HCL member visits The Caucasus

Household Consumers’ League (HCL) member Trish O’Connell recently returned from The Caucasus and gave the league a presentation on her travels to two of the three Caucasus countries, Georgia and Armenia, at the recent July meeting.

HCL secretary Ina Loizides said the region is a popular tourist destination and Georgia was listed among the top 10 places in the world to visit.

“Much of the focus of her tour was on ancient monasteries and churches, which she found fascinating for its beauty and history. Now a liberated region, she enjoyed warm hospitality, scenic views and excellent food,” said Ina.

Trish visited a number of museums, in both Georgia and Armenia, along with the Museum of Soviet Occupation and resistance in Georgia and the Armenian Genocide Memorial and museum.

She spent time in Gori at the Stalin Museum, which houses samples of his poetry and his death mask.

Trish also saw the tiny wood and mud brick house where he lived in his early years and the bullet proof train carriage in which he travelled to Yalta in 1945.

“A memento of her visit to Armenia was a round hat and matching purse, both embroidered in red, black and beige.

The hat is worn by both men and women for dressy occasions.

Women place a scarf over the hat so that it dangles down on either side of the face.

The belief is that embroidered fabrics and headdresses protect the bearers from evil and harm,” said Ina.

HCL meets every second Wednesday of the month at the James Sadie Auditorium in Bedfordview.

For more information call Ina on 083 352 0282.