No, no, we haven’t stopped our trip! More and more people are asking what happened than since some weeks nothing appeared on our blog. The explanation is very pragmatic: our car and laptop have to be fixed and it takes time (especially when you are changing place of stay almost each day). But as soon Read More
Georgian capital is the first place we seriously consider as a place to come back for longer. People, city structure, food – so many people have already told us that Tbilisi is “their place on earth”. Maybe ours too?
Many people on our way told us that we should make more babies because Hanna is so sweet and smart. So… we took it serious and our family without borders will come back to Berlin from the Black Sea trip a bit enlarged.
Mniam mniam mniam – one of the very meaningful phrase of our Hanna. Georgian speciality: khinkali, in Pankisi taste better than anywhere else.
– Better not go to Pankisi valley just like this, people there are not so open – we heard in before. And during three our days there we had absolutely perfect hosts and we felt more welcome than anywhere.
So we reached the point in which we are a bit afraid that we will not see anything more impressing on our way. We visited Kazbegi, in the heart of Caucasus Mountains.
First few hours in Georgia: absolutely lovely valley in Adjura and super friendly and helpful people (including whore-house staff and… the police). Did we find our place on earth?
Our days in Russia were like one big stomachache before the big exam – and long ours on the ferry to Turkey were like feeling just after the exam: all emotions pouring down our bodies and minds.
Very soon it will be 6 years when Beslan massacre took place. But in destroyed school building people are still crying.
All bad what happened on our trip until now – happened during our one week in Russia. Why one week if we had 4-days transit visa? Police, closed border, police, car workshop, again police: they know the answer…
– Not always caviar – my best friend likes to say so. And when being on the top of Crimean mountains but in the middle of clouds it would be easy to agree with her, but I will not. Because even such a no-view can be the caviar during our trip.
Crimea is our biggest discovery until now. Best you can get: mountains and sea in one place, just next to each other, all in green! Russia should be really really angry at Nikita Khrushchev that in 1950s he gave it away to Ukraine.
What to say? Clean, proper city. With good city port but not much atmosphere. If not counting Russian Black Sea Fleet and hundreds of Russian flags everywhere.
Crimean Tatars, their tradition and culture – best place to go is USTA workshop of Ayshe Osmanova and her husband Lutfi in Bakchysaray.
Balaklava is the most beautiful spots at the Crimea (Black Sea) with a Soviet submarine factory under the mountain.
Especially in Crimea, where there is no hostels concurrency, you don’t need much to start one: somebody with a flat which has one-two rooms free, washing machine and wi-fi. And presence online as a “hostel”.
Strange thing has happened to us and I’m still not sure what to think about it. We met (maybe) an archeologist, which was (maybe) doing the excursion about old Armenian monastery and is (maybe) living in nearby cave.
The name of the town means “garden palace” and the place (or at least the name of the place) itself is well known in Poland thanks to poet Adam Mickiewicz. But obviously he hasn’t seen the caves!!
While sleeping in the car, our evenings are coming very early. And it’s even not only about darkness and being surprisingly fast tired but – about mosquitoes. Our biggest enemy during the trip and a reason to hide in the car, close all the windows and organize inside the car family insects-hunting.
Oh, sometimes I’m really happy that nobody is forcing us to spend summer holidays in such a way: on Ukrainian seaside in one of many tourists resort. Would be really not easy and after some hours truly boring. But having a walk in this reality is fun.