Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region of Georgia

The view at the Enguri Hydro Power Plant (Enguri HPP) [Photo by my dad]

Valeriy & Dad at Enguri HPP in the 80s

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti was the 4th of the 9 regions of Georgia that we visited on our 8-day Georgian exploration. This region has quite the variety in flora and fauna from the palm trees by the Black Sea to the snowcapped Caucasus mountains. We visited serene Tsalenjikha and the resort town of Anaklia and finally got to see the Black Sea while in the region! My dad spent a month in Tsalenjikha in the 1980s to visit Valeriy and had many fond memories of  the good times he had with Valeriy and their friend Vepha. I am including some old family photos because they are fun and why not include them!

Enguri HPP

The gang at the Enguri Hydro Power Plant (Enguri HPP)

Enguri HPP and the Enguri River

Enguri HPP

Enguri HPP

Enguri HPP

Vepha gifted my dad with a traditional Georgian robe.

The ladies from Moscow.

Vepha and my dad reunited after over 30 years.

Tsalenjikha views

Tsalenjikha - population: 8,900

Sisters near epic trees in Tsalenjikha

Tsalenjikha

Tsalenjikha Cathedral built in 12th-14th century

Jenya and my dad next to Tsalenjikha Cathedral
in the 80s!

Tsalenjikha Cathedral

Tsalenjikha Cathedral

Tsalenjikha Cathedral

My dad with Vepha and his mother in Tsalenjikha in the 80s. 

Valeriy's old house in Tsalenjikha.

We were all very excited to take photos with grapes!

Grapes and cows in Tsalenjikha

Ankalia is a small resort town on the Black Sea. We arrived at sunset and because it was November we thought the city was abandoned! But in fact, it was just not the summer bikini season. The town looks a bit strange without sunbathers as you will see by the empty architecturally diverse hotels and restaurants. When we were still living in Russia, we spent most of our time living in Sochi, on the Black Sea, because of my dad's music and show. I don't remember it very much since I was 5 when we left, but returning to the Black Sea gave me a sense of the familiar and familial.

Sculptures in Anaklia

Sunset over the Black Sea in Anaklia

Interestiing architecture in Anaklia

More interesting architecture

Not our hotel

Sunset over the Black Sea

Masha finally got to skate in Georgia!

Savva trying to skate in Anaklia while Masha looks on.

Big dinners are a must!

Elarji - cornmeal with Sulguni cheese. YUM!

Toasting with the drinking horn

My mom probably toasting about love or friendship.

Vepha and my dad 2015

Vepha and my dad circa 1984

Until next time Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti!