Ruins and gardens
03-06-2022
I wake up early but before I finish my yoga, Ammar is up and moving, too. He goes down to use the phone at the desk to call our favorite taxi driver and drink espresso while I go to breakfast. I've finally zeroed in on the chocolate croissants and this morning they also have marinated mushrooms that are to die for and an interesting cheesy, meaty, pastry kind of thingie! Cappuccino is an extra charge! But it's "free" in the casino!
Can't start the day without my mountains! |
The high point is the upper terminus of the cable car |
Ammar says our driver will be here at eleven, so I have time to indulge my caffeine addiction and watch the pretty pictures spin around. A little before eleven I go upstairs to retrieve our hats and jackets and await our driver in the lobby. He is very punctual and I go extract Ammar from the evil clutches.
That colorful sheet on the Prius' console is the cheat sheet for choosing locations to visit! Very clever, no English required, although he does speak quite well! |
Our driver is such a delightful man! He looks the perfect Georgian and is unfailingly polite and always smiling. He has even brought us a bottle of water and another of Coke. We discuss the plan for today and he suggests that we postpone the National Park because it might rain. Instead he suggests the ruins at Petra (what is it with Georgia? This isn't "our" Petra, either!) and the Botanical Gardens. They are the second largest in the country. Only those in Tbilisi are larger. I thought he also suggested the Sameba Church but somehow that one got lost in all the communications.
On the way out of town we stop at a Smart Shop so Ammar can buy some katchapuri. He didn't come to breakfast with me and his casino let him down by not having any breakfast offerings! He offers me some but I'm still stuffed. I never pass up free breakfast!
We start at Petra Castle and there are lots of photo ops in these thousand-year old ruins, by the sea. And we have the place to ourselves. We've dressed for the weather in layers and are quite comfortable! In fact, i have to take off my jacket. The road to here was pretty twistie-turnie and I keep checking to make sure Ammar is okay. He says he's just a little dizzy, so that's good! The cold, clear air should take care of that.
Ammar is particularly fond of this one because it is the shape of Palestine! That's the coastline you can see through it. |
Can you read the part at the bottom which basically says the gardens are free for poor people?! |
Can't have a garden without greenhouses! |
There's still some winter yet to come! |
At any rate, I've got time to edit and blog before we have an early dinner of real Georgian food! And tomorrow our driver will pick us up at ten for another adventure. I'm thinking of Mtirali National Park with it's waterfall, but it's a two kilometer hike to the fall and, of course, two kms back. We'll talk about it tonight, especially since the three kilometer walk today was vetoed. Ammar says that the way I stop to take pictures it would have taken us two days to see the gardens!
On Tuesday we'll be picked up at seven to go to the train station for our trip back to Tbilisi.
Ammar comes back early! I've already gotten us more coffee, tea, and creamer from one young man and told the young housekeeping ladies that we're fine. And assured their supervisor that they aren't shirking their duties!! Ammar's phone rings (again) and this time it is bad news from home. His older daughter's engagement has been broken. We spend quite a long time discussing family before he tries to take a nap to clear his head from our morning's adventure.
When he wakes up we'll ask reception to recommend a good Georgian restaurant. There are so many more dishes to sample!
Wow! There's another demonstration in Europe Square! I can hear the speeches and the music, and if I go down the hall to the window that faces that way, I can see what's going on. Nothing at all scary, thank goodness!
This has nothing to do with the demonstration except I can see these buildings from the same window and I like the ferris wheel behind them! |
more great street art! |
The beer choices are filtered or unfiltered! |
My head is spinning from all of your adventures today. What marvelous photos to accompany your exquisite descriptions. The botanical garden flowers are amazing, and I love the mountains, as you do, too. And the food!!! How do you stay so slim?? Must be all the exercise, especially walking.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the broken engagement. Hope it is for the best.
It was a pretty full day! Glad you like the photos and the mountains!
DeleteI usually lose weight when I travel and then gain it all back immediately, with some tto spare!
I hope so, too! We'll see!
Wonderful day! Pretty much ditto what Courtenay said.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Ginger
Life is good!!
DeleteBig Hug!