Ashes in the Light

After spending the afternoon riding cable cars and exploring Mtatsminda, we found ourselves with some unexpected time on our hands.

Coincidentally, it was almost dinner time.

So we did what we had slowly become comfortable doing in Tbilisi.

We wandered.

This time, it involved taking the train.

Like locals, we boarded for a couple of stops before getting off and walking to a restaurant we had come across called Taoba Café.

Nothing fancy.

Just somewhere that looked inviting.

When we arrived, the indoor seating was already full, and a private event was taking place inside one of the domes.

That left the outdoor seating.

Which turned out to be perfectly fine.

Perhaps even better.

By then, the sun was beginning to set.

The sky wasn’t quite dark yet, but daylight was slowly fading into evening.

Around us were families finishing dinner, couples enjoying conversations, and groups of friends lingering over their meals.

The atmosphere felt relaxed and unhurried.

One of those evenings where nobody seemed to be rushing anywhere.

For dinner, we ended up ordering dishes we had seen elsewhere throughout the trip but never got around to trying.

One of them was something called Grandma’s Wrap.

At least, that’s how I remember it.

To be honest, I can’t seem to find it on the menu anymore.

Perhaps I’ve remembered the name incorrectly.

Either way, it felt fitting to finally try something that had been quietly following us throughout our time in Georgia.

As the evening grew cooler, we also ordered a bowl of chicken soup.

Simple.

Comforting.

Exactly what we felt like having.

The food was good.

But if I’m honest, it wasn’t the highlight of the evening.

The atmosphere was.

Looking back, I don’t remember every detail of what we ate.

I remember the train ride.

The walk through unfamiliar streets.

The fading sunlight.

The conversations around us.

The feeling of sitting outdoors while the city slowly transitioned from day to night.

Sometimes the meals you remember most aren’t the ones with the best food.

They’re the ones that arrive at exactly the right moment.

And that evening felt like one of them.

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