and while the traffic light turns green again, speeding down one-way roads in the wrong direction, and racing along an inner city street at 150 km/h. After months of slow bike travelling, this was quite a change. Nevertheless, I prefered to ride my bike to the Azeri border, even though Gigi, being the great Georgian host that he is, offered to drive me there. But of course I am looking forward to being his co-pilot again the next time I come to Tbilissi. It is certainly a great place to be, especially with Gigi.

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