We are currently in beautiful and exciting Georgia! So far, the country surprises positively in every way - beautiful and interesting, with incredibly hospitable people.
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Flight from Stockholm to Tbilisi
So we are currently in Georgia, together with our travelling companion Hélène, a freelance journalist whom we met on a press trip in Turkey. This trip is a private trip that we have organised ourselves, with some help from the country's tourism organisation.
We flew with LOT Polish Airlines from Stockholm, via Warsaw, to Tbilisi. The flight was relatively smooth, and not very long, but we flew at night so it was still very tiring. There was no real night's sleep at all ... and when we arrived, we were so excited that we immediately went out on the town to look around!
Two days in Tbilisi and Mtscheta
We have planned to experience Georgia during a ten-day round trip by rental car. The trip started with two days in the capital Tbilisi. This was almost on the verge of too little time, but we still managed to see most of what we wanted to see, including the historic and holy city of Mtscheta, which is twenty kilometres away.
Cosy neighbourhoods and hospitable people
We knew Georgia would offer historic buildings and fine wines. What surprised us is that Tbilisi is also an incredibly cosy city, filled with charming neighbourhoods, promenades, cable cars and art. There are also plenty of cafés and restaurants with a great atmosphere.
People are incredibly hospitable, as we have already discovered. Whenever we've had trouble finding or understanding a sign, someone has quickly rushed over to help. When we pointed out a place we were looking for on our mobile phone to a woman passing by, she immediately turned around to follow us and show us the way.
Incidentally, there are plenty of stray dogs here. It is perhaps a bit sad in a way, but what still feels good in the context is that everyone looks well-fed. In addition, they are incredibly nice, calm and almost "well-behaved" careful. In the capital, most are tagged with chips in their ears, which means they are vaccinated.
Best this week
The best thing this week? Yes, it is of course that we are on site in Georgia and get to experience a new exciting country. I (Helena) have also had a challenge in that my computer suddenly refused to connect to wifi, but after tips from the hotel's IT guy, I have now shopped for a wifi adapter - and I finally have internet on the computer again. Happy Friday!
Your turn... What can you highlight as a positive from the week, big or small?
The week ahead
We now continue to discover other parts of Georgia. We're travelling around by rental car, from wine regions and mountains to the Black Sea coast. You can follow the journey on Instagram at @freedomtravelnews and we will also update with the occasional post here, mixed with reports from Innsbruck and reports by our guest writers. Now we take the opportunity to wish you a great Friday and weekend!
Did you miss the last Happy Friday? Read the "Stopover" in Stockholm and an Irish evening
bmlarstravellingblog says:
We think Georgia is a really exciting destination so of course we will follow your experiences from home. The best thing this week is that the covid infection that hit me just over four weeks ago is finally starting to go away even though I'm still insanely tired. Then we have packed Laikan for what seems to be the last trip of the year a few days ahead. Since we stayed in the motorhome 98 nights this year, it must be a goal to reach 100 nights, maybe a little childish but still fun....
25 October 2024 - 19:28
Helena says:
What a tough time with covid! Glad you are starting to feel better!!! Hope the last of this year's 100 motorhome nights will be nice!!!
26 October 2024 - 4:30