Mara has the measles! :-( She started not feeling well a few days ago and yesterday we received the diagnosis.  It's not clear what variety she has - the German (3 day) or a worse strain.  What's even more perplexing is why Georgia doesn't routinely vaccinate their children?

The good news is that we visited her today and she seemed to be doing much better.  The "measles" are traveling quickly: yesterday it was on her cheeks and today now in her arms and legs.  We think (and hope it's the 3 day variety) given how quickly it's moving and that she felt better today.  

The fever broke today and she ate ravenously - a banana, a bowl of beef stew and cherry juice (all of which Nick gave to her).

The girls laughing with Nick

 Afterwards we played with stickers, her new princess Sofia book (which she loved - thank you Matt!) and magic tricks. We even got some walking out of her!!

Mara in her babushka (which she asked for!).  A Georgian princess for sure!

Hopefully her recovery continues and we can leave as planned on July 3rd. We have agreed to obtain a letter from the international adoption doctor to clear her for travel which we will use in case the airlines ask. 









After we left the foster home (which was met with many tears from my new little friend Veka the other little girl in the home who has taken a fancy to Clare), Nino and John took us sight seeing.  First, we enjoyed some traditional delicious Georgian bread which is shaped like a half moon and some wheat beer that John bought for Nick (served in a recycled coke bottle - how retro is that?!)

John shared with us that most Georgian men enjoy drinking beer during the summer and wine during the winter.  (Most women don't typically drink in Georgia although this seems to be changing with the younger generation). Beer is very reasonably priced here - one liter is only 3 Lari (or $2 USD)!!!

We visited the Narikala fortress way up in the hills above Tbilisi including more magnificent panoramic views of the city and view of Tbilisi's Catholic church below.

A view of City Hall, the Peace Bridge and our favorite bar that plays live Jazz music each night.

Hiking the steep walls of the fortress was challenging in the blistering Tbilisi heat.

 
Also called the mother fortress of Tbilisi, Narikala is an ancient symbol of Tbilisi's defense. 

 

Clare loves the Georgian bells which are found throughout the city.

The fortress was established in 4th century around when the city itself was founded.

 

A view of the city through the fortress.

Walking up was much easier....

Than walking down....

Walking up to the Anchisikhait Basilica of Saint Mary.

 It's the oldest church of Tbilisi, dating back to the first years of Georgian Christianity in the sixth century. 

 The church has magnificent frescoes on the inside, some dating back almost 400 years.  One of the most beautiful churches we've seen in all of our travels throughout the world! 

 Over 90% of Georgians are Orthodox Christians.  We found it interesting that Nino declined to enter the church because she was wearing pants. 

 Next we visited the Catholic Church and the statue of King Vakhtang.  According to legend, he was hunting and killed a pheasant which he dropped in its hot springs to cook. Tbili means "warm" which is why they named the city Tbilisi.

A view of the Catholic Church constructed in 1808 and exhibiting a mix of architectural styles including Baroque and Neo-Gothic. During the Soviet era it was used as a storehouse.  It became dilapidated but was renovated before the Pope's visit to Georgia in 1999.

More Georgian bells!

We were surprised to receive a call from the Georgian government, the office of "Invest in Georgia".  It was based on a letter we FedExed the newly elected Prime Minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, before we left the US offering our assistance to volunteer any of our services to the Georgian people.  We had a delightful conversation with the Director and portfolio manager, discussing different ideas on how to spur investment in the country.  He shared that Georgia is an ideal country to do business since it's relatively free of corruption, bureaucracy, and taxes.  We discussed how to connect them with Silicon Valley's investment community and education opportunities for America to learn more about Georgia.  They also offered to help us if we encounter any issues with the adoption - such incredibly nice people!!

Here a picture of the old Parliament building where we met. They ban all pictures of government buildings so this was on the sly.

Yesterday we moved into our flat - not quite the Radisson (hard bed and bad internet access) but it's nice to be able to spread out a bit more.  We hope to bring Mara here soon but because of her fever and cough, we have made the decision to keep her at the foster mother's house until she feels better.  

Yesterday's major accomplishment was scheduling our final interview with the US Embassy for Mara's visa and finalizing all of the court paperwork which had to be translated and notarized.  Poor Nino had to sit at the notary's office for 6 hours waiting for it.  But, a July 3rd departure is looking more & more feasible! 

Once that was done, we were off to visit Mara at the foster home. 

Here's the entrance to the home.  It is about a 20 minute drive from downtown.

Mara still had a fever but as always was in good spirits.  She LOVED the abc flashcards and Clare singing the A-B-C song to her (while Nick fanned her).

Here Mara with her friend Vera, another little girl in the foster home who is quite fond of Clare (and yes the feeling is mutual!!)

 

 Never to sick for cookies!

 

And showing off her new hairclip, while writing in Clare's New Yorker.  With her long fingers, she meticulously turned every page and illustrated it (and Clare's pants) with a pen.

Every once in a while she would look up to smile at Clare (which melted our hearts) and to pull Clare's arm down around her. 

While we visited, the grandmother (Mara's Foster Mother's Mother) came to visit.  She obviously is also very attached to Mara and cried that Mara was leaving.  Honestly we have been so focused on our transition, we have to remind ourselves that it's a transition for the foster home as well.  They have been a loving and caring environment for Mara and we will be forever grateful for what they have done for her.

After leaving the foster home, we went grocery shopping at CarreFour.  While in the store, there was a torrential rainstorm which left the streets flooded and this beautiful rainbow - fortuitous for our future together as a happy family?

After enjoying a glass of wine in our flat, we set off for our nightly walk to dinner.  We loved seeing the Georgian way of towing a car illegally parked!

The storm left the sky clear and bright - a beautiful contrast to the lit government building in Freedom square.

Dinner at the Peace Cafe was uneventful - too many people smoking (especially young women) and over-salted food.  Too bad we didn't have a chance to read the TripAdvisor review "pretentious place for unfashionable people" before we went.  Nick researched other restaurants for tonight - hopefully we discover another gem that's a little more flavorful, with better ambiance!

Success today - Mara's (Georgian) passport! Now we work on her US Visa.

Clare feeding Mara for the first time!

 Nick playing with crazy photo settings on his phone.

We get lost every time we try to find a new place.  None of the maps are accurate (or show the small cobble stone streets).

One of Tbilisi's many statues of one of patron's saints - this time in the hills above Old Town and the Armenian/Jewish quarter.  

Tbilisi's Patron Saint George - 

located on top of the impressive fortress in the middle of the Kura River.

 

The Tbilisi Peace Bridge.

Tbilisi at night near the Old Town and Armenian/Jewish quarters.  Nick and I can't get enough of our night time jazz and people watching.  Georgians seem to be night owls and the streets are alive and bustling each night after dinner.  We were thrilled to see the Super Moon which is when the moon is closest to the earth (as a result of its elliptical orbit).

The Georgians are still skeptical of the Russians ;-)

Nick braving the stairs for the restaurant "Pur Pur" - a recommendation from our waitress at Josper.  We thought we would try something new and it was a fun experience enjoying more classic European food in an old Georgian hotel.

Looking into the restaurant from our private balcony and our personal piano serenade.

Some interesting architecture as we drove through Tbilisi with our incessant trips to City Hall, Notary, US Embassy and Mara's Foster home.

We checked out of our hotel today - the Radisson Blu.  It was none too soon since NATO hosted a conference there and the security was ridiculous.

A view of City Hall - where we have spent many an hour trying to finalize Mara's paperwork.  Architecture in Tbilisi is either very old or very new (and modern).

A view of the Kura River from our hotel room.

A panoramic view from our gorgeous hotel room - we couldnt get enough of the 360 view of the town!

 Mara hasn't been feeling well so we brought her to doctor. Despite a slight fever, she is still a happy and talkative little girl!

Mara playing on the iPad with Nick.

A feverish smile with proud Papa!

Tonight we took Nino and John to our favorite restaurant Josper to enjoy their first taste of prawns.  It was a great way to celebrate Mara's passport and unwind from a long day.

On the way home from dinner to our new flat, we stopped to pick up some wine and of course Nick has to flirt with the beautiful Georgian women!!