Russia and Georgia - are we getting closer?

I was not going to write about Georgia, at least in the near future.

But here is Putin’s statement on the possible abolition of the visa regime with Georgia. What is not a reason?

For us, Russians, maybe this is not an event at all, we got there without a visa, but for Georgians, I think this is great news! ...

For many years, such a picture could be considered a symbol of our relations with Georgia.

This is a famous composition on the embankment of Batumi.

And now there is hope that everything will change.

Although what should change? After all, we are talking only about official relations at the level of power and government. At the same everyday level, everyday, and so nothing has changed.

We were convinced of this by driving around Georgia this fall.

I’ll also tell you about getting from Turkey to Georgia, but for now I’ll start right from Batumi, the first city on our way.

Perhaps this photograph illustrates the attitude of local residents to guests.

We looked into this store, just to see, and left it with a bunch of magnets, drunk from a chacha and with a lot of stories about how Georgians miss Russians.

Wine and chacha bottles.

Not bottles, but works of art!

Batumi, of course, is shocking with its newfangled architecture.

Much is still under construction, but it already blows the roof.

And if during the day it just surprises, then at night ...

... as if you are in the city of the future!

The city itself, if you look only at its front side, is very beautiful, sometimes even pathos.

Where tourists and visitors go, everything is very decent.

Plastic multi-colored panels are especially touching, behind which old walls and balconies are hidden.

But if you leave the center, then people live there much easier.

And this also has its own charm.

Typical Batumi courtyard with linen.

At the entrance to the park, the Messiah sat on a high chair and allowed himself to be photographed with himself for small donations.

There were many who wanted to.

It is especially beautiful in Batumi in the evening when the lights are lit.

A true European city!

In the night illumination of buildings, the money swelled decently, but everything looks fantastic!

During the day they did not have time to get to Tbilisi, it "stopped" badly, and the rain did not stop.

We spent the night in a village, on a school field, in the company of local watchdogs.

Since his last trip to Georgia, Lehi had good friends.

We pounced on them late at night the next day in a small village near Tbilisi, Uplistsikhe.

Despite this, the table was set - lobio, khachapuri, hot khinkali, barbecue on the way ...

It does not make sense to list everything that was treated to us that evening - you yourself know how it happens in Georgia!

Naturally, they not only ate, but also drank.

The owner gave us another two-liter bottle of home-made wine on the track.

I still regret that I could not bring him home, flew "Victory", did not go through the luggage.

Tariel Zakharovich - we visited him in Uplistsikhe.

He is an inveterate Stalinist and does not hide this.

However, it seemed to me that he was not the only one, now in Georgia Stalin’s popularity is growing again.

Despite the rain pouring for the third day, they climbed to watch the ancient cave city.

In Tbilisi, we lived for two days with the son of Tariel Zakharovich, George.

The rain did not stop, so we only managed to walk in the center, and then went to bask in the famous sulfur baths.

To the question of whether Georgia and Russia are drawing closer.

This is the central square of Tbilisi. NATO Week.

Surprised by a large number of beggars on the streets.

Moreover, these are not just beggars of a homeless kind, but, I would say, beggars-intellectuals.

Usually this is a woman in years, decently dressed, with a pleasant speech.

Starts a conversation about hard life, which in the end comes down to asking for money.

Especially often they can be found on the approach to the temples.

Passed by, and we were almost completely drunk with wine.

Free tasting at the entrance to the restaurant.

Having learned that we are Russian, he did not want to let us go and poured and poured everything!

And the owner of the restaurant! Stands in the rain, invites passers-by, pours ...

I bought a ticket from Vladikavkaz-Moscow on the Internet, so I still had no time to see something.

Hitchhikers again went to the border, although there were doubts - will we be in time?

Not only managed, but also saw so many things along the way!

A very beautiful ancient temple on the banks of the reservoir!

The Georgian who drove us stopped specially for our sake and waited half an hour while we climbed and watched.

In the direction of travel, they changed from car to car several times and ended up in villages along the road.

The locals, seeing the Russians with backpacks, did not allow passage.

Either they will pour a whole packet of grapes, then they will load them with apples, then they call Chacha to drink. We directly regretted that there is no time, otherwise we would have lived here for a week)