Georgia Last Days

The next morning we are off to visit the market in the nearby town of Telavi. It is a smaller market than I have visited earlier in my travels but this one has more things for sale targeted towards locals – you’d see things like raw meat hanging in the walkways or pickled vegetables in large jars.

We continue more into town which is very quiet today except a main square area where they are setting up for the Independence Day festivities later. We pick up some small flags to participate in the celebration. Our tour guide also helps us purchase some sparklers to use to celebrate later.

Last stop before lunch is the Gremi complex where we see some old frescos and an attached fortress.

It is our second day in the wine country and we are heading to a family’s house for a traditional meal and a lesson on how to make the sweet treat churchkhela.

The food is all amazing and there is plenty of wine and chacha to go around. I have a very persistent cat at my side much of the meal that digs his deep nails into my legs on occasion to let me know he requests some food. He takes breaks from me to scare another person on my tour between the times he is bothering me.

We now learn how to make the sweet treat called churchkhela – typically nuts covered in thickened grape juice. Our sense of humor really comes out during our churchkhela making session. It is then I realize I have found my people. I am sure we have made our hosts and tour guide blush a time or two during this activity.

We finish our day trip with a visit to a local winery where we learn about the qvevri wine making process. Qvevri are large clay pots where everything about the grape is stored: fruit, skin and seeds. They are left to ferment for up to 6 months. After the wine juice is filtered out from the byproducts, the leftovers is used to make cha-cha, the very strong liquor I have had much of during my travels.

We try three wines and three cha-cha during our tasting. Our host is very funny and animated and shares his wines with passion. It is soon time to go so I buy a bottle to later share and we head back to the resort and spa because other ladies have their massage appointments today.

As soon as we get off the bus I head underground to start the wine tour at our winery resort. The guide shows us the wine making process. We head back upstairs and try three generous pours of their wines.

We have another long dinner, a sunset and some fun with sparklers.

After a late start we start our journey back to Tbilisi. We have some free time before dinner and some choose to use that time to enjoy the city but I spend the time packing since I have to leave for my flight at 2:30am in the morning.

We attend a dinner show with more Georgian dance and singing. I am pleased to find out it is different than the one I previously attended. I enjoy the dance, food, wine and good company. In the midst of this there is a feeling that even though some will continue their adventures together after this we are at the end of our journey. We have a fun bus ride back to the hotel that includes singing. Off the bus I give my hugs because I don’t think I have another late night in me. The tour has been such a fun experience. I am glad I have taken a chance on a new group. I hope to run into these lovely ladies in my future travels.

Thank you Georgia and thank you ladies for a great time!

Casablanca day 2

This morning we only plan to be out for a little while to visit a couple places we missed the day before but we end up spending the entire day out before meeting our tour in the evening.

Our first stop is at the old Post Office to view the art deco interior.

Our next stop is at food market at the Central Market where you can see fishmonger, butchers, produce markets, and olive sellers try to sell their inventory. Surrounding the area are food stands where I learn will prepare any fish that you purchase at the market.

We walk by a garment like district where black plastic bags of clothes are delivered in the morning to store front after store front. We watch some get unloaded to add to the daily frocks available for sale. We find ourselves dodging bags of clothes that pile on the sidewalk.

We revisit the Church of Notre Dame of Lourdes to view it since there is now no service. The amazing stain glass windows cast beautiful colors along the sides of the church.

I light a candle for my mom as I tend to do.

We then plan to walk back to the old Medina to view all the shops but it has us walk through the expensive neighborhood in town. We see the royal palace off in the distance.

We exit the Medina and end up in the old neighborhood. The streets are alive with action and commerce. We are not in a tourist spot right now.

We are hungry though so we turn back around to get a snack at a cafe on the other side of the Medina. The pizza isn’t the best but it is nice to rest after walking all day. We people watch for while.

The city courthouse is not open to visitors but we try to sneak some pictures as close as we can go and are stopped by the guard. The doors are supposed to be very pretty when they are closed.

We also walk by a district full of the smell of grilled meats, the aroma of rotisserie chicken fills the street air.

We have to meet our tour group in a couple hours so we go back towards our hotel ending up on streets that are new to us. Today we have walked through some many varying parts of town, getting a really good feel of everyday life here even though today is a school holiday.

Our last stop is at the walk around the Arab Nations Park then back to the hotel.

We meet our group and have a nice dinner getting acquainted. The next few days we will travel all around different parts of the country and learning many things. So far the group and tour guide seem really nice.

Last hours in Girona

I am leaving Girona today to head to Barcelona. It is a quick train ride – less than an hour. Barcelona hotel check-in is later so I have some free time in Girona this morning. I take a morning walk and order a breakfast and a coffee. There is a flower market down the main shopping district. It seems like this market might have had more vendors in the past, perhaps another covid casualty?

There is a laundromat close to the hotel. This is a great opportunity to clean all my clothes one last time this trip. There is a nice view out the back window. I drop my bag with clean clothes back at the hotel to hold while I go out.

The Cinema Museum or Museu de Cinema has caught my eye so I decide to visit.

The museum starts with an introductory movie then you follow a series of interactive exhibits that build chronologically with the technical advancements.

The first exhibits are about the use of shadows.

I learn how they discover how to take images and make movement appear.

There are so many different cameras and projectors on display.

After the museum I walk around the city and notice a foam party in the park. Kids are digging it (no pictures out of respect).

I couldn’t resist one more stop at the Rocambolesc. I later discover this is an international chain so I have a feeling I’ll see this place again.

I stroll back to my hotel to grab my bag and head off to Barcelona. I will miss Girona. I like this quiet non-crowded town.

Mercado de San Miguel

One of my favorite food places in the world is the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid. The mercado is what I would call food heaven. After our first visit all I wanted to do is return again and again while we were in Madrid. You can get small samples of anything you can think of Spanish related. We had so much fun going from booth to booth tasting things. We ended up spending a large amount of time at the Vermut (Vermouth) and Sherry tasting booth. It is there that I discovered my new love for Vermouth. Evenings there are fun but crowded. Serious eaters should arrive earlier to avoid the lines.

My favorite was the Vermut tasting. A glass of sweet, dry or semi-sweet vermouth was great with a plate of olives.

It wasn’t until the end of our Madrid stay did I discovered that I liked Sherries as well.

One mustn’t forget desserts as well. There were plenty of those to try.

Tomato Herb Planter

Last Saturday we purchased a cherry tomato plant at the Winter Park Farmers market. This purchase led into the ideal of creating a mix herb pot. I had plenty of mini herb plants started from seeds so it seemed like a great idea for a porch plant. The 9 side holes have a mix of marjoram, dill, parsley, cilantro, oregano, sage, and basil. The cherry tomato is planted in the top hole. We are excited about seeing this planter grow.