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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 24, 2019 08:00 PM Mtskheta - former capital of Georgia
OK, you can take the organized tour to Mtskheta paying 40 lari or 15 dollars, but the budget travellers always try to find the less expensive solution. I took the metro to Didube station (0,5 lari) then in the bazaar there I found the marshrutka minibus to Mtskheta for 1 lari. They dropped me on the highway. From there it is 3 kms climb by paved road to Jvari monastery. It is worth! The monastery itself is a holy place for Georgians. But the absolute hit of today is a view from the walls. Below you will see the conjunction of 3 rivers framed by the mountains. Wow! Even just married couples are coming herecto be photographed...
Mcheta village - the first capital is also visible with its main attraction - Sveti Cshoveli cathedral. The problem for the hiker is how to get there, because you ca pass 2 bridges and they are quite far from tge junction. I started to walk down in the strong sun, but after some 2 kms local people gave me the lift. The cathedral is huge and impressive with the tombs of the kings and their families. Locals believe that the cloth of Jesus Chist is burried here. Surrounded by thick walls Sveti Cshoveli looks likeca litte castle. Entry to both places is free!
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Sep 23, 2019 08:00 PM Tbilisi after 14 years...
It was lovely, sunny morning when I started my walk around central part of the city. I crossed the river and took the walk to the old town. Oh, la la! So many new, modern buildings in the landscape! And what an invensive car traffic! Do you like big, modern buildings staying just near the old ones? Today's Tbilisi has definitely too much car smoke. But it is still lovely city - in tha main streets I found many new, elegants shops. The back streets are sill gray and require restoration... Mother Georgia monument is still overlooking the city from the castle hill. It was refurbished in the meantime. Locals say that new version is more sexy. :) They built also funicular to the castle hill. On the Freedom Square golden Saint George shines on the pop of the column. The only and poor information office is here (one person in the kiosk) but he is very knowledgeable - ready to print for you the bus timetable for Yerevan. My favourite place in Tbilisi is the bridge near the river cliffs, with the little church and and the statue of the king. See the picture. From the bridge I was climhing to the enormous Transfiguration Cathedral - there is a nice view of the city from the terrace surrounding this church. After 7-hours city walk I returned to the hostel to write and to charge batteries.
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Sep 22, 2019 08:00 PM Parliament, but out of the capital...
Sunny morning. Eternal snows on the mountains are visible from my window. I took marshrutka (minibus) no.27 to the parliament building on the outskirts of the city. Former president of Georgia decided that new parliament will be build not is the capital city of Tbilisi but here - in Kutaisi. The building is very modern, but so far surrounded by the high grass. Emptiness around. In the same avenue there are also other official buildings. I was walking back to my homestay enjoying the scenes of the everyday life. Adult ladies still wear black clothes here...
In the afternoon I will take the train to Tbilisi.
Later: On the no,1 railway station I experienced a big disappointment: train no. 17 consists of only 2 junk wagons from the sioviet period. Visibility through the dirty window was almost zero. Slow trip took us 5 hours. We arrived to Tbilisi with 25 minutes delay.
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Sep 21, 2019 08:00 PM In Georgia again...
Sunny day! I live on the hill and the most importantchurch of Kutaisi is just around the corner. This imposing building fm 11th century is overlooking the city. It is Sunday and I was lucky to listen inside to the lovely Georgian chorals. Then I went down to stroll around the city center, where the fountain on the main square in the main attraction.
Why the people do not return the smiles? On the city map (you can get it tn the tourist office near the river bridge) they printed "Kutaisi - city of smile" On the back side of the drama theatre you will find hidden stop of the minibuses going every 3 hours to Gelati Monastery - 7 kms out of the town. I boarded thd one departing at 2 pm. Georgia changes - 14 years ago people were honest. Today the driver is charging 1 lari from the locals, but 2 lari from thd foreigners. But Gelati Monastery is great with excellent frescos inside the main church. I was lucky to be there during the baptising ceremony - very, very interesting! Then I went down to the valley by foot and walk onward on the railway to reach another - more cozy monastery - Motsameta. It is located on the sheer cliff above the river - nice, but much smaller place. Shared taxi took me back to Kutaisi just before the sunset. What a great day!
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Sep 20, 2019 08:00 PM Flight to Kutaisi
It was 3 hours 10 minutes flight from Gda?sk to Kutaisi, Georgia. Imagine that in the times of the low-cost ailines you can fly it for 40 euro minus the bonus money you have on your wizzair account. The wizz staff in Gdansk airport did not care about the size of my backpack. After more than 3 hours in the air we landed in Georgia. Uuuuu. Rain! They do not provide the bus, so we were running in the heavy from the plane to the terminal building... The formalities went very quickly and soon I ws already in tha hands of Natalya and her Georgian husband. They are very nice and hospitable people. We started to talk in English but once they recognised that I know well Russian we switched to that language. We were driving in the dark to the city. They run a little pension in the old town Kutaisi. Yes. you can have your private room here for 5 dollars. With tthe internet ! It was midnight local time when I went to the bed.
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Sep 19, 2019 08:00 PM Fifth voyage of 2019 :)
Tomorrow I am flying away again! The route of the fifth journey of 2019 leads to the other side of the Caucasus. I will land in Kutaisi, Georgia. After a few days of visiting those places where I have not been in Georgia yet I plan to cross the border of Armenia. I visited Armenia for the last time in 2006. I wonder if there were a lot has changed during this time? Also in Armenia there will be new, unknown places for me to see. On this occasion I would also like to visit Nagorno-Karabakh - de facto existing country with about 140,000 citizens, but not recognized by anyone for various reasons. It can be an interesting experience!
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Sep 18, 2019 08:00 PM Nantes to Gdansk
Nantes airport is small, but well organized. They offer free and reliable internet connection. Embarking Ryan flight to Manchester I was happy because they do not check the size and weight of your pack - I do not want to pay extra! :)
In Manchester I was waiting 2 hours for the connection to Gdansk. Sorry - no possibility to connect to the internet - they want all your data, but they do not connect you - shame on you MAN!
It was 10 pm when I landed in Gdansk. One more interesting journey is completed... See enclosed map - it it not necessary to fly to the pother continent to find inreresting places and to meet interesting people!
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Sep 17, 2019 08:00 PM Nancy - city of cyber elephant
My host from Couchsurfing ìs very kind and intelligent. - he charted on the mapall places in the city I have to visit. I like Nancy. It has a huge cathedral, elegant castle of the dukes, there is also Japanese Garden on the river island and the monument of Jules Verne - the writer of my childhood. But they have also something very original - on the other side if the river bridge they you will find the stable of cyber animals. The most popular is the enormous elephant. At 11 am every day it is walking around the square spraying kids withe the water. Oh, la, la!
In the middle of the day I returned to my host enjoying on the way the narrow streets of the old town with historic passage filled with elegant and fancy stylish shops. After lunch it was the time to go to the airport. They have expensive direct "navette" for 9 euro, but the budget traveller should buy 1 hour ticket for local transport (1,70 euro) and take the tram no. 3 to the last stop. The same ticket will be valid for bus 48 going from this stop to the Atlantique Airport. I am going home!....
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Sep 16, 2019 08:00 PM Blabla car to Rennes and onward
Byebye dear Marie-Christine! I had great time in your mansard!
BlaBla car works good in France. In the morning I use it to go from Greenville on the Normandy coast to Rennes - the capital of Brittany. It cost me only 8,50 euro.. for about 100 kms.
Rennes is a big city sufferring from the street works near main station. I took 20 min walk from the station area to the old quarter, where the provincial parlament building is probably the main tourist attraction (on the picture) . Rennes has also nice city parks like Thabor...
In the late afternoon I plan to reach Nantes.
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Sep 15, 2019 08:00 PM Mont Saint Michel - the dream came true!
There is a city bus - one per day from Greenville, where I stay to the famous Mont Saint Michel. Departing 8,41 costs only 2,30 euro each way. The mountain with a monastery on the top is visible from the distance. When you disembark the bus in the pRk you g
have a choice of free shuttle bus or 3 kms walk. I decided to walk, because the weather was excellent and I wanted to take the pictures from different perspective... It was worth! The tide was still high and the majestic mountain was surrounded by shallow water.
It is like an icon of the North France. Listed also on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
You enter through two solid gates an thd bridge. Then you climb up through the medieval street full of shops. Entry to the ramparts is free but to enter the real monastery you have to pay 10 euro. It is worth - thd visitors trail described in thd leaflet in chosen language will take you to the halls, church, crypts, terraces... The church is on the level of almost 100 m. Great views! What a place and what a day!
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