Boyfriend dearest is very secure in himself (as well as quite intuitive) which is great because I have a best friend, best friend is a guy, guy looks like this:
Jeffrey and I have landed up in different countries and I really miss hanging out with him!
We were chit-chatting online and I was rushing out of the house wishing for the gazillionth time I could take him along.
Then I realized I can!
I tell him I’m taking him with me on my errands that day and that anything interesting that my eyes see, his eyes will too. These are all the photos and stories I sent him that day as we went on a (virtual) tour of Batumi together. If you are free, come join us 🙂
PS: If you are joining us, get yourself a pen and a small piece of paper – even a post-it. You’ll see why. Yalla, prepare it. Jeffrey and I are waiting…
Ready? Let’s go!
Stepping outside
We live on a mountain very close to Batumi and there is a pretty walk between myself and the marshrutka (mini-van)Â that takes me into the city. Dubai is very, very different than this and I regularly rub the beauty of the lush forests of Batumi in Jeffrey’s face.
Saying hello to sunshine – it’s been a very long, cold winter in Batumi. The snow which looks lovely in photos doesn’t feel lovely when it gets into your bones every.single.day!!!
Getting closer to zero altitude.
War…
Graveyard in Batumi. The images of loved ones etched on their gravestones. So many young deaths here. Probably because of the recent war.
Catching up with a dear friend of mine recently, I asked her why she had broken up with her long-term boyfriend. She said he changed after going to war, it had darkened his soul and he just couldn’t pull himself back out of that darkness.
War just kills: It kills people physically or it kills people who killed them emotionally, just like her dear boyfriend whose loving heart I could feel every time she spoke of him… before…
My thoughts: All politicians who are oh SO passionate about bringing about ‘peace’ by bombing the hell out of a nation should put those green uniforms on, pick up their guns and go to war at the front lines with their children right next to them.
Jeffrey’s not into the morbid as much as myself so I just send him photos without this discourse. We send them prayers.
I find a marshrutka and I gently transfer from nature mode into city mode.
The city of Batumi
When you’re in Batumi, don’t forget to look up.
So many buildings have wonderful details on them you will always find a handsome viking or a beautiful maiden looking down at you.
I get off the marshrutka.
Since Jeffrey is ‘with’ me today (just like you), ‘we’ take the scenic route on my way to the post office. Click *here* to see exactly where we are (FYI – Google Maps – opens in another window).
Restaurant Sanapiro Batumi
Need some yummy in the tummy. I tell Jeffrey we will stop for breakfast at the Restaurant Sanapiro for no other reason than it’s on my path. It is *here* on the map.
I’m used to seeing the ying-yang symbol on yoga mats, tattoos… but on a huge ship?
Tattoo of the waiter serving me. I didn’t dare ask him if there was a story behind this one. Sad stories go in through my ears, smash right into my heart and come straight out of my eyes as tears. Didn’t want to freak the guy out – men and tears, not exactly the best combination (luckily, Boyfriend thinks it’s beautiful how I feel things so deeply, so easily).
Presentation fail.
Jeffrey is very visual and would have not been impressed with the presentation. He’s Swedish and, understandably, a style-snob… *Snort*
Thankfully, the bill is as modest as the presentation as it is only  6.5 Laris (a little below 3 Dollars). If Jeffrey was here, he’d laugh and say, “Binky, it’s only 3 Dollars for God’s sake,” but I still check every cent of the bill like a psycho because a lot of creative (re)writing goes on between the prices on the menu and the actual bill here in Georgia, especially if you’re a foreigner. Most of the time I let it fly because, as a general rule, I choose not to agitate myself over money (amongst *many* other things) but today I’m in the ‘it’s the principle of the matter’ mood.
Despite that, for a relatively stunning European city, the prices in Batumi are very reasonable. For now.
This place is on probation in terms of food but the service and atmosphere was actually quite nice. I will have to try it again.
Walking in Batumi
We finish breakfast. I tell Jeffrey we are moving again. We’re *here* folks. Lucky, Batumi is very walk-friendly.
Post office in Batumi
One of our errands today is to pick up my little online order from the post office. Yes, deliveries do not get delivered to you in Batumi if they are any bigger than an envelope. Instead, the post office will deliver you an SMS notification telling you your package has arrived.
I suspect it’s my anti-radiation cell phone cover, which basically will block all cell signals from your phone. As in, your phone won’t work once it’s in this. Kind of a cell phone equivalent of a nicotine patch–protects you from cell phone addiction and radiation-induced cancer by blocking the signals when you carry it in your bag or pocket. It’s that, or the anti-radiation earphone that will stop radiation going straight into my brain when I’m on the phone.
Boyfriend is my holistic health guru and always makes me learn and think about these things. Jeffrey and Boyfriend have a bit of a bromance going on, especially since they are both so into health and fitness, and I suspect just one little visit to Georgia would even help Jeffrey lessen his interaction with his phone. Enjoy it while it lasts Jeffy!
We cross the road and in a little while we’re in the Batumi post office–click for the location.
Tip about life in Georgia:
It took me way too long to find this out, so here is a shortcut for you folks.
When you walk into a place like this, you might notice that the line is sideways and some people are actually in the same queue even though they are at the back of the room, to the right, to the left, sitting down. Seems like neither the line, nor the system, contains any logic. Apparently, what needs to be done when faced with a Georgian queue is to say ‘kto posledniy?’ which is Russian for ‘who’s last?’ to see who is last in line, then make a mental note that you will be after that person. Then go sit, stand, crouch anywhere.
The girl at this post office is very pretty and I know that had Jeffrey been here, he definitely would have said something to make her smile, as well as blush. Little charmer.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take me a gazillion hours to pick up my package this time. Georgia’s infrastructure is pretty modern and fast when it comes to big, serious-even-for-grown-ups stuff like setting up companies or property sales transactions, so I have no idea why the postal system lags behind – in every sense.
Walking downtown in Batumi
We’re now walking in the downtown area. Very hip and artsy with lots of wonderfully painted walls.
I know Jeffrey is pleasantly surprized by how quaint this place is.
LOVED the design detail here. It really looks 3-D with the little visual blurring trick they did.
Clapping.
It is a real shame we can’t get any English plays here in Batumi. Did you know that even the cinemas don’t show movies in their original format? All dubbed in Russian or Georgian and not even subtitled in English.
Not clapping.
I once went into the cinema and asked if I could put a written request in so at least once a week they would show movies in English. The dude said, “No.” I asked again if I could talk to the manager. The dude again said, “No,” but made sure he laughed in my face first… In this life, a big chunk of my gratitude always goes towards my sense of humor…
Dom Kofe Batumi
This is an excellent place to get excellent coffee in Batumi. The chain is scattered all over Batumi, but this particular one is *here*.
Boyfriend dearest is a coffee-snob (the only thing on EARTH he is ‘snobby’ about – he’s now studying home roasters and green coffee suppliers, organic and Fairtrade of course, to take it all a step further). We regularly have a pit-stop here to try the various flavors they have.
Cute, quaint and, the biggest deal-maker, you get greeted with a smile. It’s a different culture here and coming from ultra-smiley cultures, I notice both when a smile is present or absent.
I tell the lovely girl there that I’m taking my best friend who lives in Dubai on a virtual tour with me today. I tell her he needs to come see Batumi and she agrees. I recruit her to this cause.
Here she is…
Jeffrey sees this video and says that she is adorable – I agree!
The Piazza Batumi
When you see this tower, don’t forget to find the way in and go inside the square it borders. Click *here* to see where we are now loves.
The Piazza is one of the most popular places in Batumi and the atmosphere really is lovely.
It is, almost literally, a square, surrounded by quaint, low-rise hotels, where you have food, drinks, live music, shows… Definitely drop by and have a little glass of Georgian wine here.
Apparently, Sting stayed in the hotel here too… *sigh* (yes, crush <3 )
Church of St. Nicholas Batumi
This church is right across the street from the Piazza. Many churches in Georgia are quite beautiful.
I particularly like this one because of the wooden painting below and how candles light everything up… Jeffrey likes it too because he likes churches and all that they represent in general. Me, I’m just a places-of-worship-junkie.
The Turkish Area in Batumi
The closer we get to the Turkish section, the more massage parlors there are.
You can also spot the mosque in the background.
I go into most places of worship I come across and have been to countless mosques. This particular one somehow just doesn’t pull me and I have not been to it.
Anyhow, if you want Turkish products, tahin, olives, Turkish feta cheese, or a massage with a happy ending in Batumi, you know where to come. Saying that, don’t let the massage parlours put you off, it’s not a sleazy area at all so do bring the whole family along and have some delicious kababs.
Click here to see where we are now.
Danish House Batumi
There is no Ikea in Batumi save for one called ‘Ikea Basket’ which would be the equivalent in size to the little toe of any regular-sized Ikea anywhere in the world. So when I do need something nice for the house, this is my go-to place–Danish House. Even Jeffrey’s Scandinavian eye would like a thing or two here.
I LOVE keys!
I love how we all have so many treasures within us and how we have the keys to all of them – we do! We can unlock the doors to new skills, new worlds, new lifestyles, new careers, new loves, new experiences, new ideas, new hobbies and welcome them in.
We can also unlock the door to old fears, old resentments, old grudges, old ideas, old stupid lies we tell ourselves which we know are just not true and throw them out of our lives with a swift kick to the butt.
This is where your pen and paper comes in. Take a deep breath and ask yourself, what makes you feel like you just got kicked in your stomach or makes your face look like you just bit lemon? Your job, your evil ex-husband, your bad-tempered ex-girlfriend, self-doubt, lack of confidence, excessive spending habits, things you know you must do differently… basically anything you want to let go of so your soul can breathe again… write it all down… Like, now. We’re waiting…
Take your time, both Jeffrey and myself are the patient types…
Done? Great, now scrunch it up in a big ball, hold it up in the ‘To be or not to be‘ position and say, ‘I release you from my life from this day forward,’ walk to the bathroom and flush it down the toilet because that’s where it belongs!
By the way, the ‘proper’ way to do this would probably be to do a little prayer and meditation, ask your angels for help and guidance to connect with what doesn’t serve you anymore, write it down, then burn it, but I believe intentions are what matter and rituals are just details, except for the part where you write things down, there is something very magical about writing things on paper…
Do let me know if you feel much lighter now and I really won’t be surprised if you do.
And do keep me posted if, in the near future, somehow these things do end up getting flushed out of your life. As I said, there’s magic to writing down your intentions.
See why keys mean a LOT to me?
Moving along 😀
And bingo!
Boyfriend dearest and I recently found a labyrinth of creepy tunnels, which we were told were Soviet army barracks from the start of the 1900s, hidden in the mountains close to our house. There was a recent article about scientists discovering the darkest matter in the world and I’m sure the only reason why failed to mention that it was in these tunnels is because they hadn’t been here…  Anyhow, we need something of this caliber to explore it. This torch is right in front of me on the table as I type this now, waiting to be taken to the creepy tunnels, just like me.
The only thing I miss about school–stationery. Thank God there’s always something to learn so I have a good reason to buy these babies. A special ‘thank you’ to the internet where I’m taking an online editing course now (for which I have a butterfly-covered notebook for with shimmers – life is even more beautiful with these little details, no?).
Love! Bought!
These remind me of my friend Dolores, think she’d love these too. Must buy her some as gifts and hold them hostage until she comes to get them.
Hmmm, Doloreeees – check these jumpery cushions out! I think I’m missing her 😀
Selfieee!
In the mirror you can see me and in my hand you can see why these photos are rather awful. My good ol’ phone is not the best of the best when it comes to photos. But it was lovingly gifted to me by my dear Sibel and it has been of utmost help assisting Boyfriend dearest and myself navigate this country that we never had been to which mostly speaks a languge we don’t know.
And my cameras? I think they made a suicide pact together and they both kicked the bucket within weeks of each other…
At this point, I’d sent Jeffrey about a million photos and texts. Just as I was thinking, ‘Gosh, I’d be so annoyed with my phone buzzing like this if I was Jeffrey’ I got a message from him saying, ‘Binky, I’m really enjoying our little tour, but I have to use my phone for work. How about you send me the rest later?’
Jeffrey is quite psychic like that. This is a true story: Boyfriend and I were moving around a lot and I’d told Jeffrey I was having trouble sleeping in our new place. My boyfriend is an expert on good sleep so this was quite unusual.
Jeffrey said, “Mold. Check your pillow for mold.” My nose is not very sensitive, so I took my pillow and shoved it under Boyfriend’s nose. You know that face you make after you do a big shot of tequila? Yah, that was his expression. “Is that mold?” I asked and sure enough it was.
The markets of Batumi – my favorite kind of shopping
This is my favorite kind of shopping–knick-knacks and flea markets. The area just behind Goodwill holds many little alleys and shops you can (literally) get lost in. This is where we are now *click*.
Boyfriend and I fully intend to be less mobile and more rooted but we still aren’t quite there yet so these little pleasures will have to wait until they are a part of my kitchen family.
My mom’s obsession with hardware stores has definitely been passed on to me (along with many of her other strange and wonderful quirks – I always say we are like one soul that ended up in two bodies <3 ). This is a quiet back street in Batumi, which is definitely off the beaten track, where I have found many little treasures. It’s *here*Â on the map.
I actually have a reason to be here as one of my goals today is to get myself a silicone gun for an ingenious solution to a domestic water problem but they don’t have the type I need here.
Hmmm, if your husband upsets you…
This place is full of old kitchen utensils and instruments. I’m tempted to buy a meat grinder because I’m super inspired by my friend Serdar who turns old meat grinders, antique tea dispensers and many other random things that definitely aren’t lampshades into lampshades. Check his stunning art here.
I suspect there are some cast iron pans here.
I suspect at 10 Laris a piece (bit above 4 Dollars) for something that is really forever, they are a steal.
I suspect I will get myself a piece or two.
As in ‘out to lunch’ or ‘gone fishing’. We’ve walked *here*Â by the way.
How cuuuttteeeeee, little smiley thing. I don’t know what these are for but I want one. In purple.
There is a market *here* and some parts of it are like crazy labyrinths. I usually love getting lost in the maze but today I just need to be in and out of the tame part to get my silicone gun.
Strictly adhering to Murphy’s law, I do get lost and end up in the back alley near the toilets of the market, which I smell long before I see… I don’t reckon Jeffrey would be gutted to be missing this part of the day.
I finally find the silicone gun and tube. I also find that I have a teeny bit of energy left to haggle because, you know, old habits. *Click* for one of my favorite scenes ever 😀
Heading home to my honeymoon <3
Do you feel silly putting your selfie-face on and taking a photo when you’re alone? I do. This is the best I could do.
All errands done, I’m on my way home where Boyfriend dearest awaits. We’re definitely way past honeymoon era time-wise, but not feeling-wise and the thought that I have a man like that in my home, heart, life makes me smile.
Thanks for joining myself and Jeffrey on our day out in Batumi folks! This was just a slice of life on a very random day and it was fun to make believe I had my dearest friend at my nearest 🙂
As I was telling a friend recently, sometimes the life we create inside our heads is just as precious.
To the moon darlings (totally stole that one from a somewhat formal email. I thought it was alluding to ‘love you to the moon and back’ but Boyfriend just corrected me–it actually is referring to the projected price of Bitcoin 😀 ) <3