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It is more than one month since my last post. Unfortunately I did not have internet access all that time.
So we stayed at Ashdod roads two weeks and after that just about 12 hours in port. And they were night hours, nobody could go ashore and all our plans to visit Jerusalem, Nazareth and other holy and interesting places failed.
After discharging grain in Ashdod we proceeded to Black Sea for loading aluminium in Georgian port Poti. As you know there are plenty places with very rich history and nature in Georgia, but Poti is industrial city with mostly post-soviet looking landscape. There is one church of Byzantium style:



After sailing from Georgia we went for discharging to Norway. Winds were favourable in Black Sea, Mediterranean and Atlantic. Even Bay of Biscay, famous of storms, met us with good weather. English Channel was like a lake. All our luck finished at the entrance to the North Sea. Because of west and north-west winds force 7-8 and high seas we crossed it in four days instead of expected two.



But everything has its end and on arrival to Norwegian port Bergen I signed-off and now have two month vacation.

Israeli. Ashdod Roads.

I joined my ship Nordic Chantal in Norway on 18 of August. Since then we carried stones to Denmark, Sonderborg.




Then we loaded wheat in Vierov, Germany, and after two week of sea passage through North Sea, English Channel, Biscay and Mediterranean arrived to Ashdod, Israel. There are some holidays in Israel, one follows another, and we are staying at anchor already eight days.



With help of such improvised directional wi-fi antenna I have access to internet.

Kazbegi. Good-bye Georgia.

This is my last post about 15 days in Georgia in July, 2010.  All pictures are here
Tomorrow early in the morning I am leaving for Norway to join my ship.

Alazani Valley.

Georgian roads.




Georgian cows are close relatives of Indian cows. They like to walk along the highways not paying much attention to the passing cars.

Sighnaghi - Town of Love...

In the morning my friend come to say "Hi!":

Vardzia. Lost.

After visit to Cave Monastery I still had time. From the Lonely Planet and bill-board at the road I found that some Swiss Organization marked several hiking routes. So I chose one to Upper Vardzia 6 km long with expected time 1 hour 55 minutes. (It is famous Swiss accuracy))). Starting point I found with the help of local teenagers, because sign was hidden behind of high road curb. After that it was easy to follow the arrows:



But when I come to such a sign I was confused a little bit.



After searching around I found I was not the first traveler lost here.



I paid respect to Unknown Tourist and continued to climb up the mountain.







When I came down to the valley I discovered colony of sea-gulls. Local people said they come to Vardzia every summer.

Vardzia. Cave Monastery

From Batumi I was going to Vardzia. Firstly to Akhaltsikhe via Khulo. Road via Khulo is closed for winter months but it passing through the valleys, along the mountain rivers and over high passages. Then from Akhaltsikhe I took marshrutka to Vardzia.

Batumi

 From Svaneti I went to Zugdidi, met Koba, had cup of tea with him, and in two hours started to Batumi by another marshrutka. In Batumi I spent less than twenty four hours, so my pictures are just humble attempt to show this beautiful city.