Batumi, Georgia

Batumi is located on the westernmost coastline of Georgia, along the Black Sea and just a few miles away from Turkey in the south.

It is a resort town in the summer months, and can be filled with vaciontioners (mostly Georgians, Turks and Russians) on holiday. I was there in November, so the shores and bars were pretty vacant.

Medea, from the old myth of Jason and the Argonauts, is the woman who brought Georgia closer to Europe. A huge statue of her, bearing the golden fleece, can be seen in the town square.




Medea, holding the golden fleece, in front of the dancing fountains of Evropas Moedani.



Batumi alley.

Batumi alley.

The beautiful streets along Evropas Moedani.

Walking towards the shores of the Black Sea.

A grand entanceway to the Black Sea coast.

The shores of the Black Sea.

The shores of the Black Sea.

Gonio, Georgia

Located just a few miles south of Batumi, Georgia, Gonio is a wonderful and remarkable place to visit for just an hour or two. I took a marshrutka (mini van) from Batumi to Gonio and it cost 1 lari (about .60 cents US). The fortress here was built starting from 1 AD to about 6 AD and is amazingly intact, and one of the best examples of Roman-Byzantium military architecture in the world.

The center is overgrown with citrus fruit bearing trees (which made for a nice snack!). We arrived on an overcast Novemeber day, and we were the only visitors there. There were no security guards, railings, or sign posts warning us to keep off. Since I hold a MA degree in Classical Latin, this was a dream come true for me, and nothing held me back! I took my chances and climbed up walls and walked along narrow paths overlooking the crenellations that Roman archers once aimed through.

This is also the grave site of St. Mathew, the apostle (also known as Levi).

It is located between Batumi and Sarpi (just a few miles away) on the border between Georgia and Turkey.

When I boarded the marshrutka, I was confused because the whole van was filled with local women and girls. Why do all the ladies have such a fascination with Roman ruins? As it turns out - they don't. Across the street from the ruins is a small bazaar, a great place to find some good deals on clothing!

Tombstone of Matthew (Levi) the Apostle.

Money!

Georgian bills are so colorful and pretty!


Iranian $5 note featuring the scary Ayatollah Khomeini. I met a couple of very nice Iranians during lunch one afternoon. One guy showed me this bill, noticed my interest, and gave it to me (after picking up my lunch tab).

Down the streets of Tbilisi

Don't be surprised about how many people this small shrine can hold. Though it hangs over a river, supported by decaying wood and stone, it can still pack in a crowd when the occasion calls for it!


A lovely church in Old Town Tbilisi.


The new part of Old Town. The ritzy tourist district. Prices are high but everything is nice and fancy.

Old Town Tbilisi. Hills, churches, decaying buildings, and a fortress overlooking it all.

The night time view of a city street in Tbilisi. That is not a Christmas tree, it is the ever glowing radio tower.

Georgian script.

A pretty alley way in Old Town Tbilisi.

The fancy, tourist district of Old Town.

View of church from hotel in Old Town. These churches are bustling with religious locals during the day.

A huge Cathedral in Tbilisi.

Old Town Tbilisi, near the bathouses of Abanutubani.

The tops of the Abanutubani bathhouses (underground baths built in the 17th century).

Typical Tbilisi alley. Old Town Tbilisi consists of a network of winding alleys with beautiful, yet delapitated architecture.

Having a rest and a beer on a hotel porch.

Old Town Tbilisi hillside.

Narikala Fortress overlooking Tbilisi.

Ontop Narikala Fortress. A short, yet steep walk from Old Town Tbilisi.

A pic from Narikala Fortress top.

Some Georgian graffiti.

Narikala Fortress.

View from Narikala Fortress overlooking Tbilisi.

Giant statue of lady holding a sword in one hand and a bowl of wine in the other. Contrasting ideas of strength, force and hospitality that is ever present in Georgian custom. However, we experienced only hospitality! This statue can be seen from almost anywhere in Tbilisi.

Old Tbilisi alley.

In the courtyard outside of the restaurant Tabulaura (a lovely restaurant not featured in the guide books).

In the courtyard outside of the restaurant Tabulaura (a lovely restaurant not featured in the guidebooks).

Khachapuri!

Khachapuri is the most common Georgian snack or meal. It is essentially a cheese pie, made in many different ways. You can buy these cheese pies for less than a dollor from street vendors, or can get them for 4-6 US dollars in a restaurant.

Georgian cuisine, including Khachapuri, is made with Sulgani cheese. It is a cheese you cannot find in the states. It is a unique, pickled cheese, and a staple of Georgian cuisine. Very salty and served in wedges for breakfast and fried in many dinner dishes. It is part of every continental hotel breakfast as well.

Hotel Continental breakfast: Assorted cheeses featuring varieties of Sulgani. Assorted meats and sausages. Breads. Hard boiled eggs, or (perhaps) some other variety of eggs. Jams made with fresh fruits, sour cream, some other cottage cheese-like cheese or ricotta-like cheese - excellent. Yogurt. OJ. Occasionally some water. Sometimes, bottles of vodka available at breakfast - whoa! Too early for me, but at no extra cost. Fresh vegetables - cucumbers and tomatoes, usually with a vinegrette on top. Fruits - Kiwi, citrus, apples, parsimmons.

If you don't know your khachapuris before you venture to Georgia, it's not a big deal. Any one that you order will be yummy. If you are ordering from a street vendor, you can just point to one, and surprise! You'll love it.

The following pics are all from the web, since I did not, to my regret, have any Khachapuri pics.

Khachapuri Acharuli. This is a large boat shaped bread dish filled with cheese and butter, then baked. After baking, an egg is cracked on top, and then the raw egg is covered with cool slices of butter. The butter topping is supposed to cover the egg and cook the egg (a tiny bit). If you would like to have a heart attack, eat these every day. Delicious, but very rich. I found it hard to eat 1/3 of a serving!


Khachapuri Megruli. Looks like a pizza, but has cheese on the inside too! The cheese is saltier than cheese you would find on an american pizza.



Khachapuri Penovani. This is my favorite. It is a flaky, croissant like dough with cheese in the middle. Yumm! Get these from street vendors, it will cost you about .60 cents for a large portion.



Another Khachapuri Penovani. Yum!

Khachapuri Lobiani. Same thing, but with beans inside. I never got around to trying one of these, but I'm sure they are yummy.

Many more Khachapuris are available. Try as many as possible if you are visiting Georgia.