Adventures with the Crafts: September 2016

This past weekend was a holiday one in Baku. We had Monday and Tuesday off work and school so we booked a flight Friday night to Tbilisi, Georgia. I wasn't really sure what to expect and was surprised in many ways by what this country just a 1 hour plane ride north of Baku had to offer.

We landed around 8:30 at night and by the time our driver found the hotel (which was hidden within the city and not really a hotel but a house).....the kids had both passed out in the back seat of the car.

We slept good and the next morning walked through a flea market and then set out for quite a hike to find the funicular. It was a steep uphill walk in the middle of the city so once we found it we needed a water break. Then we got on the funicular which is not for those who have a fear of heights like Mommy. I just took deep breaths and hoped it was a quick trip. Luckily for me, it was. We got to the top and there we found an amusement park called Mtatsminda Amusement Park. They had a large roller coaster that went upside down but it was for kids 12 and over only. They also had a haunted house ride that Daddy and Grace rode, a water plume ride that was also 12 and up only, and a kiddie roller coaster that both Grace and Ty rode. The view from the top was amazing as you could see the whole city. Apparently the café up there is really good to eat at as well but we were anxious to continue our journey so down the funicular we went.

At the bottom, we took a cab (we had enough walking by then) to Fountain Square. We found some small markets there and a great Italian place to eat (I know I know.....when in Georgia you should eat Georgian food, but Ty hadn't eaten yet and we knew he needed some good pasta lol.) So the kids both had pasta and Barry and I sampled some Georgian cheese bread and other items and I had pizza too!

Across the street from the restaurant was a bar/pub called KGB and they were selling shirts that said Still Watching so of course Barry had to get one! After lunch we walked over to the Bridge of Peace and saw some wedding pictures taking place there. We took in the neat views of the river and then we took a break and headed back to the apartment hotel to shower after all the walking in the heat. We met some friends who work in Georgia at the US Embassy for dinner at a place called the Georgian Bread Company. Here we had more cheese bread and Grace realized she LOVES quail. Ty had French fries and chicken and we all tried a traditional Georgian dish of dumplings called Khinkali.

It was very good and Grace and Daddy and I both liked it. Ty of course didn't try it.

It was fun to talk to the American Embassy people who live in Georgia and compare the differences between our lives in Baku and their lives in Tbilisi. They said people get sick a lot in Tbilisi as the food handling isn't as good as it should be and sure enough that night the guy got sick:( The night after that I did.....but we'll get to that...

so the next day Barry hired a driver who started out day at the Chateau Mukhrani which is a wine tasting chateau/factory/wedding event place/etc. We were given a tour of their horse stable, factory, wine cellar, and given a tasting. The kids were quite bored by the tour but Grace fell in love with the Chateau's dog named Saparavi which is also the name of the wine they make. So the kids ran around the cheateau grounds playing in the rocks and with the dog while Barry and I had a wine tasting of a white, red, and rose Georgian wine. They were all good and Barry of course bought some to bring home.

After the Chateau we headed to a town called Gori where we looked for a place to have lunch. One of the major differences I noticed between Americans and Georgians is that Barry wanted to do everything on his phone.....find restaurants based on their rankings.....and directions...etc....while the Georgian driver OFTEN and I mean many times stopped to ask fellow Georgiains just walking along for directions and even for the best lunch restaurant in Gori. I'm glad he did. We would have never stopped if it was just as at this place that looked like an old bar/pub from the outside. Once inside we were sat in our own room and they took our drink order and then closed the door on us! When they brought the drinks Barry asked for the menu but was never given one. The kids and I went to the bathroom and realized everyone was eating the same thing. So there was no menu, we were fed the only meal they make there.....mashed potatoes and beef. Grace, and Barry and I actually liked it! We gave Ty some Georgian bread and luckily had planned ahead and made him some spaghetti at our apartment so he had that.

After lunch we found the Gori castle. We climbed many many steep stairs to reach the top and I had to stop many times to catch my breath. At the top we found another stray dog Grace fell in love with once again and Ty enjoyed looking at the view with Daddy.

After the castle, my legs starting shaking bad.......too much for me I guess.

Our next stop was the Uplistsikhe cave city/archeological site and my legs took one look at the stairs leading to it and began shaking so bad I said I would wait for them all at the bottom. The kids went off with Daddy and came back excited to hug me and tell me all about it. I enjoyed resting and people watching while they were gone.

Our last stop was a town called Mtsjkheta where we found some cool Georgian wine jugs as well as ice cream for the kids!

It had been a long day and we were all ready for dinner so we headed over to a place given great reviews by a good friend. It was called Tabla and we had more quail, roasted chicken, French fries, and more Georgian bread and of course some Georgian wine. After dinner we walked through a few shops we found but it was soon clear my stamina was gone. So we hailed a cab back to the apartment hotel and called it a night.

That night around 1:30am I was quite sick but no one else was and since we had eaten all the same foods the whole day I am left to assume I had too many foods with a lot of grease like the French Fries and even the roasted chicken had a lot of grease on it. My stomach is quite sensitive as I get older:(

So with a long night behind me, the next day we took it easy.......Tyler and I stayed in the hotel apartment the whole day and I caught up on some much needed sleep. Daddy and Grace hit the flea market one last time and brought home food to cook us for lunch and dinner. Georgian food is good but nothing beats Daddy's home cooking especially when you feel lousy. Daddy and Grace also took the cable cars up to the top of the city after dinner and saw an old fort up there. Grace loved it but said I would have hated all of the stairs and height especially the height on the cable car. So we packed it up that night and left the next morning for Baku.
Here are some pics:

Grace and Ty in the lobby of our hotel/apartment.

In front of our hotel/apartment.

The top of the funicular.

Ty peeking inside a door of a shop. He liked the shape of the door. I did too!

Grace and daddy found an old phonograph at the flea market.

Grace and Daddy looking around the flea market.

A cute little river near the flea market.

Grace liked the paintings in the river.

Ty liked the rainbow paint in the river.

Both liked the playground near the flea market until they realized the slide was barely hanging on and the monkey bars were missing. They said this playground is junk, it's all broken!

One of the many dilapidated buildings we saw.

Grace and Daddy almost to the funicular.

Grace found a picture of Darth Vader on the wall of a building.

On the way to the funicular we passed a movie theatre that had Georgian movie stars names on these stars.

Grace getting a closer look at the Georgian movie star names.

A cool fountain on the way to the funicular.

Ty liked the cool fountain too.

All uphill on the way to the funicular so here is one of the many stops we made so mommy could catch her breath.

Still on the way to the funicular!

Almost there.......

And we made it, but right next store there is a café called the funicular that sells water and pancakes so we decided to give it a try!

Ty didn't like the pancakes, they were too doughy, more like a crepe than a pancake.

And we are on the funicular!

Daddy and Gracie going up on the funicular!

At the top, what a view of the city!

More of the view!

You can see better with this of course!

At the top there were more stairs.....we decided to take a picture instead of climb them lol!

And behold....the big roller coaster!

No one rode it.....12 and up only and Daddy didn't want to ride alone...I couldn't blame it....it looked a bit rickety and I was surprised how slow it went.......

The roller coaster was at the top of yet another hill so we took a water break to watch it.

Daddy and Grace went on the haunted house ride instead.....

While Ty and I had an interesting bathroom experience at the park's WC.......yes wash closet....aka bathroom.....this one was like the ones in Okinawa....with a cement hole in the ground as a potty. Ty was very unsure what he was supposed to do here....but he figured it out.....lol

Just a little maze at the amusement park.

Grace liked this flower truck at the amusement park.

Ty was happy enough to ride the little kid roller coaster. In fact I think it made his day. Grace however said it was very slow and boring......

Just stopping for a hug with mom.....

A bar/pub we found next to the Italian place we had lunch at. Daddy liked this and had to get a shirt! :)

Mommy and Ty getting in a good hug after lunch.

Ty liked these stairs a lot and wanted to see where they went....

Grace liked this little guy.....

And this cat lol....

About to cross the Bridge of Peace.

Walking across the Bridge of Peace.

Headed out in the driver's car on day too to the Chateau.

In the driver's car headed to the chateau.

Grace and daddy at the chateau waiting for our tour to begin.

The wine tasting/restaurant area of the chateau.

The restaurant area of the chateau.

The horse stable at the chateau.

Ty in the wine factory at the chateau.

Grace in the wine factory at the chateau.

Grace in the factory at the chateau.

Ty looking at the tanks.

Daddy, Grace, and Ty looking at the wine barrels in the cellar at the chateau.

The special wine mold in the cellar at the chateau.

Grace named this dog Carl.....it was the chateau's dog actually named Saparovi after one of the wines they make.

Finally time for the actual wine tasting.

While daddy and I tasted the wines, Ty ran up and down the hill.....no wonder he slept so much in the car ride after.

While Ty ran up and down the hill, Grace continued to hang out with Carl aka Saparovi .

Grace and daddy at the place we found for lunch in the town called Gori.

Grace and daddy on the way up to the castle in Gori.

Ty on the way up to the castle in Gori.

Ty and the castle of Gori.

At the top of the Gori castle.

Grace found another dog there......

Grace is asking why we can't take him home.

Daddy and Ty trying to get a good view.

My view....

Daddy and Ty at the top of Gori castle.

Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

G and T pretending to be cavemen at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Grace pretending to be tarzan at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Ty pretending to be tarzan at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

T and G at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

T and G at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

G at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

T and G playing at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

T and G pretending to climb up a huge mountain at the Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Uplistesikhe cave city/archeological site.

Grace looking at the ceramic khinkali (Georgian dumpling) in a town called Mtskheta.

T and G enjoying ice cream at Mtskheta.

Daddy and Grace in Mtskheta.

A cool old car we found in Mtskheta.

G and T dancing to music coming from the car in Mtskheta.

G and T a bit tired of Mtskheta.

Finally time for dinner at Tabla....Grace and Daddy practice swirling wine....daddy has the real thing....Grace has a yummy sparkling lemonade she liked.

Mommy and Daddy at Tabla restaurant.

Grace enjoying her quail at Tabla.

This is the wine we had earlier in the day at Chateau Mukhrani when we went and of course the restaurant had some too so of course we had to have some!