TRAVELING
"Die beste Bildung findet ein gescheiter Mensch auf Reisen." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
English Translation of the quote: "The best education for a clever person is found in travel".
I fully agree with the quote, as I've gained unforgettable experiences, knowledge and wisdom in my travels.
Here I share all the different places I visited or lived in, my impressions, emotions and feelings.
Georgia, my homeland
Tbilisi
The birthplace of my mother Nina and me, capital of Georgia. Tbilisi might also be known as Tiflis, by an old pre 1936 name. Tbilisi was founded by Vakhtang the first, Gorgasali in fifth century AD. My father was named after the king Vakhtang. The atmosphere here is well described by national geographic as bohemian. Warm climate, artistic, hearty people, authentic cafes, restaurants and night clubs can make you fall in love. The short paragraph wouldn't suffice to mention every aspect of the city. The button below will lead you to a beautiful article from National Geographic.
Batumi
Beautiful touristic resort by the Black Sea. In summertime I've been here many times with my parents as a kid. I still remember a mixed smell of delicious cuisine and sea in the air. Marvelous, relaxed atmosphere with active nightlife. Click below to learn more about Batumi on Wikipedia.
Gagra
The birthplace of my father, Vakhtang. The vintage picture above is from 1958 and it looks exactly as I remember it. In my childhood I used to spend every summer in Gagra together with my parents. This is the place where my father taught me to swim. I have a lot of sweet childhood memories associated with this place. To my sorrow, during the Abkhaz war in 1992-1993 my uncle died defending his homeland and the land has been occupied by Abkhaz separatist forces with the help of Russian army. It has been occupied ever since, which is a big heartache for every Georgian.
Pitsuda
My parents have gotten to know each other here. It was love on the first sight and my father proposed to my mother on the first date. Pitsunda is 14 kilometers away from Gagra. I remember loving to dance here in a bar to a big surprise of other bar patrons. It was my first dance with a girl.
Kiketi
Kiketi is a beautiful village located in the mountains not far from Tbilisi. My cousin, me and our grandmother have spent here every summer, as it was getting too hot in Tbilisi. The nature is marvelously serene. I've learned to ride a bicycle here. I remember the smell of wood and my grandmother's cooking with nostalgia. Beautiful childhood memories.
Borjomi
A beautiful resort town famous for its mineral water springs. My parents and I used to stay here in a wellness hotel and enjoy the beautiful nature.
Russia
Moscow
Needless to say, the capital of Russia. Since I was growing up here, there is a lot I've tried for the first time in my life. I've learned to drive a car and kissed a girl for the first time in it. I started smoking and I've quit after several years. I had a blast on my 20th birthday and I'm still ashamed of some things I said and did that night. I learned to drink responsibly and to know my limit. University education helped me to develop communicational skills, changed my world view and my mindset. I started reading a lot more and fell in love with science fiction. I've explored Moscow thoroughly, however I haven't traveled much in Russia. Besides Moscow I've only been to a small nearby city of Kaluga for a couple of days, but it was a business trip and I had no time to explore.
Germany
Berlin
The capital of Germany and at the same time the first city I've visited. Berlin is wonderful. When I was there, I could still feel the influence of two polar opposite cultures. My favorite places to visit in Berlin are Kurfürstendamm and Alexanderplatz.
Hamburg
Beautiful and enormous port city. Hamburg is crossed by myriads of canals and has around 2 500 bridges. Being the biggest port city in Germany it is often called "Gateway to the world". The atmosphere in the city is very special and interesting.
Köln ( Cologne )
I've been attending German language courses in Köln. Cologne Cathedral or Kölner Dom is an extremely impressive architectural masterpiece. If you're here, make sure to try local beer type Kölsch.
Leverkusen
While studying in Köln I've been living in Leverkusen, a small and a very cozy western European city. The city is famous for its stadium and local soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Frankfurt am Main
Throughout all the years I've lived in Frankfurt, it became my home-city. I love Frankfurt from the bottom of my heart. The city of my first serious romantic relationship. I cherish a lot of warm memories related to Frankfurt. Some of the places I'd recommend visiting are: Zeil, Römerplatz, Goethe House and Goethestraße.
Stuttgart
My cousin George lives here with his family. Stuttgart is the place of birth of my beloved nephew and niece. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have their headquarters and museums in Stuttgart. As you enter the city beautiful vineyards are easy to spot all around. I've been here several times. The atmosphere is calm and pleasant.
München ( Munich )
Beautiful Munich, capital of Bavaria. I've visited München together with my cousin, when his future wife Nina was studying here at a local university. München is exquisitely clean and alluring. Architecture here is mind-blowingly impressive.
Hannover
I've been to Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony only on several short business trips, hence I don't have much to mention except for coziness of cafes.
Netherlands
Amsterdam
While studying in Köln we've decided to visit Amsterdam in a small group of friends. The famous "playground for adults" had a marvelous atmosphere and very friendly people. It was very easy to communicate, since absolutely everyone speaks English fluently. The magic of Red Light Districts is especially enjoyable at night. Just like one of the tourist guides said " here, gentlemen can buy honey for money". Complete freedom and no judgment. I've had a truly wonderful time.
Spain
Madrid
The elegant capital of Spain. I've visited Madrid together with my parents, while being a student at Goethe University. I can't say my mentality aligns well with the one of local people, nonetheless our time spent here was enjoyable. The city is very original, loud, makes an impression of being chaotic on someone calm like myself. On the other hand the pulsating life atmosphere is contagious.
Barcelona
Architectural styles in Barcelona are very diverse, unique and brave. I've spent here a week in summer, while living in Germany. I could sense freedom in every aspect of life. Sagrada Familia is absolutely unique and unlike anything I've ever seen before. Not knowing Spanish here might become problematic. Strolling along local nude beaches was an aesthetical pleasure.
Tenerife
I was here on a vocation. Joyfully beautiful largest Canary Island. While here I took a tour to Mt. Teide, a dormant volcano. The views from the peak of the mountain are gorgeous. I used to spend every evening by an ocean water pool and enjoy local cuisine and wines.
France
Paris
The legendary Paris. While visiting the capital of France I wished I could speak French so many times. French sounds beautiful even when people cuss. The city of love to me is outstandingly unique. Local people possess very interesting mentality, - humorous, cynical and sarcastic at the same time. General attitude towards women here is so pleasantly different from everything I've seen before, it made a very positive deep impression on me. I think living in Paris, being not from here would be difficult, same as living somewhere else, if you were born here. Hard to get used to, but if you would, most likely you wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Having a local guide may give you a chance to experience Paris from a new perspective.
USA
Los Angeles
I'm proud to say Los Angeles is my new home-city. I've been living here for 9 years since March 2013 and so far it has been an emotional rollercoaster and a great ride. I hope it will be getting only better. The music video above depicts my deep love to Hollywood so far the best possible way.
Las Vegas
The notorious gambling capital of the US or as they call it Sin City. I've been here several times. Sometimes I lost, sometimes winner winner chicken dinner. To me Las Vegas is charming and enchanting in its very own way. Just the smell of a casino may put me in a festive mood.
Grand Canyon
Wonder of the world is breathtakingly impressive and gorgeous. I went to a glass platform "SkyBridge" overlooking the canyon. Here like nowhere else one may realize how big is our planet and how small are we compared to it.
San Diego
I've come here several times to visit Sea World, San Diego Zoo and to explore the city. Regardless of where I went, I had a very pleasant experience. Downtown area of the city surprised me with cleanliness and a great choice of interesting restaurants and bars.
Big Bear Lake
I've only been to Big Bear several times in summer. Big Bear Brewing Company is a great place to try different kinds of high quality beer and enjoy delicious cuisine. You can rent sea-doos or even pontoons if you're on a family trip. On 4th of July they usually organize impressive fireworks shows, which I had a chance to enjoy here together with my family.
Mammoth Mountain
Once upon a time I went camping here in a big group of friends in summer. Although camping is not really my cup of tea, I enjoyed it. It was a huge fun to rent mountain bikes and ride downhill. There are a lot of other activities available in the area. Landscape and views are marvelous.