Just found two photos that I didn’t upload from my Kutaisi Walking Tour on Day 28.
The Kolkheti Fountain at night.
The Kolkheti Fountain at night.
Vardzia.
Was an interesting place with a monastery at the top.
Looking up at the hand made cave city carved into the rock.
Cave houses in the city complex.
A small room in a cave house.
A blossom tree growing on a rocky landscape.
Jane standing in a cave house entrance.
Selfie time.
A room in one of the cave houses.
Long way down and not at the monastery at the top yet.
A cave room with a very low ceiling.
View of the valley from the two arch portico of the Church of the Dormition.
View of the valley through the portico of the Church of the Dormition.
The cave complex carved into the rock.
The bells of the Church of the Dormition in the cave monastery.
The muralled ceiling of the Church of the Dormition in the cave monastery.
A solid door at the Church of the Dormition.
Finally at the top.
A passage within the cave complex.
The outside of the cave monastery.
The outside of the cave monastery.
View from the cave city looking into the valley below.
Strange formations in the rock.
View into a cave house which appears to show some sort of partitioned shelving.
Traditional items that you might use or eat in your dwelling.
Bushcamp 2 / Cook group/ Travel to Armenia / Bushcamp 3.
It was freezing. So impressed with our cook group. Journey to border never seen storks nests before. Makes you realise how lucky you are when you see the houses.
Pick a spot, any spot. Tent erected.
A tent with a river view.
Who remembers the TV advert “I Feel Like Chicken Tonight” from the 80’s ?
Will with his trophies from the food preparation.
So we have a couple of chicken’s dissected and cooking in a broth. You might be able to make out a couple of heads, wings and legs in the pot. Just need “smell o vision” for you to enjoy the aroma.
Travelling across a flat plain with snow covered hills and mountains in the distance.
Environmentally friendly house with grass roof (also known as a green roof or living roof).
The grass roof is laid on top of corrugated metal sheeting.
A house that is simple in design, yet practical and solid.
A coping walled pen probably used for livestock at some point.
A basic yet self sufficient lifestyle.
Potholes, or should I say more potholes, ahead !
A nesting stork on top of a utility pole.
Nice flat concrete road for once.
A working quarry.
Barren land for as far as the eye can see.
Cloud beginning to come down and cover the mountains in the distance.
Camp for the night sheltered behind a natural mound of earth and stone.
A dusting of something white overnight.
It’s a bit brrrrrrrr.
Another stork nesting up a utility pole.
Interestingly in Germany man made nesting sites are provided for storks to avoid them nesting on infrastructure such as a utility pole.
Perhaps with the housing we are use to now, we forget that this type of property would have been common in most countries many years ago.
So the first month has flown by and what an experience it has been so far.
Took a couple of days to get to know peoples names properly. The group are a really nice mix of ages and personalities.
I’ve discovered I can’t handle people snoring and I’m awful if I’ve not had any sleep !
The camping has been harder than I expected it to be sometimes.
Have enjoyed the cook groups. My Nan would be proud of the gravy I made for the meatballs.
I’ve seen the most amazing things. Dachau was thought provoking and I was in tears at The Anzac monuments. Pumalakke was incredible as was swimming in the hot springs – especially as I hadn’t had a bath for three weeks !
Ephesus was a sight to behold all that history and the underground caves and mountain caves were great to walk through.
As for the hot air balloon trip – bucket list ticked !
Phew and it’s only been a month !
Chilling with Lorna and Hannah in the common room.
