Gamarjoba! Hello from Tbilisi, Georgia

Following up on my time in Kutasi, here’s what happened on my rather up-and-down Georgian adventures when I finally reached the capital Tbilisi.

That evening we exhaustedly arrived at our guest house. But drama struck again – our room was given to someone else and we given a sub-par alternative where the only window faced an interior hallway, couldn’t open AND had no curtains so as you can imagine I heard and saw every guest doing all sorts into the night. I don’t have visual proof, so here is a photo of a very extra hotel I spotted the next morning – maybe something for my next visit.

New city means new Free Walking Tour! Sadly the rain had closed the famous vintage bridge market, but all was not lost. The tour was great and I learned a lot about Tbilisi – all of its hidden gems and lots of insider details that are not on Wiki – such as the fact a lot of statues get stolen by local guys trying to impress the ladies. Or that everyone has at least two family members named after St George and St Nino. Teachers must have it very easy.

As part of the tour you ride the cable cart to the top of the hill, explore the fort, see the botanical garden and enjoy the amazing views. And if you are in need of inspiration for your next Instagram pose, this is the place to spot posers.

How gorgeous is Old Tbilisi? All these buildings are sulphur baths that offer complete relaxation and torture massages. Rumour has it that King Gorgasali loved the hot sulphur water so much that he decided to found a city near the springs and Tbilisi was born.

Like any basic white girl, trying out new cuisines and dishes always tops my to-do list. This scrumptious platter with small dishes included: eggplant with walnuts, chopped vegetables combined with walnuts, herbs, onions, garlic and mashed beans with spices.

Thanks to investment by a rich businessman who wants to bring Tbilisi closer to Europe, the city has a very…interesting mix of old and new buildings like a tube-shaped theatre, a mushroom-style government building and a maxi-pad-inspired bridge. You might also spot a Tony Stark-esque mansion on the hill – home to that very rich businessman!

All that walking meant it was soon time for a well-deserved soak, which led us to a private bath at Gulo. And it was EVERYTHING!! Soaking in the hot and cold water was the best £15 I spent in Georgia, maybe even the best £15 I spent this year.

The hunt for food then continued with the discovery of a new favourite dish: lobiani – a Georgian quesadilla-type odish with spicy beans instead of cheese. And a simple, but mouth-wateringly good salad cucumber, tomato, walnut salad.

Stuffed full of Georgian cuisine we headed back to the guest house to prepare for our day-trip.