Batumi

4 October 2012

Today I arrived in Batumi on the east coast of the Black Sea.

The old part of the town near the harbour has a great atmosphere with some inviting bars and restaurants. I'm hoping to sample some fresh fish this evening. Developments are starting in this town too, with the building of some swanky hotels and the refurbishment of the older quarters. It's good to be able to see the area now and appreciate its unique character and architecture.

As I walked along the beach, a dolphin swam gracefully alongside just 10m or so out at sea. Fantastic...

This huge 7m sculpture by Tamar Kvesitadze stands on the edge of the harbour wall. It depicts two characters from a famous romantic novel called 'Nino and Ali' by Kurban Said. Nino is Georgian and hence classed as European, Ali is Azeri and hence Asian. The novel is wonderfully written and weaves the cultural and historical tensions around the story of this couples relationship.

As you enter Batumi city there is a huge bill board with a proud picture of Donald Trump of all people. He is quoted to have said that in 5 years time Batumi will be the most beautiful city in the world. As I viewed the new construction, fountains, old Soviet apartment blocks with their newly painted balconies and the construction sites sporting pictures of the buildings to come (one London Hotel even showed a London cab in the foreground), I wondered what this new city would be like. It appeared as though there were mixed ideas, from Asian and European backgrounds trying to make their mark here. Time will tell.