We're Marianne and Chris,
and we've been traveling full-time since 2018.
We're currently spending a few weeks in the country of Georgia!
A country with fantastic mountain views, crazy roads and even crazier driving!
You can't see .... what is that?!
And let's not forget unusual architecture, delicious food and cows on the road!
Welcome to Georgia!
It's about a half hour drive to Batumi,
and we have no idea where we're going to stay tonight!
It took a little bit longer than anticipated to get in,
it's now quarter past three,
but we're in, we're happy we're all in!
The road is going along the beach.
it's quite funny that literally just crossing the border,
everything looks and feels different, I'm not sure exactly why yet?
I think it's because the letters and writing are different.
It is starting to look a little bit grey in the distance over there.
So it was a good idea to get insurance before we crossed,
because as soon as we crossed there was loads of people touting for your insurance business.
So yeah it gets a little bit manic so my tip is get it before you cross.
We're just coming into the city now,
and we're going to spend a couple of days here filming.
It's my birthday tomorrow!
So we thought we'd hang out in Batumi.
The driving is more interesting here!
But it's all right because i'm a qualified Turkish driver now!
It's the roundabouts,
you see, there's like there's no right of way!
You just kind of go, go and merge,
but it should be out right of way.
But i'm not really sure, it just kind of happens!
You just merge!
there you go we've done it!
We've got masses of building work going on down here,
lots of new high rises.
We're just working our way through the little side streets to get down to the sea front,
or the area by the sea front and the main city centre.
It feels odd being in another country,
there's a lot of similarities and a lot of extreme differences
But anyone who says Turkish drivers are crazy ..... they have not been to Georgia!
About six inches, go on you're alright.
Yeah some of the buildings look really nice,
colourful a bit French, and then some of them are really old as well,
so it's a real mix here!
it's not even old, it's like concrete square and cold war style ...
We are definitely in the posh end of town!
Look this is lovely!
There are Porsches ..... oh yeah !
Whenever you see the McDonald's, you know you're in the centre of the city!
Okay it's a little bit narrow now!
Do you know what this feels like?
What does it feel like?
It feels like the Ramblas in Barcelona
this is a really cool part of town!
I'm looking forward to having a look around here ...
Here? Yeah go down here ....
and then turn right at the end ....
Okay that's not the best place.
We're reversing
it's a little bit manic - and there is a lorry behind us !
hello
Hello
It is nuts, where are we going? I have no idea!
Okay the guy's directing us in ....
Why ..... why so specific?
okay thank you very much thank you
I'm a little bit confused,
I've got a feeling that they're going to set up like a hoopla and win a goldfish!
It does look like they're setting up right there!
And we're right under the tower.
Okay so another guy just came over and said you can't park here tonight it's not allowed.
You have to go somewhere else
So this is the view out of our van tonight, and what's funny is that massive blow up bouncy castle,
if the guy hadn't moved us, we would have been parked right next to that!
Absolutely mad!
We also want to say a massive thank you to Rent and Connect,
who have provided us with internet for Georgia!
So we had a good night's sleep here,
it was pretty quiet despite being in the centre of the city.
And we have woken up today,
it's a very grey day ...
but yeah it was a good night's sleep.
Today is a very special day!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to Chris .... Happy birthday to you!
Yes it is my birthday today!
So we thought maybe for the next couple of nights, would go and stay in an airbnb.
get a little flat just outside of the city,
it's not a cave hotel, i'm sorry,
actually are there any cave hotels in Georgia we should visit?
I don't know?
But we're going to go hang out in airbnb for a couple of nights,
i can have a long shower, we've got loads of washing to catch up on.
But before we go ....
we're going to make a quick cup of coffee,
and we'll see you in a minute!
Right .... coffee all made, it's late morning, I don't know where the time goes!
Well we were chatting to people because it's your birthday!!
Okay we're going to go to the airbnb now.
"Head North East toward bicycle lane"
Turn left,
yeah so it's only about 14 minutes it's saying on the sat nav.
So it's not far, just down the coast a little bit.
And it's a very grey day here this morning in Batumi.
Okay so we've parked up,
we've just messaged our host and we think this is the right area?
Possibly a flat in the building opposite?
So we'll just wait and see what happens.
We think it's behind this building ....
down this little track.
so Trudy's up there,
we think it's down here?
is this number twenty-two?
Okay we're trying this way on foot it's got a very a jungle like feeling.
Our friend Erhan said Georgia is really lush and green,
in fact it feels really tropical and he is right.
Maybe it's down there?
it's not here, we've gone past it now.
It's not here, we're in the wrong place .... definitely
Is it that tall block?
According to this we're pretty sure that it's that building,
but that says 20a and the airbnb says 22a!
Message to all airbnb owners ..... send photographs and geo locations!
Otherwise you can't find it!
Okay, i have no idea where that is!
We've arrived at where she said .....
but .....
that does not match where we are!
So it seems to be that it's in the high rise or next to the high rise behind us,
because she's sending pictures of a high rise.
Okay ,,,
So we're looking for somewhere that looks like that,
and this is not at all what i thought we were getting ...
which is bizarre!
Okay well let's go just let's go and suss it out.
Let's go down the hill and see what we get.
Oh it's a banana tree!
We're back to the little square,
it looks like a roundabout but they've blocked it in,
or are they waiting to go ....
or is that just dodgy parking?
oh yeah
It is almost as good as my parking that is!
Yeah it must be there .....
Yes it is there.
Love you've booked me into a luxury hotel for my birthday!
Do you think airbnb lied?
This definitely wasn't the photo that was on airbnb!
Maybe it's a luxury villa inside?
Okay the quick guided tour,
it is actually okay inside for us it will be fine,
there's a fridge, there's a kettle and a sink a little sofa.
There's a TV, I can edit some videos here.
I can get the washing done,
we can do the washing .... although that is incredibly high!
It's very high!
i don't normally like going on high balconies.
Trudy is down there we're on the 12th floor,
we've got a nice view of Batumi, look that's where we were sleeping !
Yeah last night, you can see the tower where we were sleeping,
which is nice.
The road's a little bit crazy here, but no it's fine there's a beach.
And there's a supermarket and restaurant down there which we'll go to later.
The owner was lovely!
Okay it's the day after my birthday!
And we're sitting here planning what we're going to do in Georgia.
The flat is really cool, we've had a nice time it's great but i've had to bring the washing in ... it's raining!
And let me show you it isn't just raining .....
it's pouring! It's literally hammering down!
Look at that!
Actually it's quite nice being cold .... it's flooded!
Trudy's down there, she'll be fine ....
I'm hoping the roof isn't open ...
no the roof isn't open!
But we went for dinner there last night and it was really nice and we're hoping to take you back there tonight.
If it stops raining!
I don't want to be a moaning myrtle but I am going to get wet!
We missed our window of opportunity!
It's pouring again!
Just by the time we've come downstairs.
I think we should wait a minute because it looks a little brighter up there!
I love this world that you live in ..... that you see bright places!
It's bright up there compared to what it was ....
Straight to the van try get the umbrella
Oh we're in the van !
Marianne's found her super cool waterproof coat!
I can't find mine .....
So i've got a little umbrella!
What i want to know is ...... how can you lose stuff in a 6 meter van?
all you people that live in a van out there, do you still lose stuff? Because we lose stuff all the time!
And i can't find me coat!
Okay we've waited 15 minutes, we're going for it!
We're going for it ! We're going for it because otherwise we're going to be sat in the van all night!
Oh my god there is a river literally!
Do we have to go out?
Can we just stay in Trudy?
Okay this is umbrella camera!
We've only got to go the other side of the park!
Oh my legs are wet!
Yeah, maybe not the best idea we've had!
It's a little bit wet!
That really is a river ...
We've made it!
We are a little bit damp around the edges!
This is the restaurant that i actually came yesterday for my birthday,
but we sat outside they've got some nice gardens outside.
But obviously with the weather as it is at the moment, then we're sitting inside.
But we've just ordered some lovely Georgian food!
It's a lovely place!
They've got a little wood-fired oven in the corner there,
traditional Georgian food ....
So these are the stewed vegetables that we had when we were in Tbilisi
beautiful we had these last night, we've ordered them again!
because they are so delicious .... like us curried cold ratatouille.
Family-style potatoes here with onions, beautifully seasoned.
They just taste so good!
I've told Chris that we need to get the recipe for this!
Yeah this is definitely going to be in the Tread the Globe World cookbook!
This is definitely going to be a staple diet of our food....
So if we have any Georgian chefs out there watching this right now?
If you could direct message me at Marianne@treadtheglobe.com
that recipe, it would be all love! Absolutely!
But what's interesting you know when you order your food over here,
it doesn't all come together like it does back home,
it comes out when it's ready ....
So you kind of just pick and then by the time your main course, your chicken arrives you've eaten all your potatoes and your veg!
So it's quite funny but that is just how things are over here.
We've got a lovely rich chicken stew,
this is delicious!
Okay dinner's done and it's still raining!
Really heavy!
Are you ready for this Marianne ?
Okay, we're going!
Okay it's properly raining ....
It's properly raining!
Oh my god!
Okay we're back .....
Oh hey pups!
Jeez we made it!
Good morning we've had a fabulous few days here in this flat,
it's been really nice,
the weather's been absolutely terrible!
Which means we've just chilled in the flat,
caught up with editing, watched lots of Netflix movies
and we wouldn't have been able to do anything if we were out and about in Trudy.
Marianne's just down there getting the van ready,
you can tell because there's dogs by the van which means she's fed them!
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where we're going to go and explore the Georgian city of Batumi
It was a good idea to get the insurance because
so we had pretty good night sleep here actually it was ...
I can't talk again this morning!
it was a good ...
i still can't talk!
3, 2, 1 !