The brownie baking was probably just the thing to ease any tension because I couldn't have been more delighted at how easy this event turned out to be. We drove to the cathedral where Giorgi and I were married, or rather, tried to drive there. Saakashvili, however, has completely re-vamped the town for the better. Now it stands in all its glory for tourists to stroll from near and far, but only for pedestrians. One of the unfortunate things about touruism for those who are used to going wherever we want in the country is the road blocks and one-ways that have cropped up because of increased traffic: all roads within 5-6 blocks of the cathedral are now barred by fancy posts that sink into the ground for those who have a special card to swipe down the nearby card-reader. Fortunately for us, Giorgi still has friends who live within the Cathedral's perimeter and let us in with a swipe of their card all for the opportunity to hug and kiss our children on the way in and the way out.
Once inside the Cathedral, we hung out waiting for everyone to arrive. Eventually, however, Giorgi grew impatient and those of us who were there went in for the ceremony, which had already begun for 2 others. I handed Luca off to his godfather, Pridoni, and watched the event unfold through the lens of my camera. Luca was a champ -- gazing and watching in wonder at all that the priest did to him. And, as if on cue, a small ray of light came in through a slit in the wall high above and shown down on Luca -- A tale to be told into his old age to be sure.
The priest and godfathers (two were present of the 3 we chose) went through the baptism rigamarole of lighting candles, dousing Luca's head in baptismal water, annointing him with oils, cutting his hair and walking in circles with candles, and then making it all very official in a little book to take home. [For a more complete account of baptisms in Georgia, see the entry Sophie's Natloba in the archive from May 2009] Luca watched it all with wonder and never shed a tear. I was astounded.
Afterwards, we all piled into our vehicles and headed for the same restaraunt where Giorgi and I held our wedding party. This time, though, we had a much better room, as this party was for only 30 people. We sat overlooking the River Mtkari with Jvari Monestary high above on the opposite bank. There was, of course, toasting and singing, all of which I paid little attention to because I was visiting with friends and enjoying a glass of beer while Sophie played with other children in the garden and Luca was passed from hand to hand, women, men and children all vyeing for his attention.
Food was plentiful, but perhaps the biggest hit of the table was my homemade impromptu brownies. They were a bit flat by American standards, but the Georgians loved them, gobbling them all up and aksing for not only for more, but for the recipe as well. Giorgi's good friend convinced me to teach his wife how to make them while he even babysat the kids the following evening!
The party went until 10:30 when the last of the guests kissed us goodbye and gave congratulations for Luca's entry into Christianity.
