Day 20 152 Km ( 6642 km Total)
Special day today - our wedding anniversary, so congratulations to my lovely wife & I who unfortunately can't be together this year.
Today also marks the start (for me at least) of what feels like the second & more 'adventourous' leg of my journey. Tonight I will stay at a small hostel up in the mountains of Kazbegi & not far from the Russian border - then its over the border tomorrow through Russia & into the Stan's.
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Today started as yesterday with a full english brakfast cooked by Princess Tamara, who is full of insights & intersting facts about her country & its history. She was also very interested in my daughter Emily's art work, having s pent a number of years in the UK and also having a degree & background in art & design herself.
Tamara gave us a quick tour of her palace, much of which is still under construction, but will be quite a special place when it is finished. It is a combination of large high spec apartments, a hotel & smaller guest rooms. It is this latter bit that is finished & where we were staying.
The apartments have a rooftop terrace, with a stunning view!
I tried to get a discount & good price on one of the apartments using my Tesco Club Card vouchers, but unfortunately they seem to be a little out of my price range!
So it was back to packing, bid the Princess farewell & off on the road north.
I was heading for Kazbegi - as far as you can go north before hitting the border with Russia. It is not a long run but this border is notorious for long delays & so it made sense to get close & allow an early border run.
Once out of Tibilisi, the route up into the Caucaus mountains was lovely
I left Russ at his hotel in Gudauri & I continued along the pass for another 35km to Kazbegi, with the helmet cam on ...
This is a beautiful range of mountains, mount Kazbegi, where I am headed towards is 5033m high, the third highest in Georgia. The pass itself gets to 2379m not long after Kazbegi village which is at about 1850m.
The Georgian military highway has been used by traders & invaders through the ages. In its present form it was begun by the Russian Military in 1769, and featured heavily as a transport route in a number of wars since then.
Its use as a through route has apparently diminished in recent years due to border delays & closures.
With a lovely view from my window :-)
Russia tomorrow!
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