Welcome to Mama Georgia
1. Welcoming people. It is something that is often used to say, but in the case of Georgians it is true. They are extremely attentive people, who invite you to try their products , sing popular melodies with them or play ball in the street. For them, the guest is the most important.
two. Iberian brothers. In ancient times, Georgians were called Iberians, something that greatly puzzled ancient geographers. "Kingdom of Iberia" it was how the Romans and Greeks referred to a part of the Caucasian country.
3. Reasonable similarities. Another similarity with Spain is in the current name: “Georgia” pays tribute to the patron saint of the country, Saint George . This saint is also the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, as well as Alcoy, Cáceres and Madrigueras in Albacete.
Welcoming people: all over Georgia you will be invited to taste their products, sing their songs...
Four. impossible language . Georgian is one of the most difficult languages to learn and its alphabet doesn't help either: all the letters look like clouds and hearts. They are famous for their consonant clusters, with words of up to 5 consonants in a row (for example ‘mt͡sʼvrtnɛli’ , which means 'coach'). But don't worry: Georgians are lovers of gestures.
5. walk through the future . what of Batumi It is very curious. This town located in the west of the country is an explosion of amazing skyscrapers. **The curious Alphabet tower or the Radisson hotel ** -which is also home to a university- has a Ferris wheel inside the building itself. To enjoy between class and class, we suppose.
Batumi, walking through the future
6. upside down america . Another building worth visiting, also in Batumi, it's the inverted white house . It is actually the White Restaurant , a place that plays with geometry as if it were Escher while serving traditional Georgian food.
7. Tbilisi is also a capital of contrasts . Its popular neighborhoods contrast with an increasingly touristy historic center, which perfectly preserves old buildings. Sameba Cathedral, with its golden dome, it is the third largest Orthodox cathedral in the world and the Sioni Cathedral takes us back to the 5th century.
Sameba Cathedral
8. Mama Georgia. It is a common symbol of the former Soviet countries: a huge statue, located on top of a hill, which in the case of Tbilisi is the Kartli's mother . The symbolism is clear: with one hand she greets friends with a glass of wine, and with the other she drives away enemies with a sword.
9. Bird views. To see the statue up close, you can take a modern cable car to its feet. From there, you get impressive views over the entire city and the impressive Narikhala fortress.
10. Buy old passports. You can find them in the markets of the capital, where friendly vendors offer everything they find out there. Analogue photo cameras, old records and porcelain cups compete with the star product: communist pins with the face of Stalin.
eleven. Play dominoes. It is another of the secret passions of the Tbilisians. You will find groups of people playing this board game for hours. If you look at any of the participants, they will invite you to join their particular party. Although it is a domino with its own rules that are difficult to understand, the experience is worth it.
Narikhala Fortress
12. Soviet subway. Those who have visited Moscow will see it right away: those infinite escalators, which go to a completely disproportionate speed and take us to a communist-style underworld, they are recognizable to the Soviet traveler.
13. Thermal waters. Bath lovers also have their place in the Georgian capital. In charming district of Abanotubani , with its characteristic egg-shaped buildings, offer public baths with views of the city's mosque.
14. Flavored strings. Called Churchkhela and they are one of those sweets that, at first, cost. They look like sausage dipped in honey , but they are actually walnuts or hazelnuts strung on a string and coated with grape juice. A denture-proof candy.
Churchkhela, the Georgian Jelly Beans
fifteen. Perfect Calories. Scrambled eggs reach a new state of perfection thanks to the Khachapuri . This bread stuffed with cheese is not only caloric, but also wonderful. It is one of the most traditional dishes and a nightmare for those with cholesterol problems. Another option? The delicious giant dumplings known as Khinkali .
16. Crafts on the road. Entire families are dedicated to selling products of all kinds next to gas stations or in small vacant lots. It is common to stop along the road to get great quality food at very reasonable prices.
17. Visit Stalin. It is one of the favorite destinations for history lovers. The city of Gori was the birthplace of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, and today it houses the Stalin Museum. You can also visit the house where he was born and the personal carriage with which he traveled.
Stalin statue in the Stalin Museum in Gori
18. black beaches. They don't call it 'Black Sea' for no reason. A few days calm and serene, this sea of dark sand rages in a matter of seconds and its waves fill the most apprehensive with fear. Bathe with stone-proof shoes, since these are found throughout the coast.
19. Charming towns. If you want to visit interesting places, the recommendation is to go to Kobuleti, a small beach town with funny buildings –some remind us of the house from American Horror Story- and open-air markets.
Black beaches in Batumi
twenty. Sign up to _supr_a. It is one of the best experiences in the whole country. The guests gather around a table full of food, and toast to everything that touches their hearts. Between tears and hugs, they get a catharsis that -beyond the hangover of the next day- makes them feel like new.
twenty-one. Make a wish. In the tbilisi hill it is customary to hang our wishes from trees. This is what the people who visit the place do, filling the highest branches with color and good intentions. Something much more ecological than the problematic love locks motivated by Moccia.
Supra
22. Designer McDonald's. We return to the architectural follies of Batumi to point out one of the most curious McDonalds in the world . It looks like a designer greenhouse, with rounded walls surrounded by an impressive flower garden. If you don't look closely, at night, you might even think that it is the dome of the Louvre.
23. Get drunk with chacha. Although wine is one of the symbols of Georgia -and throughout the country you will find very good quality wines- the chacha is the true star of the table. Intensely flavored, this 70-proof spirit known as “vodka wine” is so loved that there is even a fountain in Batumi that offers free chacha for ten minutes a day.
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Tbilsi, Mother of Kartli