The unbelivable Georgia….

Do you know where Tbilisi is???

Do you know for which country Tbilisi is the Capital?

I guess this could be a question for the 1 Million dollars TV shows..

Well… I tell you… who does not know is missing it big time…

Tbilisi is Capital of a country called Georgia, an ex soviet country with a crucial strategic position… Situated between the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountains…

I never had in my radar to go there until quite recently… it is true that I want to go to every country in the world if possible, but I confess that it was not in my immediate radar..

What an amazing surprise…. Tbilisi is modern, trendy, and full of beautiful people…

To get there it can be quite complicated and I guess this is one of the reasons it escapes most people’s radar… but once there… the whole place is just amazing…

I was there for a long weekend… and had the chance to visit Tbilisi and Kazbegi..

For accommodation,  I would definitely go back to the Rooms Hotel… there are two in Georgia and I happened to visit both.. they are in Tbilisi and Kazbegi…

www.roomshotels.com/tbilisi/

The Tbilisi one is in a renovated factory which has been transformed into various hotel rooms which resemble a big mosaic… the rooms are large with high ceiling…. decorarion is trendy and cozy…

As the trip to Georgia was for a long weekend.. my husband and I had not time to waste… the first part of the trip was to explore as much as we could of the Capital…. First stop the Old town…

The town in itself is quite hilly… so I recommend you get the cable car to see the town from the top… it rides from the Rike Park end to the Narikala Fortress…

Once back to river level just head yourself to the old town for a pleasant stroll around the the coblestone streets which are full of cafes, bookshops, antiquaires and also very trendy clothes and accessories shop… A pit stop to appreciate the leaning tower is a must!

Lunch was quite espontaneous and we ate at the Mado Cafe… which is quite opposite Liberty Square…. ice creams and chocolates are quite popular there too..

Dinner was more sophisticated and we went to Kopala hotel… an amazing terrace overlooking the river and the old town… Service was amazing and we accepted the recommendation to share the Georgian Salad with a mixed grill…. we had a great meal and a great time…

www.kopala.ge/en/accomodation/kopala/

For drinks we went to the Lolita cafe… just opposite the rooms hotel and part of the same group,.. the concept is similar to the hotel… great open spaces, type of industrial buidings converted into a restaurant and filled with confortable tables and sofas… Great atmosphere.. good music and beautiful people!  It was perfect of us, as we needed to wake up early to take a trip to Kazbegi

www.roomshotels.com/lolita/

Kazbegi, also know as Stepanstminda, actually its official name, is situated in the North of Georgia, very close to the Russian boarder and hosts one the highest mountains in Georgia and also in Europe – Mount Kazbek. A must visit place for hikers, the town is also very visited by tourists from all over the world who wish to visit the Gergeti Trinity Church.

The place is spectacular, but of difficult access… so my recommendation is to do what we did and hire a local driver to drive you up the mountain. Road conditions are quite poor and it is absolutely necessary to get an experienced driver. The trip from Tbilisi to Kazbegi takes about 3 hours and it is uphill, passing through several valleys and even a ski resort – Gudari.

I absolutely loved the trip and appreciated the place, although there is not much infrastructure, as you would expect to find in other parts of Europe. Exception is the Rooms hotel, whose view from its veranda is difficult to describe… It is sooo beautiful…. As the mountains are the only limit, the eye sight cross boarders between Russia and Georgia as you move along the view.

The Rooms hotel also has a great restaurant, and I recommend you try the local speciality, the Khachapuri….

I keep repeating here is the blog that life is about experiences… and some are more remarkable than others… Georgia is AMAZING and it will be a trip that it will mark me for a long time…

xx Valentina