On Friday, March 30th, I enjoyed my first picnic on the beach of the Black Sea with my new TLG buddy, Kas. We planned it about a week ago and thank goodness the weather cooperated. My fellow picnic-er and I met at the local Goodwill (which is the Georgian version of a Pick 'n Save except it's 4 times smaller) to purchase some goodies for the picnic. We each got a drinkable yogurt, score! I can't speak for Kas, but I got it because I'm seriously lacking some calcium that my body is craving. We also purchased some chips, a strange flavor of Doritos, and of course some candy for dessert. I know what you're thinking, that is such a healthy lunch! We got our main course at the next "shop" we went to. It's more of a stand than a shop. But to get to that place, we had to leave Goodwill and that meant battling with the beggar/gypsy children that swarm you as soon as you leave the store. On this particular day we got lucky and weren't harassed. They were better behaved than the other ones I've unpinned myself from. Usually they clamp onto your arm, purse, leg... Frankly, anything they can get a hold of. I'm not a fan of Goodwill because I hate what's waiting for you on the other side of the exit door. Thankfully, Friday was a good day. After Goodwill, we meandered our way to T'bilisi Square in search of the stand with our main course. Since I said "stand" I'm thinking that you all can guess what we purchased? That's right, KHACAPURI! A picnic on the Black Sea is not complete without the Georgian staple of Khacapuri. We got it for 1.40 GEL each (85 cents) as opposed to the usual 1 GEL (61 cents). Plus, it wasn't the greatest tasting Khacapuri. We won't be going to that lady again. Khacapuri places are a dime a dozen! On the way to the beach, I even scored myself a wonderful looking banana. Yummy fruit! We chose a certain pathway to the beach that lead us through the back roads to avoid walking past the front of Goodwill. We walked past the port and settled down in one of the best spots of Batumi. We were at the beginning of the Boulevard and surrounded by the Ali and Nino statues, the Ferris Wheel (that was turned on!), and the Alphabet Tower. We found a beautiful spot on a giant concrete slab on the rocky beach. The reason we chose this particular spot was because it is the best place to do some dolphin watching!
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| Picnic! |
Let's go through the necessities to make a fabulous Georgian picnic: Black Sea? Check. Beach? Check. Gorgeous weather? Check. Amazing landmarks? Check. Snacks? Check. Khacapuri? Check. Dolphins? Check! Honestly, the only thing that was missing was a red and white checkered blanket and a Diet Coke. I couldn't find a blanket that resembled such description on short notice. Furthermore, good Diet Coke doesn't exist over here. I have to wait until I get back to the USA for that. I took me a long time to each my lunch because every five minutes I would throw my food down and frantically rummage for my camera while shouting "Look over there! Dolphins!" This picnic is going down as one of my favorite moments of my time here in Georgia.
Please enjoy some lovely pictures from my picnic! :)
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| The famous Ali and Nino |
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| Picnic Lunch! |
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| Boats heading to the port. |
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| Dolphins! |
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| More dolphins! |
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| Ali and the moon. |
More often than not, I stop and think to myself: Is this really happening? Am I actually here? Sometimes my life in Georgia feels like one extended dream and I'm just waiting for the moment I wake up suddenly and find myself still in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, I love you and all, but I'm so happy that my life path has lead me to experience moments like having a picnic on the Black Sea while watching dolphins swim around. :)
Until next time. Adventure is out there!
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