My first post on Palnet ~ Last day in Georgia: Tbilisi, Sulphuric baths and Waterfall

Hello again and welcome to my first post using #palnet. Today I am going to finish my Georgian Diary, and show you the capital of Georgia - the city of Tbilisi.

The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains from all sides. That's why it is really hot here, even in May, especially for a traveler from a country where there is snow in winter, lol. In fact, I got from our middle of spring directly into the middle of the summer. Our local friends say they have no snow in winter, or it melts quickly.

We started here, and we finished here. Every time we stayed in a different hotel, I think it is a good idea to discover different districts of the city and gain more experience. Even after what happened to me in Salerno (Italy), I thought it is a good idea, and it really worked this time.

When I mad my mind about the hotel, I looked at the map of the city on booking.com. I mean it all was in two dimensions. But...

Look at this angle. Our Betlemi Old Town Hotel was located at Betlemi street. This street is the last to the top, in fact it was Betlemi rise, and although there were cars up there, I am not sure I'd make it my car. So, we had to go up and up with our luggage, lol. Good daily workout, yeah?

The hotel was our a cherry on top - it is new, roomy, not big at all and very cozy. The view from the terrace on the second floor is absolutely stunning! And when the hostess of the hotel came to greet us and offered a glass of excellent vine, I knew I will come here again...

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The next day was a usual business day, so people in the streets weren't too many. I like to see the surroundings on such days. We have some spare time before our flight, and we went down to explore baths and one more waterfall.

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We went to find some souvenirs, but the only magnet we both liked was too expensive, GEL 20 or about $7.50. Besides, I got pair of socks with the same image :) So we decided to bring home eatable souvenirs. The hostess of hotel advised a small street market, and we got there suluguni (handmade cheese) and some species (trust me, it is powerless to resist) and a lot of Churchkhela, a traditional Georgian candle-shaped candy, made of grape must, nuts and flour.

Sulfur baths and Orbeliani Baths

Sulphuric baths are very close to each other, located in Abanotubani district, and are a very popular tourist attraction. They are built on natural sulfur springs. I'd recommend it for a visit at least because this place influenced the choice of location of the city and even its name. Georgian"tbili" means *"warm", and you sould pronounce [b] almost like [p]. This is the reason why Russian empire called the city Tiflis, - it is because it was more easy to pronounce. So Tiflis and Tbilisi is the same name.

Another one reason to visit Sulphuric baths is another amazing waterfall located in the heart of the city. By the way, Alexandre Dumas was delighted by this place, so I think you might like it also :)

If you go further along the baths, you will see another bridge of love, all hung with locks. Locks can be bought right here, on the spot.

And further down the path will lead you to the waterfall. It is a shadowy place, and there are cafe and bars of both side of a small river. Not sure about you, but I just couldn't take my eyes off these wooden colorful balconies.