Life on vacation

 Wednesday, July 27, 2022

We're finally together enough to try the breakfast here at the hotel.  It's only available between 8:30 and 9:30, a fairly narrow window!  When I walk in there is no one else there!  I hear a radio but see no other signs of life!  The one chaffing dish contains scrambled eggs (barely warm) and a flat, breaded something that turns out to be sausage.  There are meats and cheese and yogurt, several kinds of breads, and rolled eggplant that looks so intriguing!  I help myself and, not finding a coffee dispenser, opt for breakfast tea, since I can figure that out!  I have only taken a bite or two when Ammar joins me, doubling the population of the dining room!  In the evenings this must be a piano bar and probably is a lot more lively! There are a couple of guys sitting on the other side of the tall sideboard with the tea things on it and the younger one deigns to nod in response to my "Hello".  Guess I'm grateful for yesterday's katchapuri!! And maybe I can get a Turkish breakfast back in "the cave" before we leave to catch the bus to Batumi.





There are lots of Ukrainians staying here at the hotel.  We've met several
and I'm glad I bought the bracelet and am wearing it every day. This is on the elevator door.

Back to the room so I can rub some more Voltarin on Ammar's poor back.  After a while we go outside to get some fresh air and exercise before our massages, scheduled for four o'clock. Part of vacation is knowing how to slow down and just relax. Plus I get a little time to WhatsApp our next tour guide to confirm our pick-up time and place and look through the guidebooks for other ideas for unscheduled (as yet!) times in Batumi, Kutaisi, and back in Tbilisi.  The second half of our adventure is more tour-laden, so we need to take advantage of any down time we can scrounge!  Oh!  The other tours are with the same company, so I'm getting to be penpals with whoever it is that answers their messages!  Fun!





And it's about time to scurry off to the Radisson for our appointments.  Mine is purely indulgent;  but Ammar's is a necessary bit of therapy for his back and disks.  When we arrive we learn that Ammar's massage is free because the casino made the reservations!  We each receive a locker key and go off to change and then be escorted to our rooms.  

A quick latte until it's time to go upstairs

Gorgeous view of the city






Our hotel's sign on the outside wall for the piano bar

My masseuse is superb and the large window overlooks the river and the city from the nineteenth floor, not that I have much time to look.  The hour flies by and soon we are reunited to savor green tea with apricots and dried plums.

It's time for dinner and we're right here by the cave, so why passs up free seabass (on the menu it is spelled sibas!) with broccoli and cauliflower and lovely red wine! 


It's not a Florida sunset, but it's very nice.

Harumpf!!

Not much yard; but it's in the middle of the old city and look at the cool fence!

And beautiful roses!

And whatever these are!




Gotta have one!


Two black cats in one night!  I'm doubly blessed!

I just love this fountain!  Especially at night!

I think this is the parliament building

A stained glass lamppost!!

After dinner we take a post-prandial stroll searching for sunset.  It's as good an excuse as any!  And now it's time to retire.  Tomorrow we take the bus to Batumi and that should be fun, with free water, coffee, and tea and seatback movie screens and an attendant to see to our every wish (well, maybe not every one!).  While we're at the central bus station we'll check into transportation from Batumi to Kutaisi and from there back to Tbilisi.

The Building of Public Services, designed by the Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas

Comments

  1. GingerJuly 27, 2022 at 1:44 PM

    Looks like a nice couple of relaxing, enjoyable days. Looks like you won't be making a big effort to get down for breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CourtenayAugust 1, 2022 at 5:04 PM

    Once again, your pictures are amazing. The sunset is lovely, and you look wonderful in your robe!

    ReplyDelete

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