The President's Residence in Georgia

The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, lives in a domed residence that resembles the German Reichstag.

The Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, is historical. It houses the parliament of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Reichstag until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire lit by Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe. After the Second World War the Reichstag building fell into disuse. After the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990, it underwent reconstruction led by internationally renowned architect Norman Foster. After its completion in 1999, it became the meeting place of the modern German parliament, the Bundestag. In 1992, Norman Foster won an architectural contest for the reconstruction of the building, but it looked very different from what was later constructed. Notably, the original design did not include a cupola (dome). The Reichstag is now the second most visited attraction in Berlin, because of the huge glass dome that was erected on the roof as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola, giving an impressive view over the city, especially at night.

The Presidential Office of Georgia began construction in 2004 and ended in 2009. The office was designed by an Italian architect, Michele De Lucchi, who also designed the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, "The Bridge of Peace" in Tbilisi, and hotel Medea in Batumi. The building has three floors. The first floor holds The Museum where the President’s gifts from foreign presidents and leaders are held. The second floor has the Ekvtime Takaishvili Hall for official and other important meetings. The Office of the President of Georgia is a combination of a work office and a library and comprises two floors. On the third floor is the hall for official receptions and ceremonies and the dome of the presidential office.

The dome of the presidential office was constructed in Germany from three-dimensional bent glass. The dome was designed by Georgian architect, Vakhtang Zesashvili, and an Italian architect, Franc Zagari.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Hop on hop off bus tourism comes to Tbilisi, Georgia

City Sightseeing buses have arrived in Tbilisi. The iconic red double-decker buses, a feature of many cities around the world since the company was established in Seville, Spain in 1999, is now in six continents and almost 100 cities. The company established its Tbilisi business in November 2013, with its operations commencing in February 2014. The 90-minute tour stops at 11 major locations in Tbilisi (with 2 to 5 minute waiting times at each location): the Old City (where it commences), Freedom Square, Rose Revolution Square, Marjanishvili Square, the Dry Bridge, Konka, Avlabari, Metekhi, Akhundov Museum, the Sulfur Baths, and European Square. Passengers can hop off at any stop and see the sights, hopping back onto the next bus at any time. Alternatively, passengers can remain on the bus for the whole tour and take photographs when the bus stops at each location. There are one day (24-hour) passes (for 35 lari – about $20) and 48-hour passes for 55 lari, with family d...

Independence statue, Phnom Penh

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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