Train ride to Batumi

After 10 years since my first visit to Batumi, I decided to take another trip there this summer for a week, to see how much has changed since the last time.

We decided to travel with the train and take the South Caucasus Railroads’ 15 hours trip passing by several towns in Armenia and then Tbilisi and finally to arrive in Batumi at 7:30 in the morning.

Priorities and New Realities

It’s been almost a year since my last blog. Life is becoming more and more hectic in Armenia. I remember when we first arrived here to settle, almost 12 years ago; scarce cars on the streets, few supermarkets, less restaurants, more street sellers, more historical buildings… less sarcasm, more belief in the future. Today, so many cars everywhere, it is almost impossible sometimes to beat the traffic. Politically and socio-economically things are not getting better; people are leaving the country in search of a better life. Those who stay, try different ways to survive or counter the harsh reality of the lack of democracy, absence of rule of law and high corruption.

Adventures in France: Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, La Ciotat

After spending a night in Toulouse, we woke up early to continue our drive to Marseille. We rented a nice house in the Anse of Malmousque, in Marseille for us and the grand-parents. We were planning to be there before 2pm to settle down and pick up the grand-parents from the airport. We safely arrived a little later than expected and right in the middle of Marseille traffic! The landlady greeted us with a nice smile and gave us a short introduction of the area and which beaches were best.

It was a nice little house with creative designs, a small well organized garden and a swimming pool. The main problem was to find a parking space in the Really tiny streets around the house. It was almost impossible! People were parked on the sidewalks. It is a miracle how they fit their cars in such small spaces.

Adventures in France: Toulouse and Montpellier

After the wedding brunch on sunday, we started the next part of our adventure: heading towards south of France. the first stop was Toulouse. Unfortunately, the weather was a little colder and it as raining all the time. We tried to walk a little in the center, but almost everything was closed in the afternoon and no people around. This is how week-ends look in some european countries; people know how to rest and take a break from work and everyday life.

Toulouse

Kids were a little tired from the long drives, so we decided to drop our stuff in a budget hotel and take a walk in downtown Toulouse, place de Capitole.

Adventures in France: Les Maritimes, La Rochelle and l'Atlantique

After a 5 hour drive, we finally reached La Rochelle and the Atlantic shore of France. On the way, we were greeted by a beautiful scenery, well maintained green lands, old and unique houses(some castles).

When you travel with kids, you discover things that you wouldn't see otherwise, like the cloud sculptures, the imaginary wolfs hidden behind the trees, the magic of bridges and many more. 

The Charentes region, on the west coast of France has amazing sceneries of vast green and golden prairies, historical castles and sandy beaches.